The Unknown Bible - Pastor Bevans Welder

What does “unto the pure are all things pure” in Titus 1:15, mean?
It isn’t a license to sin, if that’s what you mean.

Some people have used this portion of the verse in Titus 1:15 to basically prove that whatever they want to do is okay with God because they are purified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They put this verse with a verse like 1 Cor 10:23, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” Then they go about doing whatever they want with no conscience of sin or wrongdoing about it. Their attitude toward this verse produces a Christian who looks like the evil men of Deut 12:8 where every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

The verse needs to be studied in its entire context from vs. 10 to 16. Paul is dealing with vain talkers and deceivers who are covetous, liars, defiled, unbelieving, abominable, disobedient and reprobate. Consequently, nothing to them is pure. Their motives are impure, their consciences are impure, their thoughts are impure, their words are impure, and so on. Filth wouldn't bother them. As a matter of fact they would prefer it. Pornography, dirty jokes, bad music, bad companions, and so forth would bring them pleasure without regret or a guilty conscience.

The pure, on the other hand, have pure consciences, and so they will have pure motives, pure friends, pure desires, pure ambitions, pure thoughts, and so on. They will abhor the filth that attracts the defiled and they will desire the purity that is abominable to the defiled. Pure men and women have a desire for pure things. And defiled men and women have an appetite for impure things. Impure people are motivated by the lust of the flesh and aim to satisfy it without concern for their consciences.

The verse cannot be used out of context to prove that once a man is saved, every filthy thing that he can imagine is sanctified and pure just because he is a saved man. While there are those who take this liberty, this verse does not grant them that liberty. Peter told us that we are to do well, “As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God,” (1 Pet 2:16).

Concerning purity, the Bible gives us excellent instruction on how we are to live our lives once we have been purified by the blood of Jesus Christ. First, in Rom 14:20-23, even if a thing is pure for us, we have to consider our brothers in Christ, whether what we do might cause them to stumble. Second, according to Phil 4:8, we are to think on pure things and the purest things on which to think are the words of God (Jas 3:17). Third, in 1 Tim 1:5 and 2 Pet 3:1, we are to keep our hearts, minds and consciences pure. And fourth, our greatest example for purity is Jesus Christ and our greatest reason for purity is that we are sons of God and we will be like him when he comes (1 Jn 3:1-3).

Hope this helps,

Pastor Welder