1 Timothy chp 1 vs 5 to 11: Pride Prosperity and Purpose of Law - J Stewart Gillespie 

We saw in 1:5 that the 'telos' of the commandment / charge of: 

  1. Paul to Timothy (1:18) 
  2. Timothy to Ephesians (1:3) 
  3. 1 Timothy to us! 

Was 'love

We considered that 'love' amongst its many descriptions, defies definition as part of the essential nature of God, it is the: 

'together glue of perfectness' (Col 3:14) 

With what / to what / to whom does this love bind us in 1 Tim 1:5? 

We note those conditions from which that love proceeds, 'out of': 

  1. Pure heart 
  2. Good Conscience 
  3. Genuine faith 

These are the qualifications of approaching to the Lord: 

  1. Pure heart – Psalm 24:4 
  2. Good conscience – 1 Peter 3:21 
  3. Faith unfeigned – Heb 11:6 

These are the qualifications for a relationship with Christ! 

Primarily this is love for Christ 

As we proceed through 1 Timothy, this love for Christ, finding its substance and sustenance I the sanctuary outflows from that place (1 Tim 3:16) to: 

The unsaved (1 Tim 2) 
Gods people (1 Tim 3 & 5) 
Families (1 Tim 5) 

The significance of this within the setting of 1 Timothy is that thee were those, with prominence, amongst Gods people, who lacked a heart for Gods people and who lacked a genuine love for the lost, they had 'turned aside,' to 'vain jangling.' 

There was something they loved, even if they did not love: 

The Lord 
The Lords people 
The lost 

They loved themselves! 

They loved to promote themselves! 

They loved position and prominence (1:7) – 'desiring to be teachers of the law.' 

They loved the position of teacher, not because they had a heart for the advancement of the people of God, but rather they had a desire for the promotion of self! 

'ματαιολογία' : mataio logia: vain talk, empty conversation, speaking trivialities, words to no purpose, futile, meaningless. 

A love of speaking, preaching and prominence. 

If the motive was not to be found in the content of what was being said, it was found in the fact that it was being said! 

The place and position were being sought! 

Profit and financial gain was the goal (1 Tim 3:3; 3:8; 6:5, 6, 10) 

  1. Personal Prominence 
  2. Personal Promotion 
  3. Personal Profit 

'meaningless words' (v6) 

How important to: 

say what we mean 
mean what we say 

Now if the end of the 'charge' is love 

If that charge is 1 Timothy in effect 

If in 1 Timothy we find a section on the correct use of the law, then the correct use of the law must also end in love! 

How then is the 'end of the law' love? 

The law cannot make you love! 

We do not love simply because we are told to love 
Love is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 6) not the product of law 
Love is the evidence of the new birth (1 John 4:7) 

However there is a connection between love and the law: 

            

Love is the fulfilment of the law – love is the CONCLUSION of the law 

'Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' (Mat 22:36-40) 

The law reaches its conclusion, becomes redundant when a soul perfectly loves the God, moving to please God, not from cold adherence to rules but out of a love or God, a love or His people and a love for the lost sinners for whom Christ died. 

In the heart perfectly devoted to God, the good pleasure of God is perfectly fulfilled; 'And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.' (Joh 8:29). Love is the CAUSE of keeping God's commandments. 'For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.' (1 John 5:3). John 14:15 'if ye love me keep my commandments' 

With the advent of the Spirit of God, the ultimate purpose of law is fulfilled, as a means to an end of a relationship with God it is has finished 

The moral conditions demanded by the law are the same as the conditions required for love to flow unimpeded (v5): 

'pure heart' 
'good conscience' 
'unfeigned faith' 

The law cannot produce love, but where the law of God is fulfilled we have an environment conducive with love. Law is CONSISTENT with the environment in which love flourishes. There was no love for God in Sodom and Gomorrah, those who loved the Lord had to leave it behind for destruction. 

Law has as a CONSEQUENCE, indirectly, love for God, by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law brings me to a sense of my guilt, to the knowledge of sin, to my need of a Saviour and thus propels me to Christ, 'he who is forgiven much, loves much.' Illust: Story of the freed slave from the deep south of America, devoted for life to her master! 

'if a man use it lawfully' (v8) 

What is the 'lawful' use of the law? 

Defines sin – Romans 3:20; 7:7 
Detects sin – Roms 2:12; 3:19 – Guilt 
Disturbs us because of sin – Rom 7:7, 24 – Grief 
Damns and demands judgement because of sin – Rom 5:13 – Gloom 
Deliverance by Christ form sin – Gal 3:24; John 1:45 – Glory

 

Outline preaching notes from our series of Bible teaching messages in 1 Timothy chapter 1, available for free audio download or to listen online,    

Yours by God's grace in Christ    

Dr J Stewart Gillespie