pdf - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
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truth~' (see I Tim. 4: 1 - 4). Every creature ofGod is good becauseit is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer (I Tim. 4:5). TheJewish va<strong>in</strong> talkers taught that some foods were unclean and,therefore, impure and not to be eaten. Scripture here ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>sthat the impurity is not <strong>in</strong> God~s creatures, but <strong>in</strong> the heart ofa man.Jesus taught the same. It is not what goes <strong>in</strong>to the mouth thatdefiles a man. It is what comes from a man's heart and thus thatgoes out of a man that defiles him. Out of the heart come evilthoughts, murders, adulteries, and all the rest (cf. Matt. 15: 1 - 20).Hence the creature of God is good and pure; it does not make aperson unclean."The ones pure" are those whQse s<strong>in</strong>s have been forgiven <strong>in</strong>the blood ofJesus, those who have been raised up to newness ofHfeby the resurrection of Jesus. The pure are the regenerated,justified, sanctified believers who are cont<strong>in</strong>ually be<strong>in</strong>g cleansedby the Spirit and Word ofJesus Christ. To these pure sa<strong>in</strong>ts, all thatGod has created, also "meats,'~ is pure. He receives it from Godwith thanksgiv<strong>in</strong>g. And he uses it <strong>in</strong> the service of God.But to "theones defiled (polluted, sta<strong>in</strong>ed, contam<strong>in</strong>ated) andunbeliev<strong>in</strong>g:~ noth<strong>in</strong>g is pure. These defiled and unbeliev<strong>in</strong>g areone class of people. They are defiled exactly because they areunbelievers. They have rejected Christ. They refuse to believe <strong>in</strong>Jesus and, therefore, they are polluted, they are yet <strong>in</strong> their s<strong>in</strong>s.They defile God's good creatures. To them noth<strong>in</strong>g is pure!Noth<strong>in</strong>g is pure to these unbelievers because even their m<strong>in</strong>dand conscience is defiled. Their m<strong>in</strong>d is their th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, that whichdeterm<strong>in</strong>es their will<strong>in</strong>g and act<strong>in</strong>g. The m<strong>in</strong>ds ofthese unbelieversare polluted, defiled, sta<strong>in</strong>ed. Their conscience, that whichHendriksen calls "their moral selves" is defiled toO. 19 "Conscience"literally means "to know with," Le., "jo<strong>in</strong>t-knowledge:'20The believer, accord<strong>in</strong>g to his conscience, knows with God whatis true and what is false; what is good and what is evil; what is pureand what is impure. The va<strong>in</strong> talk<strong>in</strong>g Jewish unbelievers concern<strong>in</strong>gwhom the apostle warns Titus, the preacher, refuse to know19. Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 357.20. See Thayer, op. cit., on sun eideesis, p. 602.12 PRTJ