Titus 1:15,16

I read in Titus last night with Anna and Ryan last night...

" Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good. " (Titus 1:15,16)

.. and the verse just shows me that the motives of the heart are what determines the acceptability of the action. Which is great, also, in helping me remember that I am not worthy to judge other people's actions because I cannot see all of their motives. While sometimes we can discern that a person's motives are in the right or wrong place, other times we can't - but we still make a quick judgment based on what they did or said. And that's not really acceptable because "everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure."

Another thing I love about the verse, is the last part...
"... worthless for doing anything good."
I think that is so amazing because in this world, we are so quick to identify "good people."
"Oh, that woman is such a good person..."
or
"he's not a Christian, but he has a really good heart."
And really, if Christ isn't the center of our lives - purifying our hearts through and through - we really aren't good. No one is.
So the good things that people do, outside of Christ, are not actually good at all.
They serve to build up the individual rather than God. And this brings us right back to the motives of the heart... if we don't have pure hearts, we won't act out of pure motives, and we will not be able to do "good" in this world.
Our perception for what it 'good' needs to be centered in the reality of who God is and what He identifies as good.
People may argue that a good thing is a good thing regardless of who does it... but I would really venture to disagree... the 'good thing' might have some temporal, positive effects on the world - but if it has no eternal benefits, if it has no value in the sight of God - what good is that anyways?