You have your Bible with you open the tightest, one by the
chapter, 1 will be in verses 15 and 16 today as you're turning
there I'll just kind of remind you what we're doing.
We are studying the book of Titus together so we've just
been walking through it. Verse by verse this is known as
expositional, preaching. We're just you say what the text
says you read it and you expose it it so that everyone knows
what the Bible says. And then we try to align
ourselves with God's word and right worship, right response to
him. So we're demands.
Sentence we repent where the man's faith.
We we hope to have faith. We're commands are obedient we
want to be obedient to it where it encourages our souls?
We want to be encouraged by it. And so today is a, it's really a
bit of all of those things. And really what today is, it's
one. It's too short verses, but
they're laying out for you, the purpose of the Gospel, the good
news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that that sound Doctrine
is lutely, life-changing, that it transforms you and keeps you
from having to obey as we'll see.
Today, myths or the commands of men, but that you honor God and
right worship, right? Obedience to him.
And so the gospel informs our godliness.
That's the point of the book of Titus is that the gospel be
Central in your life. And I'll talk more about what I
mean. When I say gospel, talk about
the good news of Jesus Christ, I'll get into that.
Talk through these first sections.
Let me, let me pray for us. Pray for us, as we open God's
word that our hearts would be open to receive it or ears.
And our eyes would be open to see it.
And to hear it, it's a receive it.
Heavenly Father, we praise you today.
I got to thank you for the time of singing that we've had this
morning of worship with our with our voices to you today.
The prayers that we've heard today which are honoring to you.
And so, as we We open our Bible, lord, it's in those very same.
It's, in that same mindset that we open up your word to worship
you. We open up your word to know you
so that we might rightly worship you.
And so father, we ask right now that you would open our hearts
and Minds that you by your spirit would inform our minds.
You would inform our hearts on what the word says, so that we
might live it. Father, if we open this book,
And we attempt to study it apart from your spirit, there will be
no fruit in that, we might arrive at some thoughts, we
might arrive at some knowledge, we might arrive at, even some
facts. My father we will not arrive at
Salvation. We will not arrive at godliness.
We need your spirit for that and so we ask that your spirit be
with us now that he illuminate the scriptures for us.
Holy spirit, would you lead us? Now, as we open up the word in
Christ, Um I pray, amen. Amen.
So Titus 1 15 and 16. Let me just read this to you to
the pure. All things are pure but to the
defiled and unbelieving. Nothing is pure but both their
minds and their consciences are defiled.
They profess to know God but they deny him by their works.
They are detestable. Disobedience unfit for any good
work. If you'll recall the context
with me for just a moment, Paul has charged.
He charges Titus and verse 5 of chapter one to appoint elders
and every town these men were to be of Godly character.
They had a responsibility really three responsibilities.
One was to hold firm to God's trustworthy word as they
received it, as it had been taught to them by the, by the
apostles, by the spirit of God, and all of that.
So that they may Able to equip the body for every good work
through instruction and sound Doctrine teaching.
The body of Believers what the word says, and how to follow it
and that they might also rebuke those who contradict it.
This is the the context of verses 15 and 16, Paul is
describing the false teachers that are present.
In Crete, in the churches in Crete, the ones who are
upsetting hole Families by teaching for shameful gain.
What they ought not to teach. And so in the preceding verses,
these false teachers are guilty of upsetting whole family's
there. They're teaching and verse 14,
Jewish myths. And the commands of people who
turn away from the truth teaching, Jewish myths and the
commands of people who turn away from the truth.
That's a clue into what we're looking at today.
Their crew as Paul describes them are many that there are
Many who are insubordinate. He says, there are many who are
deceivers, are many who are empty talkers here in Crete
Crete was by its nature. A Place, full of people who are
always Liars, we're evil beasts, lazy gluttons and he especially
included. Paul does he said especially
those of the circumcision party. Now if there was ever a name,
you didn't want for your party that should be it right?
I mean somebody comes in and says hey you want to check out
this new political party. You want to check out this new
party that's risen to power. Your like oh yeah what are you
talking about? What is it, what's the
circumcision party? You're like oh ouch, I'm busy,
sorry. And they might say, well, I
didn't even say win yet. It's like I'm busy forever,
right? Like, I've got nothing to do
with that. So the circumcision party is a
terrible name for a party, but what it's describing men who
held fast to Jewish men especially who held fast to Old
Testament ceremonial laws like circumcision for the inclusion
into God's people that you must perform a work.
To be included in God's people that you're not included by into
God's people by faith, but it's through works.
It's things like observing, holy days, making sure, not to forget
those eating rituals. There were purification laws and
these first century Jews were, especially guilty of adding to
God's commands. This is, we'll see.
In a moment is what Christ dealt with.
And the judge people who will not adhere to their additions,
to the law that these people are not worthy of Salvation.
These people are less They need to step up to a another form of
Christianity. Essentially, another form of
religiosity is a better a better term.
So Jesus had several encounters with such people.
In one instance, we find it in Luke, 11 verse 37 to 41.
I'll just read this to you while.
Jesus was speaking. A Pharisee asked him to dine
with him. So he went and he reclined at
the table. So Christ has been speaking a
Pharisee, a teacher of the law comes and says, hey, why don't
you You come and eat with me. Why don't you come over to my
house? We'll have supper together
crisis. Okay, he's reclining at the
table and the Pharisee was astonished.
He just couldn't believe it. He that Jesus did not first wash
before dinner. In verse 39, the Lord says to
him. Now, you Pharisees cleanse the
outside of the cup and of the dish but inside you are full of
greed and wickedness, you fools. Jesus says, did not.
He who made the outside, make the inside.
Also but give as alms as worship as soccer.
Vice those things that are within, And behold everything is
clean for you. And so in that way, Christ
declared that all foods were clean, the Pharisees added to
the scriptures. This is their one of their main
sins. They were guilty of they devoted
themselves to keeping their own Traditions.
There was a between the Old Testament period of Malachi or
last Old Testament booklet. We have the minor Prophet
Malachi between that period and the period of Christ.
Birth God showing up on Earth and in the his son, there's
about 400 years there of what's known, as silence.
The God is not, he's not with his people.
He's not something he just left them, but he's not active.
Like he was in the Old Testament.
Is not showing up, delivering them from things, they're
suffering harm and violence, and So difficult time.
But during that period, these this group of Pharisees, rose
up, and they begin to create their own Traditions around
Jewish teachings around Jewish laws and they added to it.
And so, they created their own system, but the system was a
system of Oppression. The system was a system meant to
keep them in power to gain them, wealth to gain, notoriety the
system was for them, it wasn't for God.
And so this is why Christ is so pointed you fool.
Will's did he did not? He who made the outside.
Make the inside also And so the Pharisees are guilty of this.
They're not guilty of, they're not accused of Riot worship,
they're accused of faulty worship wrong worship.
It's like keeping Traditions rather than worshiping.
God is what Christ is saying is it's like finding the restaurant
Cup and the back of your minivan, right at your child got
three weeks ago and it's still got some liquid in it and some
other science experiment is in there.
Now, you know, just been sitting in the heat.
It's like finding that cup taking it inside and you just
wash the outside of it and then drink, what's in it?
This is what Christ is saying. This is foolish of you.
Are, we the only people with a minivan that this has happened
to, I guess? That's probably on me.
I'm sorry. I just hope the kids aren't back
there. Drinking it, you know, it's
anyway, so it's foolish is what Christ is saying?
You washing the outside of something, but the inside is
putrid, it's nasty, it's gross. And so, this kind of worship is
disgusting to God. It's not real worship.
So, Jesus, accuses them of hypocrisy, right?
It's an outward showing of Faith, but inwardly, there's no
substance there, they look clean.
But on the inside, they're full of greed.
Prices are full of wickedness. And so after rebuking them, he
corrects their view of worship, give alms of those things that
are within. So it's not the outward signs.
It's not the Washings of your hands before you eat the washing
of your face. It's, where's your heart?
Where's your heart before the Lord?
Crosses telling them your, your acts of or acts of true worship.
Begin with your heart, begin in your heart, if you will present
your heart. If you will present your whole
life to God, if you will love the Lord, your God above all
else with all of your heart, all of your mind, all of your
strength. I love your soul than you.
This is right worship. You will be clean in this.
Those are the kind of people that tied us up against and
taught us one and like Jesus. Paul says rebuke them so that
whole families may be whole again, right?
So that the entire family unit may be made whole that they
would not follow after Jewish miss or the camp commands of men
who turn away from the truth. They would be sound and doctrine
that they'd be growing in godliness, Titus 1 13 through
14, therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound
in the faith, but that they there is also referring to or it
does refer to the false teachers.
So the review is to save them from their false beliefs.
Not devoting themselves to Jewish myths or the commands of
people turn away from the truth. These false teachers were up to
the same old tricks. They're adding to the rejecting
scripture and especially now as the gospels, come on the scene,
the rejecting, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the rejecting
salvation, by faith alone, in Christ alone.
Why? Well, I suspect that they're
motivated by power and wealth, and influence those things.
Belong to people who Lord over others.
And if you can create a system that has you lording over other
people, you're the top dog. You get the most benefit from
it. So it's oppression through false
teaching. It reared, its ugly head really
in two ways that that Paul lays out here.
One is the word asceticism. It rears its head through
asceticism. Now asceticism is the The
doctrine that a person can attain a high spiritual moral
state by practicing self-denial self-mortification and the like
it's the that you can become more spiritually fit.
You can become more. You can have a higher
spirituality by denying, your flesh things.
Now, like most false doctrines, this isn't a total false
teaching, but it's certainly a twisting of what God says,
because these people were teaching that refraining from
certain foods, refraining from drink.
Refraining from or abstaining from the company with the wrong
kinds of people. The by avoiding participation in
certain events or having certain events.
That all of this was for the sake of achieving, a higher
spiritual state. So it's asceticism that the
other one is traditionalism which is an adherence to your
Traditions as your Authority. Well, the problem with that is
when God is no longer when you have added to scripture, you can
say that scripture is our Authority.
But really, what's your Authority or you're adding stew
or you're removing from scripture?
It which is are your traditions. Right?
And so by your tradition, your adherence to tradition, you deny
God, you deny what God has said. So these things showed up
through circumcision, you must be circumcised to be in the
family of God. You must observe holy days.
You must participate. In ceremonial Washings because
these Traditions are our Authority.
They're what make us clean? Meaning they give you your
marching orders and then they may not be God.
And these teachers certainly aren't saying that these
Traditions are our God and I'm going to be that bold but that's
what happened. They if you were to know God you
had to do these things. So those things become God, it's
idolatry. so, Jewish myths and the commands of men, Rebuked
them tires. So that they those teachers and
the churches will no longer devote themselves to such
foolishness, but asceticism and traditionalism have always been
threats to the church. The Protestant Reformation, the
Rebellion against Roman Catholicism was in response.
This happened in the 1500s was in response to asceticism and
traditionalism Roman Catholic sir, teach for shameful gain.
What they ought not to teach that if you'll pay Penance for
your Self and for loved ones their monetary gifts through
denying yourself of certain things for a more holy life.
That They set the pope up as the sole decision maker on God's
word back. Then the people didn't even have
the word translated in their own language.
They weren't allowed to read God's word.
They had to take the pope as their Authority, his translation
of it and so it was oppressive, right?
All those people Must submit themselves to the Roman Catholic
Church are being falsely taught things.
And so Martin Luther. Made a stand against them. 504
years ago, this month, actually, Halloween day is the Reformation
day. It's the anniversary of the
Protestant Reformation. And we praise God for him and
other reformers who came after him, who lived by this Mantra
that you are saved by grace alone through faith alone in
Christ alone, according to the scriptures alone for the glory
of God Alone. That this was there.
They didn't word it that way, then but it became it developed
itself. Over the years of the
Reformation, these are the core tenets of it and asceticism and
traditionalism still exist today.
There The other more obvious in the likes of Catholicism but
there are many who are guilty of denying self interest.
We're guilty of holding up the commands of men, adhering
strictly to traditional religious practice in order to
achieve godliness. One term we've used for that
around here at times is the idea of cultural Christianity, a
culturally you appear Christian. You go to church, you know your
mouth is mostly clean. You don't.
Maybe you don't watch certain things, you don't listen to
certain things. You try to avoid certain things
and that is what makes you pure before.
God, that is what you're relying on.
You're relying on your Works before the Lord, there are many
Many in our culture who believe these things who act this way.
And it's really of no fault of their own churches.
Have discipled them to believe this way.
For years. And so there, hope for salvation
and godliness is in their strict religious practices.
We might label them legalist and my label them traditionalist
today, but the fact remains that people are relying on their
privates and outwardly religious works for salvation and Paul's
going to say of such people that they profess to know God but
they deny him by their Works in verse 16.
So what's the answer to these problems?
What does Paul layout? For Titus to teach to the
churches. All in verse 15, he says to the
pure, all things are pure. This is what I want us to
remember today. This is how I think Christians
ought to live today. There are some who believe that
to the pure. All things are pure were a kind
of Mantra for these early Christians as they were
combating, the likes of Judaism and outward worldliness that
they reminded themselves that hey, to the pure, all things are
pure and I'll unpack that now. But what they're saying is that
to the clean, all things are clean. all right, it's a It
becomes a Battle Cry for the Christian.
That the early church found itself.
Constantly disputing these GF Jewish purification processes,
dietary regulations. There's a whole Council that
takes place and acts 15 about this in Jerusalem, to decide
what it is that Gentiles must do.
To be Christians. Jesus answered his critics Paul
defends the church. It was a battle that was being
waged in first century. We must understand that if we're
to understand what is meant by to the pure, all things are
pure. So what about Paul mean by
classifying people? As pure, what does he mean by
saying that you are clean? Maybe remember in the upper room
When Jesus washed the disciples feet final night.
Of Christ's life just before they go to the garden.
And Jesus is betrayed Sorry, Jesus has betrayed by Judas
Jesus grabs water. He grabs a basin a bowl, and he
fills it up with this water and grabs a towel, and he begins to
wash the disciples feet And he comes to Peter, and Peter
objects--. Peter says, Lord, do you wash my
feet? Just think about the humility in
this, right? I mean, back then you didn't
wear shoes with socks and adds a whole nother level of
uncleanness, I understand. But you just walked around in
your sandals, right? You walked around with dirty
feet, nasty from travel, and Jesus and kneels down.
And he begins to wash the feet of these dirty feeted.
Men And what he teaches them as humility.
What he teaches him how to be a servant but he makes a statement
in this interaction with Peter that we need to understand.
He says Jesus responds to Peter. Lorre, do you wash my feet?
Jesus says right now, right now Peter, you do not understand
what I am doing. But afterward, you will
understand. And Peter replied.
Listen, she's you shall never wash my feet.
Lesbians are he is being as humble.
Here's a, can he recognizes that he is in the presence of God,
the son? And God, the son is going to
kneel down and watch this video. Never Jesus, I can take care of
my own feet. And Jesus answered him.
If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.
If I do not wash you you have no share with me.
So Peter quickly corrects himself and he says Lord not my
feet only but also my hands and my head.
You know? So now it's like what if I don't
wash you, you have no share with me.
So Peter says oh I'm all in then.
Give me a bath right behave me. Jesus But Jesus reminds him he
says those sorry, the one who has bathed does not need to wash
except for his feet but is completely clean and you Peter
are clean. You're clean.
Later, as the disciples are traveling with Jesus in the
garden moments before his arrest Jesus is teaching about the True
Vine and the branches in this word clean pops up again.
And he says to the disciples. He says already.
He's saying I am the True. Vine.
You are the branches. You must abide in me.
And then he says already, you are clean because of the word
that I have spoken to. You, you make cling by the word
of God. Your maid clean by his making
you clean, not by you, cleaning yourself.
So what does Paul mean? When he says that people are
pure, he describes to the pure, all things are pure.
Well, he has a mind. Those who have received the word
of Jesus Christ as their Lord, by faith and through the
proclamation of the gospel. And so now, they are clean.
They are pure In other words, you don't have to participate in
these things because you are pure.
These are Jewish myths, you are pure.
These are the commands of men. You are pure.
And John 6:29. Jesus answers the crowd.
He says, this is the work of God that you believe in him who has
sent whom. He has sent Jesus saying, this
is the work of God that you believe in me.
Whom the father has sent in John 6. 40 Jesus says, just a few
verses later. He says, for this is the will of
my father, that everyone who looks on the sun, talking about
Christ, the son and believes in Him should have eternal life.
And I will raise him up on the last day.
You're made clean by looking upon the sun.
Your make clean by faith in the Son of God, you will be raised
to eternal life because of your belief in Jesus Christ.
How does one receive eternal life will you must become a new
creation. You must be washed.
You must be born again. Second Corinthians 5:16.
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, meaning he's received
Christ by faith, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away. Behold.
The new has come, he is a new creation in Christ.
Jesus. Paul's going to clarify in Titus
Chapter 3 Verses 4 through 7. I'm going to read it to you
because it's so amazing. What it means to be clean.
He says, but when the goodness and loving, kindness of God, our
savior appeared he saved us. Not because of the works done by
us in righteousness of the again, Titus 3 is in the context
of Titus 1. It's dealing with these false
teachers. It's not by works of
righteousness that you've been saved.
He says but according to his own Mercy by the washing of
regeneration and renewing of the holy spirit.
So you are made clean by the washing of regeneration which
happens by the mercy of God says whom he poured out on us richly
through. Jesus Christ, Our Savior.
So that being said, Justified by his grace again, not by your
works. We might become heirs according
to the hope of eternal life. So he says to the pure, all
things are pure. But you were pure and you were
only pure by the grace of God. The really should have been more
a men's there, this is something we need to believe in fatica
lie. I'm not going to say it again.
Those, I'm not going to give you that chance, right?
Here we go. Just getting to those who are
pure. You were only pure by God's
grace, amen? Okay.
I'll just keep asking for a men's will do this.
But your made pure by the grace of God, through faith in Christ
so that the appearance of Jesus Christ, which has in mind, his
perfect life, his atoning death, his resurrection through that
God saved you through that, God Saves you.
It's not that you never, it was not that, and there never will
be by your works, right? It's not a certain work you're
doing, you're not a causing yourself a rise up.
Some certain level you have to achieve its by his Mercy that he
washes you, in fact to receive salvation, the only thing you
have to offer are your sins. You have no works of
righteousness to offer, you come before the Lord.
And you you Neal I'll get down here behind this song remain on
camera kneel before the Lord and you offer your sins and humility
to him. This is the only way.
You're saved. It's through.
Humility. God, I am not God.
I am not Lord. You are Lord, he poured out
richly. Your Grace your mercy through
Jesus Christ you've washed me by your Holy Spirit and so you're
justified by his grace once an air of Eternal damnation.
Now you are an heir of eternal life.
Your whole Nature has changed, you are a new creation in
Christ. Jesus.
And so if there's anybody in here today, who's unbelieving,
non-Christian, not professed faith in Christ, you check-in it
out, you're curious or you just skeptical.
I'm so grateful that you're here today to hear these things and I
pray that the Lord would make them known to you to reveal them
to you that you two would humble yourself.
If you want to achieve Purity, it will not be through your
moral works. You must humble yourself before
God. You must admit that you are in
pure. Just admit that you are
incapable. Of making yourself pure and you
must trust in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ for
your salvation. As trust, in his death, his
resurrection, he died for your sins and that only by believing
in his death and Resurrection, will you be saved?
You must put your faith in Christ alone to be saved.
Second Corinthians 5:21 for our sake.
He made him to be sin who knew no sin.
So that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.
Brothers and sisters Christians and here you are already clean
because of the word of Christ. If you've received the word of
Christ, do not turn back to something else.
Do not lean on your good works. Continue in faith alone in
Christ, Jesus. Galatians 3 1, through 3, o
foolish Galatians who has Bewitched you It was before your
eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.
Let me ask you, Only this. Did you receive the Spirit by
works or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish having begun
by the spirit that you are now being perfected by the flesh?
Paul says So, what Jesus means went to the ones who were
claiming they have no need. The one who has bathed, he has
no need to bathe again, but he must wash his feet.
You wash your feet. Daily, because your feet becomes
stain through the sins in your life.
Meaning your your life has the remnants of the flesh, your life
still battles, the fuss. You still make sinful choices
you're drawn along and tempted by your own desires.
And when you give way to those desires that could birth to sin
which leads to death, if it's not washed.
And so we come before the Lord And we repent.
You Justified? By grace, through faith.
And that doesn't change after you're Justified, you're not
that somehow. Now you move from justification
by faith alone to justification by faith and works alone.
But you want to stay in this life of repentance as you live,
you don't want to buy the lie that you will be perfected by
your flesh or your own works of righteousness.
You are perfected. You were Washed by the Holy
Spirit which is your justification and you are
renewed by the Holy Spirit which is your sanctification, it's
your ongoing renewal day by day being Formed from one degree of
glory to the next. By the holy spirit of God you
were being made. Like Christ you're growing in
godliness and if you'll remain in the spirit of God, if you
remain in faith alone, You will be led into maturity.
Remain in Christ, brothers and sisters.
Real, spiritual cleanliness. True righteousness is not first
a matter of outward purity. It's primarily a matter of
inward purity. And this only comes by God's
grace through faith in Jesus Christ, for the atonement of
your sins. You you can abstain from all
sorts of things, alcohol, sexual, pleasure, marriage, food
items. You can you can become a monk
and move to the outer edges of a town live and remoteness and
keep yourself abstained as they say from the world and still be
stained. You will never be clean.
People might admire your self-righteous efforts.
They might look at you and say, wow, and I guess he's really
committed. But you're a bitch real estate
abstaining cannot purify you from sin.
It does not transform your life only faith in Christ.
Can do that. These false teachers were guilty
of abstaining for righteousness. They're guilty of abstaining
because they had decided what material Pleasures were clean.
Food items. Drink items of sorts of things
and they had decided which ones were unclean, which goes against
the teaching here that to the pure.
All things are pure. And First Timothy 4435, Paul's
dealing with the same issue with Timothy and other Pastor who he
left in a different area to train up men Timothy's in
Ephesus. And this is what Paul writes to
Timothy and emphasis he says for everything created by God is
good. Amen.
And nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving to who the person who may be in front of you, who
gave it the person who prepared it.
No Thanksgiving to God. Right is the one who is The
Giver everything created by God is good.
So we give thanks to God and it says Paul writes.
It's made Holy by the word of God and prayer.
So it's made Holy by the way that you use it according to
God's word. and that, you ensure that your life allies with that
through prayer, You're thankful, so it's not sinful.
Then to eat certain Meats, it's not sinful to observe or not,
observe certain days, it's not simple to drink alcohol in
moderation, not as a drunkard. Thus in happens when you declare
something bad that God calls. Good.
So you might have someone that you grew up in the South you've
heard this a lot that drinking alcohol is absolutely sinful but
the Bible teaches that being a drunkard is absolutely sinful.
We should receive all things with Thanksgiving.
To our gracious Father in Heaven because God created them, God
makes them Holy by his word and our prayers.
I'm going to give you a hopefully, obvious sidenote,
real quick. That Paul is not teaching that
sinful actions can be made clean, right?
So you can't give thanks for the beautiful woman, across the
room, who you not want to commit adultery with and make that
clean. You can't give thanks for images
on your computer screen and make that clean.
Amen, sin will never be clean and so, right things?
Food days, marriage. God's teaching on biblical
sexuality, manhood Womanhood, your job like these are
Provisions from God. These are things that God has
granted to you, and they are clean because God says all that
everything that comes from God is good.
But you can abuse your marriage, you could use it in a sinful
way. You could abuse your job, use it
in a sinful way, and so you can make something unclean by your
actions for sure. Could use it for your own
selfish desires. And that would make it on clean.
Really need to speed up. All right.
There's one commentator, he said this, he says to the pure, all
things are. Pure means that when our hearts
are free from Evil, we are able to enjoy God's gifts in the
manner that he intended. Having pure hearts, we will want
to use the things according to God's word.
And when we do, we are able to enjoy them without sin.
Now this goes, it flies in the face of what our world will tell
you that the world drinks of self-indulgence, the world is
filling its cup with self-indulgence and it is
drinking it down to the bottom of the cup to The Bitter End of
it and then filling it again. The world claims that
self-indulgence is the way to true happiness.
It's the way to True Purity that to be self-indulgence is
actually pure because you're not denying yourself something,
you're not living according to someone else's standards or
commands. So you are really pure right.
I mean riding with this is what they say.
And so, they claim to be wise. Cuz they foolishly think that
this is the way the real way to Lasting pleasure.
What a joy it is in for believers to receive God's gift
with Thanksgiving, to enjoy them according to his design, but
doing so if you're able to gain true pleasure from a glass of
wine or your favorite meal, or marital sexual intimacy, or any
thing from your job, your hobbies.
John Calvin, who was kind of a second-generation reformer.
He said, observe what a Priceless privilege.
It is to be able to thank god with a quiet conscience, knowing
that he wants us to enjoy his good gifts to the pure, all
things are pure and then to the pure, all things are pure.
And if you've been made clean by the word of God, you are pure.
And so Paul concludes with the contrast of the in pure, he says
but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure but
both their minds and their consciences have are defiled.
So the emperor nothing is pure. Their impurity flows from their
heart, it doesn't flow from their actions.
If their actions are Revealing what's in the heart, their
Imperial because they are unbelieving their Imperial
because the word of God is not made them pure.
They do not accept the testimony of Jesus Christ by faith alone.
There can be no Purity for someone or within someone who
will not receive Christ by Faith.
No matter how. Right?
Their actions might seem they are impure on the inside,
nothing they can do. Could be called spiritually,
pure. They're corrupt Hearts bear, the
final word before God, and he will give a final word in verse
16 about what their actions really are.
Their nature is Children of Wrath, their sons and daughters
of Disobedience their dead in their trespasses and sins.
Man, might think very kindly of the acts of a defiled.
Man, you might look upon a friend who denies Christianity
denies Christ and say, well he's a he's a pretty good person.
He's good to his wife is. Good News, Kids works hard.
But that man is defiled before God.
And so God looks on that with discuss.
Those works are meaningless before the Lord there are common
Grace to us but they're not saving grace before the Lord for
Samuel 16:7. I kind of mentioned this last
week but the Lord said to Samuel do not look on the appearance or
on the height of his stature because I have rejected him for
the Lord. Sees not as man sees man looks
on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on.
The heart Jeremiah 530 Lord. Do not your eyes look for truth.
Proverbs 521 for a man's ways are before the eyes of the Lord
and He Ponders all his paths. You see the heart of man is the
spring from which all defilements flow to the rest of
his life. This is why Christ says to the
Pharisee, you are foolish. Not only do his corruption
defile him but they defile anything he touches.
Also there's none righteous no, not one and so everything that
they touch becomes unrighteous. Even their good works, are
defiled. Why?
Paul says in verse 16 is it goes on to explain these people.
He says they profess to know God but they deny him by their
Works. They are detestable Disobedience
unfit for any good work. Commentator rightly points out
hypocrisy starts with a person publicly professing faith in
Jesus. And even giving the impression
of having a superior knowledge of God, right, we should be
leery of a person who is always Talking about some higher
knowledge, they think they have. This is hypocrisy.
The hypocrite. Unclean on the inside is unable
to produce any good works. Unable to produce anything that
follow the commands and teachings of God's word.
And so the tree will be known by its fruits.
Someone may absolutely profess belief in Christ.
But what does their fruits say? What does their life look like?
Someone may be real their hypocrisy in two ways.
You might live a life contrary to their profession of faith.
They might live. Contrary to the profession of
Faith. They say, they believe in Jesus
on Sundays, but live like a child twice.
The child of Hell, the rest of the week.
Here's some examples of Christian, make a show of his
godliness in public while having fits of anger and being abusive
and his home. A pastor can preach peace from
the pulpit while being a massive jerk to those around him.
A Christian, my speak christianese know all the church
words all the buzz words, right? While remaining in a habitual
liar. A gossip, a slanderer.
A Christian businessman might get caught embezzling funds and
then claim forgiveness as soon as he's found out, but God's
forgiving me, so, you know, there's no punishment for that.
A political leader, may use scripture in a speech panders to
Christians attempts to win votes.
But in private, he takes advantage of the women who work
for him. There are infinite number of
possibilities when it comes to hypocrisy of this sort where you
publicly profess Christ, but inwardly, you are as dark as
night. The key to this kind of
hypocrisy is this. That you only need to profess
faith in Christ that your Godless works.
And up denying, it's how we know.
Second way hypocrisy shows up as that you live a life of Highly
publicized, good works. Such a person's works are for
their own Glory, their own kingdom building.
Not Gods. You see this with the The
Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke chapter 18, the Pharisee
standing by himself, he praised the stew.
God God I thank you that I am not like that man over there.
those men who are extortioners and unjust adulterers, or even
like this tax collector here, I fast twice a week.
I give tithes of all that I gets and Jesus says, but the tax
collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to
heaven. He beat his breast God.
Be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus, I tell you this man went
down to his house Justified rather than the other for
everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who
humbles himself will be exalted You see the bad news for
Hypocrites of either sword, is that their posturing by their
word or by their Works. Will not trick, God.
God will not be mocked, do not be deceived.
Paul writes in Galatians, 6, God is Not mocked for whatever one's
so's that he will also reap. And so Paul makes his conclusion
regarding these false teachers because of this because of their
unbelief because of their defilements They were in pure,
they are in any adds to it. They're not just in pure They
are detestable. Their disobedient.
They're unfit for any good work. Hippocrates remained detestable
before God. The word detestable means that
they are an Abomination to God. Matthew 5, 15 8.
Again speaking of a Pharisees Jesus.
This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far
from me. Their detestable.
Hippocrates a rightly judge then is disobedient, their detestable
but they're also disobedient. Why will they go the way of
their own stomachs? They go the way of their own
desires that they don't follow God's teachings.
They don't follow his commands, they add to them or take away
from them. They oppress people who
genuinely want to know God and they lead them astray their
desires for their own kingdom. It's not for the kingdom of God.
And so they are rebellious to God their disobedience.
And when you are detestable and disobedient, you are unfit for
any good work. They're unbelieving their
unregenerate hearts are unable to produce anything that is
spiritually. Good.
And so they were disqualified for God's work by their
unbelief. The problem with Hypocrites, is
there danger to themselves and so their souls are at stake.
But an additional problem is that there are a danger to the
Church of Christ. Hypocritical parents.
Might show up for all the church activities, but they are unable
to bring light of the gospel of Christ into their marriage and
parenting. And so it's a Works based home.
Hypocritical friends, might profess a faith in Jesus while
encouraging their friends to continue indulging in their
sinful desires. I'm not speaking up by even
applauding it. Yeah, that's that's your truth.
Hypocritical employees May bless the Lord and song on Sunday say
Amen to the prayers that are prayed in the word that has
proclaimed. But on Monday lead the gossip or
the slander about co-workers or others.
James says and James 3:10, brothers and sisters things.
Ought not be this way. You are not have blessing and
cursing coming from the same mouth.
To the pure brothers and sisters, all things are pure.
Here's application. I want to leave you with.
Christ says, in Matthew Chapter 5, Sermon on the Mount actually
says before he gets into verses 13 through 16 inch.
I want to read to you just a few verses up in the order known as
the Beatitudes. He says, blessed are the pure
for they will see God. How will you see God if you're
pure, how are you made pure by receiving the word of Christ
receiving the one, whom God sent, If you'll do that and that
only Christ says blessed are the pure for they will see God the
you will see God, but here's what we know about the pure in
this life, there is none of this is to say, there's not a work to
be done. I hope that's been clear.
It's that you're not saved by your Works.
Your saved unto good works. You're safe for good works here
now actually able to produce good works because you have been
made pure but you better not rely on your Bible reading and
Your prayer and your church attendance and your whatever for
your salvation. Rely on Christ alone for your
salvation. And so Jesus says, you know,
blessed with a pure for they shall see God among some other
things. And then in verse 13, He says
you are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste,
how shall its saltiness be restored?
It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out
and Trampled Under people's feet.
If you receive the word of Christ you are, the salt of the
earth, you were put into the world to give people a sense of
Christ. To jumpstart their appetites for
the Lord. To make them.
Salivate over wanting to know more about who Christ is verse
14. You are crisis, the light of the
world, A city that is set on a hill, cannot be hidden.
It's really amazing to think about that phrase.
As he sits in the shadow of Jerusalem, which set on a hill,
nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket.
But on a stand and it gives light to the whole house.
In the same way. Jesus says, let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works.
And glorify your father who is in heaven.
One of the marks of a false teachers that their good works
are for their own Glory greedy or dishonest gain.
But the mark of a Christian. is not that he is absent of good
works but that his good works or for the glory of Christ, the
glory of God Alone Paul in Colossians chapter 1,
Philippians chapter 1, sorry says let your only let your
manner of life. Be worthy of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, which you have received. So brothers and sisters who call
yourselves Christians, I ask you today is your manner of Life.
Worthy of one who has received Jesus Christ as Lord.
Are your good works, you are hope.
Or is your hope Christ and so therefore you produce good
works. There's a major difference.
A life-altering difference. And so the word of caution and
Titus is that there are people who thought themselves to be
religious. In right worship to God.
Who were not? Who Paul is condemning here and
saying they must be rebuked. And so you and I must ask
ourselves when we read a text like this we must not point a
finger and wag and say well I know the church he's talking
about I came from that place. We must ask genuinely before the
Lord. Father is this, my heart also am
I guilty of this. and if you are, Repent and believe in
Christ alone. It's not saying that your
unsaved or you might be, maybe you've never believed in Christ
alone but there are moments in our life.
We will trade. What we know is true for that
which is false because it appeals to our appetites.
And so we must have these honest Reflections.
So I'm going to ask you to stand to your feet.
You can you can close your eyes, you can pray.
I just ask that you would take a moment to respond to the Lord,
how the holy, spirit's leading you and this moment.
And to be faithful to that. The worship team will lead us in
song. I'm gonna go ahead and pray for
you and then you can respond to the Lord.
If anybody wants to talk through anything that I've said today,
the Lord's working on your heart, I am available to you to
talk. I'm excited to do that.
Jasper's available, Alan's available, our Elder candidate,
Stephen James that are available to visit with you.
Our wives are equally as available.
Okay, we're happy to visit with you, so This with the Lord, we
pray for your heavenly father. We love you.
We thank you for your word. God, I thank you, but to the
pure, all things are pure. Lord, would you help us to live
as those who are pure to enjoy the good gifts that you've
granted us as those who are pure?
God would you save us? Would you lead us away from?
The commands of men who turn away from the truth myths that
we devise. Thoughts that have been passed
down to us, maybe from church to church or church leader to
church leader. Christian, he's type sayings
that sound really good butter in no way.
A buttress for the gospel. A support of the gospel, and
fact, they deny the very truth of the Gospel reveal these
things to us. Lord, that we might know you
more fully that we might worship you with all of our life.
Lord, if there's anyone in here who doesn't know you as Lord has
not surrendered their life to you.
Through Jesus Christ. I I pray that by your spirit now
that you would bring them to Faith that you would wash them
with regeneration. She would begin to renew their
life by your Holy Spirit. They might be born again a new
creation in Christ. Jesus Lord.
Help us to be men and women who are faithful.
We love you father we thank you for your son who died to save us
from our sins and we Issue for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who
is alive and us as Christians to help us remain faithful to you
in this world. In Christ's name.
I pray. Amen.
In Christ's name. I pray.
Amen.