Titus 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

We speak of people having a dirty mind, and here we have the Scriptural basis for that. The world has an incredible amount of moral filth in it, and the devil is always urging us in that direction, but when our hearts and minds are filled with Christ and His Spirit, those things lose their pull on us. This is the trap of legalism. When we are focused on what we must not do, then our flesh can think of doing nothing else. However, there are real dangers and risks to being naïve. That’s why Jesus told us to “be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16) We are to be familiar enough with the Bible that things abhorrent to God are obvious to us, but not be so focused on those things that the devil will be able to trick us into “trying them out.” He is indeed a shrewd liar! Thankfully, he’s no match for the Holy Spirit, (1 John 4:4) so we aren’t to live in fear. Purity is indeed a challenge, considering the world we live in, but we have the assurance that “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) When our focus is on Christ, then purity comes with the package!

This is extremely applicable to me. The Internet can be a source of great blessing, but it can also be a flood of filth. I shouldn’t put myself in the position of “dodging excrement,” so to speak, but rather be seeking and enjoying that which is pleasing to God. What makes it all the more difficult is that simple awareness of what is going on around us can open me up to thinking about such things. I need to be active in my pursuit of “the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33) As a pastor, I need to be careful that my words and actions consistently point people to Christ. I enjoy humor and am an inveterate punster, but I must be careful that my jokes don’t get into dirty territory. Just because something crosses my mind doesn’t guarantee it’s of God! I am to be a spigot of pure, unpolluted living water, for the blessing of all who receive it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for pointing out to me how I can make a note of good things on the Internet that I should go back to when I have the time. Help me feed consistently on Your purity, so that the fruit of my life may be pure indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!