The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Misleadings in Doctrine and Living

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,

² To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

³ As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, ⁴ nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. ⁵ But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, ⁷ wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

⁸ But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, ⁹ realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers ¹⁰ and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, ¹³ even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Paul writes: “But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,  realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane.”   This idea is somewhat lost both in our society and in the church today. Laws are primarily to deal with what is not acceptable, the consequences of doing what is wrong. As believers we know that the Law, dealt with many  restrictions,  what is not permissible in God’s sight. Under the new Covenant in Christ we now live under the promises of freedom in Christ. Jesus came not to restrict us farther and create new rules and regulations, but rather He says: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.(John 10:10)

We have a choice then which law we want to live under, the restrictive law of the old covenant, which is “for those who are lawless and rebellious”, or the perfect law of liberty in Christ. The old law brings about guilt and condemnation, while in Christ there is forgiveness, redemption and restoration.  Paul says: “the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith”  1 Peter 4:8 says: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Love was God’s reason for sending Jesus to redeem us from our sin.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God will judge us either for our actions according to the law or for our hearts according to the faith that we have in Christ.

As believers we are not free to sin, we are free from sin’s effects in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 says:  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The things we do, the way we live as believers are no longer controlled by the restrictions of rules and regulations, but rather in our choosing to live for Christ, to live according to His perfect law of liberty. 

James 1:23-27  says:  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. ²⁶ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.      Ephesians 2:10 says:  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.       The good works we are created for include those listed by James, but there is more.

The abundant life Christ gives us, the freedom we have in Him begins as Paul said with a pure heart, a heart that does what Jesus says: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)        It love that is the motive then to do good, to do the things that James speaks of, but Jesus says:     Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12)   Jesus did indeed serve and minister to the poor, widows, orphans and needy, but when Jesus was asked if He was the expected Messiah by John’s disciples He pointed to other works He did.

“Go and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)

Those too are the works we are called to, the things we are empowered by faith to do. Jesus says: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. ¹⁶ He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. ¹⁷ These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

As we live and walk and work in Christ many will be offended. But through Christ we are free to do the things He calls us to, to live the abundant, victorious and powerful life provided through the cross. Many will be offended. In our culture offense seems to be one of the rights people hold to. While many will choose to be offended, so too will many be blessed as we live out the abundant life of Christ.

Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. You have given me freedom and liberty. You have blessed me with abundance. Thank You that through the cross of Christ I am no longer subject to the restrictions of the law, but rather I am free to live abundantly, doing the good works You created me for. I choose to walk with You, I pray that those who I touch will be blessed. In the name of Jesus, my Lord, Savior and Redeemer, I pray.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.   Amen.