26 Jun 2000

To the pure

Submitted by theshovel

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To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure Titus 1:15

I’ll bet you’ve already categorized “the pure” as referring to somebody other than yourself, haven’t you? I mean, to be considered pure seems to be reserved for the few who have achieved a higher standard of purity in their lives than say, you or I … wouldn’t you think? But then again, by what means of evaluation do we determine such a thing? Hasn’t the good news of Jesus made it abundantly clear that those who have received the grace of God are the clean, the righteous, the justified, the sanctified, the holy, the pure … and the undefiled? So, dump that evaluation system by which you keep judging yourself unworthy.

Though there may be many questions begging to be asked I want to draw your attention to the simplicity of the statement, “To the pure, all things are pure”. What could this possibly mean? How could ALL things be pure in any sense? And if I am correct it says that all things are pure to YOU.

Notice that it does not say all things can be VIEWED as pure, but that all things ARE pure. I point this out because of our tendency to negate this reality as if it was merely theoretical and not factual. But it is reality.

We grew up learning to view all things according to our particular society’s standard of measurement. We have judged all things on a scale fitting somewhere within the framework between bad and good. But the concept of good within this system is bogus, for we have accepted the fact that it has been contaminated by evil to some degree. In the world we learned that nothing is pure … and the endless stream of laws, rules and principles is determined to root out and expose the evil in every good word and deed.

But our history has been rewritten in Christ.

Do you remember the theme of Ecclesiastes?

There is nothing new under the sun! Ecclesiastes 1:9

We still quote that as if it is part of our history. But our history in Christ is not found under the sun … it is from heaven, from the Spirit of the Living God, whose existence is not dependent upon the natural world.

We were in darkness, now we are in Light.
We were dead in sins, now we are alive to God through Christ.
We were opposed to righteousness, now we are righteousness.
We were unbelieving, now we are believers through HIM.
We were impure, now we have been made pure.

Because our history has been rewritten in Christ, all things are pure to us. The whole evil world has been made to be our training camp in which He causes all things to work together for our good. Our whole history — whether we have considered it good or bad — has really been for us the very experiencing of the life of God, for He has shown Himself to us in countless ways. Every hurt is turned into the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings to us. Every kindness we have experienced in the world, though perverted by sin, is to us the goodness of our Father. Every expression of love through a father is to us the voice of our Father in heaven saying,

You are my beloved son in whom I am well-pleased! Matthew 3:17

My friends, He has made all things new … and there is no sin in the place we really live.

Comments

Re: To the pure

theshovel - November 4, 2010 - 5:11pm

These comments were all transferred over from the original website

Posted: June 26, 2000 by Bruce

Jim,

Sounds like you have forsaken the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil” and are only partaking of the “Tree of Life”.

I have a question … How did you get past those cherubim and the flaming sword?

Posted: June 26, 2000 by Paul

Well said, and well written. Thanks!

Posted: June 26, 2000 by Sherri

Hey there gran’pa Shovel!!

Side note before I even start: I like the addition of the Guest Book. Hopefully people will catch-on to it soon. I think that they are fun. I do not know why, but … I do. ( I suppose it is another one of my many ‘personal problems’. :)

“I’ll bet you’ve already categorized “the pure” as referring to somebody other than yourself, haven’t you?”

For most of us, that is pretty much a ‘given’ I would think, seeings how the evil one uses our personal conditions, circumstances, situations, and outward appearances to constantly deceive us and challenge that precious truth about us. After all, if we were so ‘pure’, shouldn’t it ‘appear’ so as well? I would venture to say that none of us ‘look’ pure … none of us ‘feel’ pure … and most of us do not ‘think’ or ‘act’ pure the majority of the time. I wonder what ‘pure’ does ‘look’, ‘feel’ and ‘act’ like? :) Nothing would fit the world’s standards, that is for sure, and that is for sure where we get caught in their futile trap of endless judging and condemning. Jesus Christ stood before the world … the very essence of Purity … and they condemned Him. Do we think that we will look any better for them? Hmmm …

If it were not for the Spirit of GOD within us to witness of this Gospel to us and to each other, ‘appearances’ would destroy us, and indeed, sadly, it sometimes does. But … it can not and will not change that which is True about us. For whatever reason, we are allowed to be deceived and ruined in this world, but that makes us no less ‘pure’. No formulas … just Truth!

“Notice that it does not say all things can be VIEWED as pure, but that all things ARE pure.”

I love how you pointed that out! It is full of hope and confidence! It removes that trap and bondage of ‘ethereal’ thinking we tend to find ourselves and each other in sometimes. It is real for and about us now. Nothing to attain, obtain, or maintain! That is freedom!! :)

“We have judged all things on a scale fitting somewhere within the framework between bad and good.”

I like how you pointed out the ‘bogus’ness of the ‘good and bad’ issue, too. We have been free-ed out of that bondage as well. We have entered into the realm of judging things by Life or death … Truth or lie … much broader than ‘good or bad’. We are now Life … Good … Pure … etc. I can not yet really explain that clearly, but … I am enjoying learning to identify what things are not this Christian Life, and worrying less about only identifying what is. It is kind of an ‘elimination’ and ‘deprogramming’ process. I do not know if that makes any sense, but … I know what I mean. chuckle chuckle

“… our history has been rewritten in Christ!”
That has got to be my favorite of all that you said!! It sums up all about us!! “In Christ” Plain and simple and miraculous!! It is all we need to remember, for it is our sum total … Christ in us!! We are sufficient totally and completely in Him!!

Thank you!! :)

Wallowing and saturating in His rest!! :)

I love you!!!
Wifus

Posted: May-28-04 by Willy

You have taken this verse out of context.

In case you don’t know what context means, Webster’s Dictionary says this:

CONTEXT, n. [L. Con and texo, to weave.] The general series or composition of a discourse; more particularly, the parts of a discourse which precede or follow the sentence quoted; the passages of scripture which are near the text, either before it or after it. The sense of a passage of scripture is often illustrated by the context.

There are at least 3 very good examples in the Bible of someone trying to use the Word of God out of Context. 1) Genesis 3:1. 2) Matthew 4:6. 3) Luke 4:9,10. all three times it was Satan who was doing the talking.

Also, about your comment, “Every kindness we have experienced in the world, though perverted by sin, is to us the goodness of our Father.” If I am reading this correctly, it says, “Every kindness we experience to us is the goodness of our Father.” Maybe so, but adding in “though perverted by sin,” makes it say that “every kindness is perverted by sin, and that ‘perverted kindness’ is the goodness of our father.” In effect your saying that God’s goodness is perverted.

1 Corinthians 12:3 says “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

If that is the case, I sure hope your father is not mine.

Posted: May-28-04 by the shovel

Willy, though your input is rather arrogant I thank you for sharing it all the same. And no, you did not read what I wrote correctly. I think you may have taken my statement out of context so that you could accuse me by a false conclusion.

Jim

Posted: Jun-08-06 by mitch

Thanks Shovel! I am still trying to understand the phrase to the pure all things are pure…you did give me more to think about.

This is an excellent one for

mary - September 3, 2013 - 2:17pm

This is an excellent one for today!:)

Have you guys/gals read this

nerg0 - November 4, 2013 - 3:59pm

Have you guys/gals read this lately? This is just beautiful. If you had one of those exceptional worldly-experienced days being caught-up with the various human personalities at work, school, or play and your head is just spinning :) .... well, take a deep breath, let the worldly exposure just fall-off, and REST in the true identity that you are gifted with through Christ.