DAY #304: 1 Timothy 1:5-18

Jesus said in Matthew 5:8, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure.” A pure heart is devoted to God and free from guilt and corruption. We must keep ourselves morally straight. God purifies us, but there is action we must take to keep morally fit. Daily application of God’s word has a purifying effect on our heart and mind. It enables us to love freely.

In order to love properly, our conscience must be clear. First, it must be clean from unconfessed sin so that guilt doesn’t hinder us. Second, our motives must be free from pride and personal gain. Then we can love openly. When we attempt to love others without sincere faith in Christ, our efforts to minister become hollow and self-serving. Sincere faith enables us to love genuinely.

The commands and instructions in this letter to Timothy reveal Paul’s desire to maintain the purest truth in all the church’s teachings. As a mother nourishes her child with pure foods, so Paul nourished the infant church with only pure teaching—the truth of God’s word.

Paul wrote against those who wanted to be teachers of the law of Moses. These men taught strange philosophical theories and ideas loosely based on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). These men were either Gentiles who were impressed with Judaism or Jews who did not know much but wanted to gain respect.

The false teachers wanted to become famous as teachers of God’s law, but they misunderstood the law’s purpose. The law was not meant to give believers a list of commands for every occasion, but to show unbelievers their sin and bring them to God. The law exists not for people who do what is right, but for those who continue in their sin.

In order to express the overwhelming sense of God’s kindness and grace, Paul coined a compound word, huperpleonazein, meaning “to superabound.” God’s undeserved favor toward us is always greater than any words we may use to describe it.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

As I read today's passage, I am once again reminded of the growth in Paul's life. To see where paul was when he came to Christ and to see where he is at in this passage, I am blown away by his growth. So today, I think about the next level of growth God has for me. I must become a leader of leaders. As God brings people to himself, it is imperative that we have people in place to help them grow and walk with them. I must recruit and train and equip men and women who will lead others.

Lord, I need your help. Faithful men and women seem so hard to find today. Raise them up. Lord, grow me to that next level of leadership.

Now I ask you. What does the next level of growth look like for you?