Tough, tough day, I had IV treatment and just feeling weak and weary. Laying in bed thinking of a verse 1 Timothy 1:5.

I read a story about a man who once owned a store and business was very good. Over time the business began to fail. What happened? The man became OBSESSED with keeping the merchandise and store immaculate and often rearranged the items in the store all the time keeping the store doors closed in case the store would become messy! Selling the merchandise became secondary- instead of it being the priority, and he suffered, and others could not partake of his items!

In 1 Timothy 1;5 Paul writes to Timothy as the church had allowed the primary issue to become secondary and so he wrote and told him “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” Think of IT- Jesus said in MATT 22;37 -39 that to Love God with all of our being and others is the Highest form and greatest … and all the commands given fall under these…. and yet how often we gave relegated, displaced LOVING God and others as secondary. Read again the words of Biblical teaching ” The Goal of our instruction is LOVE from a pure heart, a good conscience, a sincere faith.” Is the knowledge of His Word influencing your thinking leading to actions of LOVE?

Some ways we may miss-read it are… 
“The Goal of our teaching is Self promotion- I be admired, recognized”
“The goal of our teaching is more knowledge for knowledge sake”
“The Goal of our teaching so I can outwit and win arguments.”
NO!!!

Consider the contrast;
” knowledge puff us { makes us feel important} while love BUILDS Up}- {1 Cor 8:1}.

{He is NOT saying knowledge is not important but when misused, misapplied it misses the mark. We need knowledge and proper information and pure doctrine. read Titus and underline the words “good doctrine” ‘doctrine’ and see the emphasis that is placed on it. As we need truth to transform our thinking to align up with Him! So people who say “doctrine is not important- are not understanding the Scripture. it is imperative we have “sound[ the word means wholesome- doctrine – which refers to teaching. For we find out what the One True GOD IS LIKE, SIN,SALVATION, OURSELVES OUTSIDE Of CHRIST, IN CHRIST, HOW TO LIVE PLEASING TO HIM,FORGIVENESS OUR POSITION BEFORE Him etc…}

“The Goal of our teaching is LOVE from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith,” It is to make us better lovers of God and others! As we read or listen to a message ask, What is the passage telling us about “how we put into practice how to love God and others? ” – Not for a show before others but from sincerity of heart- pure motives!

Love-lessness; 
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.”- 1 Cor 13:1-3

My prayer is from Phil 1:9 for both you and me …“For this I PRAY that May your love may abound still more and more…” They were already a loving people, but Paul wants them to increase and break the boundaries as a lake overflows and floods the surrounding fields that cannot be contained, as it were. “Let all that you do be DONE IN LOVE”- {1 Cor 6:14}.

What will LOVE look like through you?
* Obedience – John 14:21
* Meeting the needs of others – 1 John 3:16-18
* Character transforming you from the inside out – 1 Cor 13:4-7
* Produced by the Holy Spirit to those in submission to Him and His Word- Gal 5:22-23;

  • Think on this verse, meditate, pray it and practice it “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”- May you abound in love more and more and as you do you are TESTIFYING – “By this ALL MEN will KNOW you are MY disciples by your love for one another “-{John 13:34-35}

 

  • The Love Paul speaks of in 1 Timothy 1:5 comes from “Love” according to Scriptures interpretation, not societies. Love identifies true followers of the Lord Jesus. It is evidenced in self denial, preferring others, for Jesus sake! {Read 2 Cor 4:5, 1 John 4:7-8}

Paul “qualifies, defines” love in three ways…it flows forth from…

1.- A PURE HEART – The motive is, God’s glory and the persons highest good, not seeking anything out of selfishness! The “heart” is that secret place where only you and God knows. “Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.”-{1 Samuel 16:7}.”For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man.” -{ Matthew 15:18-19}. The heart of every problem is the heart!

What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart. Your words reveal your heart! They reveal what is going on INSIDE of a person! “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit . . . For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”- {Matthew 12:33-34}.”Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”-{Proverbs 4:23 NLT}. The heart is who we are when no one is looking, which no one apart from God can see! It is who we are INSIDE!

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, “- {Jeremiah 17:9-10}. “But God…” – “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”-{Heb 10:16-17}, God gives us a new heart- alive to Him!

A pure heart is an obedient heart.  Paul wrote to the believers,”But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance.”- {Romans 6:17}

2.- A GOOD CONSCIENCE– “conscience “comes from two  words meaning, “knowing together,” and refers to knowing ourselves and that which we share with God only. Only He knows our thoughts, motives. The blood of Jesus cleanses us, and we must maintain a right attitude towards others. Where we have sinned we must confess it to HIM. If we have sinned against another and they know we must ask their forgiveness. We are not responsible for their response only for ourselves before Him. Paul’s goal was to have a good conscience towards God and others {Read Acts 24:16}   


3.- A SINCERE FAITH. – The original phrase means, faith without playacting or hypocrisy, which is living before people, ignoring God who is always present. Hypocrisy and playacting before others, that self may be promoted, praised and proclaimed rather then the Lord! Sincere, genuine faith in Him, lives before Him seeking to please Him THROUGH LOVING OTHERS FOR HIS SAKE! Timothy  was known and proven to have a sincere faith- {2 Timothy 1:5}

A pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith, speaks of having a right relationship with God, and at the core of our being a life bent towards loving and honoring Him expressed in loving others, thus fulfilling the great commandments – {Read Matt 22:37-39}

Truth is giving to Inform us in order to transform us {Read Rom 12:2; 1 Timothy 1:5} – LOVE is the evidence when it is applied!