The Goal of Our Instruction is Love

Transcript

GRM 507
12/01/1996
The Goal of Our Instruction is Love
1 Timothy 1:5
Gil Rugh

I want to direct our attention this evening to the book of 1 Timothy. We're really going to focus on one particular verse here but talk about some of the context surrounding it. We concluded our study of 2 Peter this morning. We talked about the importance of guarding ourselves from the influence of false teachers and false doctrine as well as continuing to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And in the opening chapter of 1 Timothy Paul has to address the subject of men who are teaching false doctrine and he gives an exhortation to Timothy to whom this letter is written regarding the purpose he was left behind in Macedonia. Left behind in Ephesus as Paul proceeded on to Macedonia. In verse three Paul writes, "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,"

And the problem there as plagued Paul's ministry in other places is the Judiazers who came in and wanted to mix law and grace and bring the demands of the Mosaic Law upon people both for salvation and sanctification. So down in verses six and following he talks about men who "...have turned aside to fruitless discussion 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."

So they may have given the impression that they knew a lot that they had a breadth and depth of biblical understanding but Paul says they don't have any idea what they're talking about. They make confident assertions, but they don't understand what they're talking about. Similar to what Peter said about the false teachers. They're bold, they're brazen, there's a confidence about them as he talked about them in chapter two of 2 Peter. But they have really no true understanding.

They are teaching "strange doctrines." We get the English word heterodoxy from the Greek word here it's the word for teaching with the word “heteros” on the front. Strange teaching. Other kinds of teaching. In Greek there is two primary words for another or something that is of a different kind. One means another of a similar or same kind and the other word means another of a different kind. In our English we usually have to tell by the context when we say that's another kind. You mean that's another one like that one I have or that's another one different? Well in Greek you could have altered the word.


Back up to Galatians chapter one. Galatians was written to confront the same kind of problem Paul was writing to Timothy about at Ephesus. People who wanted to bring in the law with grace and we want to look at the word for another here. Verse six of chapter one of Galatians, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;" And there's the word we have in 1 Timothy. It's a different kind of gospel.

Then he says in verse seven, "which is really not another;" there he uses the word “allos” which means another one of a similar kind. In other words what he is saying is these who are bringing the law in, these who are mixing law and grace, aren't preaching a variation of my gospel, another version of the gospel that I preached, they are preaching a gospel that is of a totally different kind. It's not related to mine at all in spite of the fact that it gives an appearance.

They talk about Jesus as the Messiah they talk about Jesus as the Savior they talk about grace. So, if you're going to emphasize the points of similarity there are a number of them. But what is significant is the point of difference. They believe you have to keep the law for your salvation. They believe that sanctification occurs by obedience to the law and so this mixing and confusing totally corrupts the biblical gospel of grace, so it is no longer a variation of the biblical doctrine of grace, the biblical gospel. It's something of a totally different kind.

Back to 1 Timothy. You might turn over to chapter six of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy 6:3 is the only other use of the word that we have in chapter one of 1 Timothy verse three. We have it translated there as strange doctrines, here it's translated different doctrine, a different kind of teaching. "If anyone advocated a different doctrine..." In chapter one verse three we had it translated a strange doctrine but the same basic word, a different doctrine another kind of doctrine.

It "does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to Godliness he is conceited and understands nothing. He has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicion, constant friction between men of depraved mind deprived of the truth who suppose Godliness is a means of gain."

You see a similar kind of problem Peter dealt with if you were with us in our study of 2 Peter. They are looking for the personal gain, financial gain, sensual pleasures and so on. But they're really men who are bringing division and confusion and there is a point where we are to have nothing to do with them. We want to share the gospel with people but false teachers, when confronted with the gospel, and we realize there is not an openness, I have no more time to talk with them. They usually want to say, well, let's continue about it more let's continue to talk about it and I've found I just have to say we have no more to talk about. I've presented to you the gospel of grace and you are unwilling to consider it so there is not point in us talking further.


So, you come back to 1 Timothy chapter one. That's the kind of setting and you'll note these are the ones who are divisive not the ones who are holding to sound doctrine, not those who are standing for the truth, but those who want to corrupt the truth. Those are the ones who are being accused of being divisive and causing factions. "...in order that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 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."

The just shall live by faith. They don't understand the Old Testament nor do they understand the New Testament. The Mosaic Law was never a plan of salvation. Salvation has always been by faith and furthermore the life of the child of God has always been by faith. Now the Old Testament, those who truly believed in God and were walking by faith, lived under obedience to the Mosaic Law. But neither salvation nor sanctification was accomplished through the Mosaic Law. The just shall live by faith. That has always been God's plan. So, they want to talk about genealogical issues and myths and their twisting of the scripture. They don't really deal with the way God is working which is by faith.

This moves into the verse I want to focus on, "But the goal of our instruction is love..." That love comes "...from a pure heart, and a good conscience, and a sincere faith." What is the goal of our instruction or our charge, what I am charging or instructing you to do, Timothy? He's referred to this in verse three, " That you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrine."

The goal of our instruction, and down in verse 18, "This command..." again we're talking about the same basic emphasis, this instruction I entrust to you, this command, this charge, Timothy. So, he's saying here the goal of our instruction, the goal is what we're telling you Timothy to cut off those who are teaching a different kind of doctrine. Forbid them to continue that kind of teaching. In other words, you don't allow them to have a platform, you don't give them a hearing. You silence them in the church at Ephesus, Timothy. You instruct them not to teach strange doctrine or pay attention to these kinds of things.

The goal of our instruction, what we accomplish in what we're telling you to prevent and what we're telling you to do in his own ministry is to produce love. "The goal of our instruction is love..." That's what we want to see produced in the life of the believer. This is “agape” love. This is the ultimate end and why we want to stand against error. Why we want to promote and teach only sound pure doctrine. We want love to be produced and developed in the life of the child of God because this is at the heart of God's character being produced in us. This agape, self-sacrificing, kind of love. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son."

A word that we become so familiar with that we sometimes overlook the importance of its implementation in our life in the practical ongoing living day by day that I am not number one. The world does not revolve around me, but the outstanding characteristic that is to be seen in my life, as I am maturing in Christ, is the beauty of His character, His love being displayed in and through me.

This is particularly important in the context of the Mosaic Law and those who want to push the Mosaic Law on God's people. Turn back to Romans chapter 13. You remember there is nothing wrong with the law; Paul has dealt with this earlier in Romans. The law is righteous the law is perfect the law is good. The problem is me. I am not able because of sin to perfectly obey a perfect God. In Romans chapter 13 you see the connection of love to the law.

Verse eight, "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another..." There's one obligation I can never be current on. I'm not to be behind, so to speak, on my bills. I'm not to be in default. But I can never say I am paid in full on my debt of love. I can just never fulfill that divine obligation. That's an ongoing debt.

"He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law." You see there the connection of the law. There is a relationship of the law to grace in God's grace and His salvation by grace the demands of the law have been fulfilled and met. Because in that salvation I am forgiven and cleansed and made new and declared righteous and the character of God is produced in me, which centers in His love.

"For this you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet and if there is any other commandment it is summed up in this saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law." I mean the things he mentions here, you shall not commit adultery, adultery is a selfish act done for selfish pleasure, is a sin against someone else. It's not done as love. We cover it up with the world's concept of emotional passion of the moment but that's not love. The same with the others here. You don't murder someone because you love them you don't steal from someone because you love them. You don't covet what they have.

When you really love someone you are thrilled that they have more than you. You delight in the blessings that they have. When you don't love them you begrudge them those blessings and you covet them for yourself. So, since love desires the best for the other love is the fulfillment of the law.

You might turn over to 1 Corinthians 13, again a passage we're well familiar with. This love that he is talking about is most fully described in 1 Corinthians. Most clearly seen in the act of God. This is the great demonstration of love. "That while we were yet sinners Christ died for us..." in Romans 5:8, but here is a fuller description of love than we have in other passages in one place. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 as he talks about the importance of love,
"Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, bears all things hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

That gives you some idea of what biblical love really is. Just the opposite of what the world promotes and you have to build a good sense of self in people. A strong sense of self-esteem and self-love. Well, you can't then be manifesting the character of God when you are doing that, they are contrary to one another. Now, the poor me I'm nothing is just another form of self so, that's not what he is talking about here. But we see something of the character of the love that is to be produced.

This is what happens when we grow in our relationship to Jesus Christ as we grow in grace and knowledge. We carry out the instructions that we have been given the charge that has been laid down. The desire is to see God's love produced in us. This is not an excuse to avoid responsibility but it is the means of carrying out divine responsibility. Responsibility placed upon us by God.

So, we don't say, we were just running to hide in our doctrine so we don't have to be involved. No. We want God's love to be produced in us and it has to be according to His pattern and His plan.

Incidentally, earlier in 1 Corinthians, while you're here, in chapter eight verse one, "Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies." Now he's not saying here that we ought not to have a proper biblical knowledge but the context here, this prideful knowledge, you don't have to tell me about this I know all about it. Well all that does is make you arrogant. I know more than you, but a proper kind of biblical knowledge that is submitted to under the ministry of the Spirit will produce God's character which is love and that's what builds up.

The knowledge has to get worked into my life not just be a collection of facts that I can run around and beat people with. That just produces arrogance and pride, but we're talking about the development of the character of God in the life. Now the word of God the knowledge of the truth is food for the soul. So that the character of God can be produced. But I have to be careful that I just don't become desirous and satisfied to know more about the Bible than anyone. My goal is not just to collect knowledge about the Bible, my goal is to have that assimilated into my life so that is becomes part of me. So that God's character is produced within me and it is love that builds up because it acts according to the will and plan of God. You're familiar, this love is a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter five verse 22, "The fruit of the Spirit is love..." and so on.

Come back to 1 Timothy chapter one. This love comes from a "pure heart". From a pure heart. A cleansed heart, a heart that has been made whole if you will, made pure by the work of God. In 2 Timothy chapter two verse 22, "Now flee from your youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." A heart that has been cleansed by God in the salvation that is found in Christ.

"The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above all things." Jeremiah 17:9 says. But in Christ the payment He made for sin, provision is made for me to be cleansed within for my heart to be made pure before God by the gracious work of His Spirit in applying the finished work of Christ to me and identifying me with the death burial and resurrection of Christ. I am raised as a new creature in Christ.

So those who call upon God with a pure heart are fellow believers. The point here, "the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart" it comes from a heart that has been cleansed. Because you have to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you because it's a fruit of the Spirit. It's a result of Him dwelling in the life and manifesting His presence. He is producing the character of God in and through us. Marvelous, beautiful picture. Love from a pure heart.

Come back to the gospel of John. Important because there is a lot of emphasis in the church today, the church broadly speaking, on love. And we have some kind of concept that if we're truly loving we'll be willing to put aside our doctrinal differences to express our love. And the great need of the church today is an expression of love for one another. The problem with that is there is an element of truth in that. Why that is a problem is it is a distorted emphasis on a biblical truth which corrupts the truth and makes it do damage not good.

In John chapter 13:34 Jesus said, "'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.'" And there is no restriction no restraint on this love. "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus tells His disciples. Now you love one another like that. That is a self-sacrificing kind of love. "'By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.'"

The family love that is a unique and special and wonderful thing that God has produced in our lives and when it is not being manifest then our lives deny what we declare. People ought to look at us and say, they do love one another. Whatever else you say about those people, whatever else you say about that church you have to say they love one another. They really, you know, nothing is too much is too much trouble. Nothing is too great a sacrifice. They really love one another.

That's the goal to which we strive. That is to be a testimony to the world, in a self-centered world and a world bent on self-satisfaction. We are to stand out as lights as those who aren't
focused on self but are focused on others and particularly others in the family of God. Now that takes place in the context of the development of the character of God which is developed in us as a result of our salvation through the ongoing ministry of the Spirit of God as we feed upon the word of God "...as newborn babes long for the pure milk of the word that you might grow with respect to your salvation." As we studied in 1 Peter chapter 2.

So, if we are going to grow and mature we need the pure milk of the word. So any emphasis to set aside our doctrinal differences to emphasize love undermines the very foundation of BIBLICAL love. Let's face it, many religions have a fanatical commitment to one another.

Many religions, Muslims for example, make the news. They are willing to die for their cause, to die for someone. They're willing to strap a bomb on their back and blow themselves up for their cause and their commitment to their god and to one another. So we want to be careful that we don't just develop a form of worldly love that may be very intense but it's not biblical.
That's why it must be produced from within by the work of the Holy Spirit as we feed on His word. And then we strive in obedience to Him and the power He gives to manifest this in our relationships to one another.

Come back to Timothy. So, we want love produced from a pure heart, from a heart that has been cleansed by our God and continues pure before Him. His character being developed from within. This love also comes from a "good conscience." This is the desire for the believer and this will further enhance the development of the quality of God's love in us. A good conscience, a clean conscience that's a conscience that is what it ought to be. It's the opposite of a guilty conscience. A conscience that is not clean or good is accusing you, is declaring you guilty.

Now, we have to be careful with the conscience. The conscience in and of itself is not a reliable standard of right and wrong. People commit terrible crimes do terrible wrongs and say, "I have a good conscience. My conscience is clean. I believe I did right." Because the conscience operates on the standard which it is given and so if it has been corrupted and twisted to a false standard then sometimes a person says, "My conscience is clear." But they have done wrong, they have sinned. So we want to be careful.

It is also true that as individuals made in the image of God there is, even in fallen beings, a remnant if you will of that aspect of God's being. That there is that sense of right and wrong. Paul refers to this back in Romans chapter 2 verse 14, "For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these not having the Law, are a law to themselves in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them."

So you see that process does go on and even in fallen man since we were created in the image of God and sin has marred that image and corrupted it. There is still a remnant of it and so we have that sense of right and wrong that is there in people. Now sometimes it is corrupted because it is fed a standard that is not biblical, but people have a sense that this is right and this is wrong. I should do this, I shouldn't do this. That is built within.

"A good conscience." Believers are to operate with a good conscience. Now, again there are adjustments, but I should not violate my conscience. Now the authority and standard which I want my conscience to operate from is the word of God. So, I want to be careful I don't just go out here and say, "Well, I let my conscience be my guide." Because I'm a fallen being and I am subject to self-deceit and self-delusion. So that's why I need to nurture and nourish my heart and mind with the word of God, so that's the standard. And my conscience is operating from that basis.

That's why Paul says in writing to the Romans in Romans chapter 14, that we ought never to violate our conscience. Whatever is not of faith is sin. If I am doing something, even if it is a neutral area, what do you say? The example in Romans 14 was the food you eat or the observance of certain days. I say, "You know you tell me it's alright to read the newspaper on Sunday afternoon, but my conscience bothers me when I do. I believe I ought to be reading the Bible on Sunday afternoons. It's a day I should set aside to the Lord."

I have to be careful. My goal is not to convince that person they should read this paper on Sunday afternoon and it's right to do it. I say, "If that's what your conscience, if that's where you are with your conscience then that's fine. Because that's not an area the bible addresses one way or another." And they should not violate their conscience. They cannot do that with a good conscience before God that yes, this is pleasing and acceptable to God. When I get out into those areas, I should never violate my conscience.

Some people say I shouldn't eat at a restaurant where they serve alcohol. Well, I say you can do that. Whether you can or can't the bible doesn't address it as far as I can see one way or the other. I better be careful being on one side or the other thinking I have to convince them to operate according to my conviction. So, we always want to operate with a good conscience. Is your conscience clean before God? Now, even the preceding step I would as is there any area of your life that is in violation of the word of God?

"Well, I've been seeing another woman or man outside the marriage relationship, but I have a clean conscience about it." Well, pour some acid on your conscience, it's wrong. The first thing is, is there any area where it is in conflict with the word of God? I also have to have a good conscience in this whole area as well.

Back up to Acts chapter 24. We'll just read a few verses on the area of the conscience. The Apostle Paul speaking before Felix and in the light of the context here is judgement which incidentally was what Paul was talking about if we had read another verse or two in Romans 2, it was the next verse he went on to talk about judgement. Here in talking about with Felix verse 15, "'Having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.'"

A blameless conscience. I try not to every have a guilty conscience in my relationship to God and my relationship to other men, that I have functioned honorably and properly in my dealings with you as well as with my dealings with God. Paul says he always strives for that. A terrible practice it's an unbiblical practice, it's sin for us as believers to operate with a guilty conscience.

Look over in 1 Corinthians chapter four verse four. A reminder here that my conscience is not the final judge. "For I am conscious of nothing against myself..." I have a good conscience not a guilty conscience not an accusing conscience. "...yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord." That's why we have to be careful in our judgements of one another particularly where the word of God doesn't speak.

If the word of God says it's sin, it's sin. You're not judging me when you tell me it's sin. If I cheat on my income tax and you say, "Gil, you're sinning." I can't tell you, "'Judge not, lest you be judged.'" Because the scripture says it's sin. But if you come up and say, "Gil, I know you preached that message out of pride, if it was only for your selfish glory." I say, "To the best of my knowledge I didn't." You say, "Well, I know you did." I say, "Well, wait a minute you can't judge the motives of my heart." That's what Paul's talking about here. And even though I can say to you, " To the best of my knowledge and as I examine my conscience, I have a clean conscience." That does not mean I am acquitted. I may stand before Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat and as He unveils my motive, I will be brought face to face with how I had deluded my own self in areas. So, a warning here that I don't get proud because I say I am not conscious of anything against me. That doesn't mean I am acquitted before God. Ultimately, He is the Judge.

In 2 Corinthians 1:12, "For our proud confidence is this, the testimony of our conscience..." and note the area of the conscience here that he's operating from and the standard it has to operate from. "...that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you." So you see he is using a divine standard as the measuring rod for his conscience. Holiness, Godly sincerity. Not fleshly wisdom but the grace of God. I have my conscience bears witness to me within that this has been my goal and motive in my ministry.

Turn over to 2 Timothy 1:3, "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day longing to see you..." I serve with a clear conscience. Again, this was an important matter to Paul he keeps repeating this. I am serving with a clear conscience.

Now again I need to be careful I don't run around; I have a clear conscience on this matter and I want to tell you this is what I think of you. I'm talking about my own operation here my actions. I can't speak for your conscience I can only speak for mine. I can't speak for your actions in this area I can only speak for mine. So, Paul was concerned to be clear, I have a clear conscience. You have to take my word for it because you can't see into the inner man. But a reminder that we need to have that if we're going to have an effective ministry and life for God; a clear conscience.

Back in 1 Timothy 1:19, "Keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." The abandoning of faith and a good conscience brings shipwreck to the faith. This is a serious matter a good conscience. You know, we can violate our conscience repeatedly so that it doesn't convict us as strongly.

You know, you do something wrong your conscience really bothers you. You do it wrong a second time it really bothers you. You do it a third time, by the 30th time the 40th time my conscience isn't speaking loudly enough that I'm hearing anything anymore. I have dulled it by my sin. So, there is a danger in abusing our conscience, then what? You bring a shipwreck to the faith. Pretty soon I can be doing the wrong thing and not feel any guilt about it and that becomes a subtleness of sin that makes me think it must be alright because if it wasn't God would really be giving me a sense of guilt about it. Well, maybe I have just deadened myself to one of the voices that God has placed within the human being as we say taking place all around us.

Back to chapter one verse five. "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience..." That's what sound teaching will do and the good instruction the commands He has given about not putting up with false teaching and being built up in the word. That develops a good conscience in a person. As I live according to the standard of the word that is being built into my life.

Incidentally that's why it's so important for the youngest ages; you know in that one verse we read in 2 Timothy Paul said I serve with a clear conscience even as my forefathers did? Paul wasn't saved until the Damascus Road, but he evidently comes from a line that were committed to the word of God and had that as a standard and I see even with our children and our young people you know, we can't guarantee their salvation but we build the word of God into them. We are building a standard and creating a foundation and a bulwark which God can use then and will use, we trust, to draw them to salvation in Him.

Like Timothy, who from a child knew the scriptures, was taught them by his mother and grandmother but he evidently didn't get saved until he was exposed to the Apostle Paul's ministry as a young man. But the foundation that was laid by his grandmother and mother was a vital part of what God did in that life. So important that we build the word into our young people but not cross the line and therefore wanting to make them Christians. We cannot do that.

But we don't want to hold back at all on the part we can play but we don't want to cross the line and think that we can do God's roll. Build the word of God in them. We want to model the kind of life that we're talking about here with God's love, a pure heart, a clear conscience. Our kids are so perceptive. They see us as we are. They see through us and see our true character. It's hard to keep it up all the time before them they are perceptive in their own little young ways. So we model it before them. We build it into them and then we encourage them by the grace of God to respond in faith to His salvation.

Third area mentioned here, this love, developed out of a pure heart, a good conscience and a "sincere faith." These are built from the instruction and they produce the love. A sincere faith. An unhypocritical faith is what we're talking about. A faith that is not put on. It's not a mask that we wear. It's a genuine faith not a superficial conformity.

I mentioned young people and that's what we see with young people that are raised in a Christian home and a Christian church. You know there is an external conformity. There comes a time in their life where they have to confront the reality of their own sin and guilt before God and bow before Jesus Christ and receive Him as their Savior. Otherwise it's just a superficial a hypocritical faith. A mask that is worn, if you will. And that is not only with children that's with adults as well.

A sincere faith, a genuine faith. You remember we saw at the end of verse four the administration of God which is by faith. This is the way God operates. By faith, by faith, by faith. Man always to take it to his works his efforts his doing. And at least a mixture of God's work and my work produces my salvation. This is the crucial issue the difference between the Roman Catholic doctrine of grace and the biblical doctrine of grace. We both talk about grace we both talk about faith and the Roman Catholic doctrine of faith and God's grace is a mixture of man's works and God's grace.

I spent part of an evening this past week reading the decrees of the council of Trent back in the 1500s, which still forms the foundation of Roman Catholic doctrine. They were reaffirmed in the second Vatican council back in 1960 I believe it was. They pronounce a curse on those who say that salvation is by faith alone. They declare that salvation is a process of God's working in grace in my life and my working that will result in salvation. That's just the Judiazers relabeled. That's not another gospel like the one we preach. That's a totally different kind of gospel not related to ours at all.

So, we must have a sincere faith an unhypocritical faith a faith that is genuine a faith that is biblical. Over in 2 Timothy chapter one verse five. I alluded to this verse a moment ago. "For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well." A sincere faith, a genuine faith. His grandmother and his mother had come to salvation as well as Timothy. So, a testimony to God's grace. It is a sincere faith a genuine faith an unhypocritical faith. It's the only kind of faith that can save.

And it is an ongoing faith. We want this out of our charge we want people to have God's love. This only operates in the context of a pure heart a good conscience a sincere faith. This is the result of God's work in the life. God's salvation. And then we continue to grow in this which God has done in His grace as we talked about this morning.

Turn back to Hebrews chapter 10. You see some of these related concepts put together in a little different wording, but you see a similarity in the emphasis. In Hebrews 10:19, "Since, therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter in the holy place by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God."

So the analogy drawn with the Old Testament system and the priest once a year could enter in through the veil into the Holy of Holies into the very presence of God now Jesus Christ has provided a way through His flesh, His death on the cross of access into the very presence of God. He is our great High Priest and now we, verse 22 "draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,"

We talked about a pure heart here a sincere heart. The full assurance of faith. We were just talking about a genuine faith. "having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience..." A condemning conscience that accused me and declared me guilty and I didn't want to hear it, but I knew the truthfulness of it. Why are people flocking to all kind of religions everywhere? There is built into them that recognition of right and wrong and a conscience that tells them that they are guilty, they are guilty, they are guilty. They simply want to resolve the guilt on their terms not the true God's terms.

"...And our bodies washed with pure water." So that picture there of the work that God has done in us in Christ that produces that good conscience the sincere faith and the pure heart that he was talking about in Timothy. And that's why Paul gives this charge or instruction that you put a stop to the false doctrines the false teaching. It is a hindrance, a barrier to God's work of salvation because, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God." And the corrupted word of God does not bring salvation.

Don't lose sight of that. We think well at least, you know, maybe with the bible being used some will get saved. Jehovah's Witnesses use the bible everywhere they go but people are don't get saved because it's being corrupted and being mixed with men's ideas. And it destroys the power. The Roman Catholic church does the same thing. I've mentioned before that sometimes it seems to me the Roman Catholic mass has more of the biblical gospel than most of the Protestant preachers on our television sets, but people don't get saved through the Roman Catholic mass because it is a mixture of men's ideas.

In it's very foundation the mass being a re-sacrifice of Christ is a denial of truths like Hebrews chapter 10. So, we have to be careful we don't look at something we see as good. We say well, whoa, that's why you have to do these, what can be wrong? Judaizers they want to teach the Mosaic Law as well as the grace of God in Christ. I mean both are scripture. Let's be glad in this corrupt vile depraved day that there are people who want to preach the word of God and not get caught up in conflicts and disagreements over inconsistencies.

Paul says you put a stop to them teaching. Don't let them teach those kind of doctrines. He goes on to tell them, we don't have time to go into the book, they are to teach the truth. The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth he'll say over in chapter three verse 15 of this letter.

The goal of this kind of charge, instruction, command is the production of the character of God a genuine love. God's character can only flow from a heart that's been transformed from the inner person that's made new. And that's where we'll have our "pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith." And that is to be developed and growing. It's not static. It's to be maturing and developing as we grow to be conformed to Jesus Christ as Ephesians four says we're growing up in all aspects in Him who is the head, Jesus Christ.

Paul says in Philippians chapter three he hasn't arrived. "But this one thing I do, forgetting the things that are behind...I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." This is a matter that is very important, very practical, very down to earth where we live. Look and see, is this what is happening in my life? Is this what God is doing in me as I submit to Him as I feed on His truth as I strive by His grace in His power to live according to His will?

You know, that's the beauty of the picture that's drawn in 2 Corinthians chapter three verse 18 as we close. Again, we are in the context of the ministry of the word of God. And it's in Christ that true understanding comes, the veil is taken away. A person can understand the word of God as he has said. Then he concludes in verse 18 of 2 Corinthians 3, "But we all, with unveiled face..." The veil was removed in Christ he said in the preceding verses. Those who have come to salvation in Christ now can look into the word of God and it works its supernatural work in them.

"With unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord..." In the context of the chapter, we're looking into the word of God and it's like a mirror and we're seeing reflected in that mirror the glory of the Lord. And we, "are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit." That's what we're talking about the development of His character in us.

How does it happen? Well, first you have to get save. That's what happened. People look into the word and look into the word. The Jews they look into the word they look into the word, but they didn't get saved. Paul was an expert in the Old Testament scriptures, but he wasn't saved because he read them with a veil over his eyes he didn't see the true meaning and significance of these scriptures. But when you're truly born again the veil's removed, you see. It's like a person who has been blind and now a miracle takes place, perhaps a "medical miracle" whatever and they are able to see. They have been looking and looking and haven't been seeing. That's the way it is when you come to Christ.

And now what? We continue to look in the mirror and as we are beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord that's what we see as we look into the word which is the mirror; we see the glory of God we're not seeing ourselves we're seeing His glory and that's it. Well, I want to be more like Him. I'm being more conformed to Him the more I'm in the word and allowing Him to do that supernatural work. The work that only the Spirit of God can do.

Out of that will come love, His true character. The love of God for the lost the love of God for fellow believers. The desire to be more and more like Him. May that be what we are all about as a church. Why we exist and what God accomplishes in our midst. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord for the richness of the work You're doing in our lives. Lord, I pray that we may have a greater appreciation of the importance of heeding the charges, commands, instructions of Your word. That we would indeed be on guard that we would indeed have no tolerance for other doctrines, false teachings. May we be a people who feed on the beauty of the purity of your word which reflects and reveals and portrays the glory of our Lord by a process that's wonderfully supernatural. We continue to be conformed more and more to the image of His glory as You prepare us for an eternal glory in Your presence.

May every day be a rich and truly thrilling experience for us as we are privileged to grow as we walk in progress toward the culmination of our salvation, the glorification of our body in the presence of the glory of our Savior. We pray in His name. Amen.


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