INTRODUCTION

1. Communication is a two way process.  It requires a sender and a receiver.

2. For communication to be effective, both the sender and the receiver have to be careful participants.

   1. We are generally aware of the Scriptures' instructions concerning the sender's side of communication, for passages like James 3:1-12, Matthew 12:36, Ephesians 4:29, and numerous verses in the Proverbs warn us to be careful in our speech.

   2. However, we may not be as sensitive about being careful receivers of communication.  In Luke 8:18, Jesus said, "So take care how you listen..."  Truly, it is just as much the responsibility of the receiver to correctly interpret the message as it is for the sender to correctly impart it.

3. In our present culture, defilement and perversity often corrupt communication for both senders and receivers.  Therefore, we must be diligent to maintain purity in what we say, think, hear, and do.

    

AN IMPURE FILTER

1. One of the greatest barriers to effective communication is impurity within the heart of man.

   1. An impure condition of the heart affects both that which leaves the heart and that which comes into it.  It pollutes everything it touches.

   2. This impure condition corrupts a person's thinking and causes his words to be tinged with worldliness and filthiness.

   3. It can cause also every message received to be interpreted through a filter of corrupt worldliness.  The result is that a perfectly good and wholesome message may be received as something vile in the impure heart.

2. This point is well stated in the book Hermeneutics by D.R. Dungan.  This message is not inspired of God, but Dungan's observations on pages 17-18 are important and accurate:

    

   There are those who are competent to see in every remark that is made something unchaste. They can find double meanings to anything that is said.  And they interpret actions in the same way.  To them every word and act seen or heard is prompted by motives that are sinister. The world is a mirror in which they see themselves, as they attribute their own motives to the acts of others. To the evil, all things are evil. Nothing is pure to the eye of lust. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," does not have to wait till the day of judgment for its fulfillment.  In all the bounties and splendors of earth, they can see the traces of the hand of a loving Father.  But such views are never had by the impure.  They do not like to retain God in their minds, and when they are compelled to recognize the Almighty, they make Him into the likeness of men, of four-footed beasts, and creeping things.  Any other thought is too high for them.

    

   1. How true it is that many messages and motives are interpreted by a "dirty mind" to mean something evil when nothing evil was intended. This was true when Dungan published this book in 1888, and it is certainly much worse now.

   2. Indeed, those who are impure in heart tend to project their own evil intentions on others.  They assume that everyone else is as corrupted as they are.

   3. "Nothing is pure to the eye of lust" because those who are impure have given their hearts to the world.  Of course, 1John 2:16 says,

      For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

   4. How powerful is the point made from Christ's words in Matthew 5:8, for the pure in heart are able to perceive God in the here and now through the general revelation of His creation and the special revelation of His word.  The impure of heart are unable to grasp this perception because they have chosen to see sin, filth, and wickedness in everything and everybody.

   5. Consider the allusions are made to Romans 1:18-32 in the preceding quotation.

      1. In that passage, we see that when the Gentiles had rejected God in their hearts, God gave them over to physical impurity (v. 24), degrading passions (v. 26), and a depraved mind (v. 28).  Their impure hearts made everything impure to them.

      2. So it is also with many men who have impure hearts today.  They are utterly corrupted physically, mentally, and spiritually.

          

ALL OR NOTHING

1. Paul gives a succinct statement of the truth of this matter in Titus 1:15-16, where he wrote,

   ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.  ¹⁶They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

   1. Notice the contract in verse 15: either "all things are pure" or else "nothing is pure."  There is no state of existence between purity and impurity.  No one can have it both ways.

   2. "All things are pure" does not mean that even sin can be pure, but rather it means that all things done, said, and thought by those who are pure are constrained by purity.

   3. In contrast, "nothing is pure" to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for even their religion is polluted with their corrupted words, thoughts, and intentions.

2. A pure heart is completely dedicated to that which is good, holy, and righteous.

   1. A pure heart's meditations are according to Philippians 4:8, which says,

      Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

   2. For this reason, nothing unclean or evil takes root in a pure heart.  Likewise, a pure heart does not read evil into the words and actions of others.

   3. Furthermore, a pure heart derives no pleasure from evil.

      1. Through love, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness (1Cor. 13:6).

      2. It does not laugh at vile jokes and suggestive innuendo (Eph. 5:3-4).

      3. It sets no evil thing before its eyes (Ps. 101:3).

3. However, the impure heart is quite the opposite.

   1. Because it is given over to impurity, this heart is filled with the defilements of Romans 1:28-31, which says,

      ²⁸And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, ²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, ³⁰slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; ³²and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

   2. Indeed, everything that proceeds from the impure heart is impure and defiled.  Notice the Lord's words in Matthew 15:18-20:

      ¹⁸"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  ²⁰These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."

   3. Furthermore, every word and act of others is received and interpreted by the impure heart in terms of sin, filth, and wickedness.

       

CONCLUSION

1. Therefore, let us purify our hearts so that all things will be pure to us.

   1. The word of God admonishes us, "Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded" (Jas. 4:8).

   2. It is a single-minded dedication to God's word and will that has the effect of purifying our hearts, cleansing our consciences, and sanctifying our lives for the service of God (John 17:17; Heb. 9:14; 10:22; 1Pet. 1:22).

2. Paul said that "the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1Tim. 1:5).  May we therefore follow the instructions of God's word so that our hearts may be pure in all things, whether it is in our communication or any other activity.