1 Timothy 1:5-17 KJV
“Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”
1. Which commandment? (Matthew 22:39 KJV “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”). Using love and charity interchangeably, the New Testament demands that we understand that loving our neighbor and ourself is like unto loving God. Many religious leaders teach trusting Jesus is jumbled into a list of righteous do’s and don’ts. These ideas aren’t bad, except that they usurp God’s amazing grace. This should cause a shaking in us, for loving God requires healthy acknowledgement, reverence, respect, and devotion. That is first and foremost. How then are we loving our neighbors? Loving ourself? How can we love God while we are purposely harming ourselves and others? Even many of our shepherd’s lead us astray, leaving off teaching of behaviors that belong to contrary doctrines. The law is for unbelievers. The more we study, the more we know and the Word of God is a rich history in the worship of false gods. All the listed atrocities were part of those cultures.
“But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”
2. The law is good because without it humans could never know right from wrong. In John 3:17 & 18, Jesus explains the condition of man without Him. We are condemned! That is what the Law does. It, forever, marks on us, how we fail to meet a stellar standard. Once violated there is no way to undo. We are done, doomed, absolutely unworthy to be in God’s presence. None of us will pass, from this life, without crossing into the territory of damnation.
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.”
3. The grace of God sent Jesus Christ to save us, to cleanse us from every brokenness, make us as though we never broke the Law, at all. “My sin, not in part but the whole, was nailed to the cross, and I bare it no more.” Words from my favorite song, It Is Well With My Soul. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life. (John 14:6) No other god offers himself for you to have life. If you are believing that your goodness helps save you, you are wrong. You have been lied to, if you think your righteousness has anything to do with your relationship to God.
Jesus took all my sin at Calvary. I am no longer counted as a sinner. Do I sin? Yes, but Jesus paid for it. Why then do I care about obeying the law? My obedience is to bring others to the understanding of God’s mercy for themselves. It is from my grateful heart that I serve Him. There is nothing in the Ten Commandments that will hurt me or others. Living a life with fewer negative consequences is a bonus. I don’t obey because it will save me but because I understand that these laws protect me and allow me to love my neighbor. As a believer, I am in the ministry of faithfully passing this information along, by word and deed.
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
4. Lastly, none of my living is for my own purpose. Left to myself, I would be a complete disaster. There is no other explanation for my desire to live and to seek truth. Our world is full of evil and deception. It takes boldness and courage to stand against it, Jesus is the only way that I have it. There is a price for resisting lies. The hope we have is in Jesus because He is truth and no lie, ever becomes truth. Life is not a lie, physical death is. Our soul is that which makes us alive. We are warned, Matthew 10:28 KJV “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” In spite of life’s difficulties, I physically strive to continue, in freedom, in persecution because my living is testimony of God’s Incredible Mercy and Amazing Grace.
Mickey Kyler
