September 3 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In September we read Paul's letter to Titus and his very last letter, called 2 Timothy. Paul's concern is that the true gospel be preserved and proclaimed by a faithful church.

Bible Reading:

Titus 1:10–16

Bible Text:

To the pure, all things are pure (Titus 1:15).

Devotional:

God gives officers to the church to preserve the gospel of grace. For it was on this message that the church was built, and it is by this Word that the world must be saved.

The Word of grace is always under attack. The churches on Crete were bothered by moralistic teachers. Paul didn't mince words in describing them. Condemning their sectarian teachings, the apostle stated, "To the pure, all things are pure."

Coming from Paul, this saying must be understood in the Christian sense. It means that those who have been called and cleansed by God—and who live according to that calling—do not shun the present world and are not afraid to enjoy all God's created gifts.

It's a great proverb, well worth remembering: "To the pure, all things are pure." Paul asserted it over against teachers who were trying to bind the consciences of believers. He was vehement about the issue because these teachers denied salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. With an appearance of moral earnestness, they were building the wrong supports for our hope. They thought it was "too easy" for a person to be saved by believing in Jesus Christ. So they added new commands and requirements.

Whenever such teaching creeps into the church, we must bring all guns to bear on the issue. Honor both the Creator and the Redeemer by saying, "To the pure, all things are pure."

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.