Titus 1:15

Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted.

These words may well feel familiar. They closely echo the words of Jesus when he said that: “a good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart” (Luke 6:45). Paul’s particular challenge in Crete came from those who were insisting that all Christian men should be circumcised. This teaching was proving extremely destructive and was driving whole families away from the church. Paul was convinced that the only reason they were teaching this was to make money. He quoted a Cretan prophet who had said that: “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals and lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). This sounds incredibly harsh, but clearly Paul was desperate to protect the young church from those who were bent on its destruction.

Paul was convinced that what mattered before anything was the purity of people’s hearts. If they got that right then everything that flowed from them would be good. That is something that King David had to learn. He had proved to be a good leader in so many ways, but when he saw Bathsheba and longed to sleep with her his moral compass suddenly deserted him. The problem with sins is that they don’t come singly. His adultery with Bathsheba led to a string of lies and eventually to the murder of her husband. Bad went to much worse, but that’s the nature of sin. After Nathan’s confrontation with him, David discovered that the only way back to God was by seeking His forgiveness. He needed a purity which only God could give him. In Psalm 51 he cried out: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). The result was that he got his joy back and was able to serve God with a clear conscience.

There is nothing in life that is more important than maintaining a pure heart and every single day we need to seek God’s forgiveness, renewal and strength.

Question

In what ways do you need to seek God’s forgiveness today?

Prayer

Lord God, thank You that You understand me completely and are able to purify me. Here and now, I confess my sins to You and seek Your forgiveness. Amen