Book of 1 Timothy - Ch. 1, Vs. 6-11 (03/24/2002)

The Commandment, Pure Love, and the Problem of Pretenders

Turn to first Timothy chapter 1 and we'll pick up where we left off last Sunday afternoon. Marked my Bible between verse 5 and 6. So we'd better read verse 5 to go into verse 6. Follow along with me if you would.

Now the end of the commandment is charity and we all know that means agape love. The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith Unfamed from which some having swerved have turned aside into vain jangling.

Desiring to be teachers of the law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. 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 for fathers. Murders of fathers and murderers of mothers for manslayers for whoremongers for them that defile themselves with mankind that's homosexuals for men-stealers 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 the Apostle Paul said. So let's stop there and we'll cover some of these. It says at verse 5 now. The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfamed.

To feign something is to pretend. So this implies very strongly that there are those who would come in To our congregation or be raised up from within the congregation who would be pretenders. Now the very word itself implies that it's not easy for us to tell because if they're good pretenders they're like actors and Hollywood can convince you that a person isn't is really someone else.

By the time you get three minutes into a movie you think it's the fake person. You don't think it's that actor that you've seen before if they're a good actor or actress and. So apparently the enemy does this from within.

He will bring in pretenders who? Fake the faith. Now the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and a faith that is not faked or pretended. Love is a real key when you see people that don't know how to Have a goth a love where their love seems to be dependent upon whether you please them or not.

That's a real red flag that needs to go up because sometimes these folks who can pretend to have the faith Are not very good at pretending to have genuine godly love. Verse 6 says from which some having swerved have turned aside of the vein.

Engangling some interesting words in here this word swerved It it's you take the first letter of the Greek alphabet alpha and if you put it in front of a word it gives it the negative of the word so that is happening here and The main word is the word Stoicos which means to aim so when you look at this word swerve it is ah Stoicos.

So it means not to aim or to miss aim or to miss the mark. So it says from such some which some have having missed the mark. What mark did they miss faith and love? They've missed the mark. They've swerved missed the mark.

Having turned Aside now, that's an interesting word too because it means having turned from the origin. Having turned from the right way the original gospel. And so forth unto vain jangling this vein.

Jangling empty. It's an empty talker someone who talks but it's not coming from a depth of study of God's Word in the Enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. It's just empty talking. So this begins to set the scene as brother Otis did already last week.

False Teachers, Legalism, and the Proper Use of the Law

It continues to set the scene for spotting false teachers false prophets false brothers and sisters among us. Specifically to do with false teachers. There is a specific brand of them. That verse 7 begins to speak of that the Apostle Paul had a particularly difficult time with in his day and I'll have to say that since my salvation in 1978 and then.

Shortly thereafter we started to do youth work and then got involved in the ministry. For most of that time period through the 80s. I did not see a lot of this problem in the church. But I would have to say that towards the end of the 90s going into the 2000s I'm beginning to see it.

I'm beginning to see some interesting new books that are popping up. That probably you could pick up in a Christian bookstore that a lot of people do pick up and read them. And these particular books are very very bad.

They're the very same thing Paul was fighting. So I guess what I'm saying is this is beginning to rear its head up in the last days. And it is a tendency towards towards legalism. Look at verse 7 Desiring to be teachers of the law but Understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.

I Visited with I was with a friend and we went over to Waco to discuss a business thing and this particular Businessman found out I was a pastor. So he wanted to engage me in a conversation which that happens sometimes and usually it's not real good when they want to do that because They're trying to find out if you'll agree with them on something.

And this particular thing was he was trying to convince me that he had read some books that taught that if you don't keep The Sabbath on Saturday in other words to him it meant if you don't go to church on Saturday that you're in sin and so I Gave him the quote that I had in my sermon last Sunday.

If you remember you can go all the way back to about the 200 years after Christ Justin Martyr said that our Sabbath is every day. It is a continual rest and he took it from Hebrews where it talks about we have a rest in Christ because he has finished the work and so I quoted that to him and he was trying to make me think that.

That Constantine sometime wouldn't want to Constantine about 253 300 AD that he is the one who invented the idea of having church on Sunday. So I quoted him, you know an early church father that existed before that time that said we you know.

We meet on the Lord's Day, which is the first day of the week. Just like we're doing today. Kind of blew his mind because he'd been told you can't find that. Well, it's there, you know but that's the way these folks are they don't understand what they're talking about and.

And what they affirm they keep they want to teach it. They want to be teachers the law, but they don't understand where the law fits. Now it I believe I'm seeing more of that sticking up its ugly head in the last times.

So let's go over a few Symptoms or a few truths about the law this afternoon that you really should probably put a little roadmap through your Bible where you can Graciously have a verse if you need one not that you would convince the other person but just so that he knows that he's not going to convince you and.

So that your heart is settled on these matters. So, let's look at a few of these look at Matthew chapter 17. And I don't think we'll read this little passage, but you'll be familiar with it when you get there.

Chapter 17 In the first part of the chapter is the story about where Peter Went up with Jesus and they saw Moses and Elijah and Peter said oh, it would be good thing if we built some tents up here. Remember that you he said it'd be good If we just built tents and just stayed right here on this mountaintop.

Well, that's the story that is discussed right here. Peter wanted to build a tabernacle for Moses. And I want you to think about this. Moses is a representative of the law. He also wanted to build a tabernacle for Elijah who was a representative of what?

The prophets. But what did the father say as a rebuke really to Peter? The voice comes from heaven and I'm sure of all the times that Peter kind of got his foot stuck in his mouth. Which happened many times with Peter because he had a zeal.

He had a true heart for God and he had a zeal sometimes he would just speak out in a zeal. I'm sure this perhaps was the most embarrassing time in his life. Well, certainly one of them had to be because just no sooner had he said let's honor Moses the law and let's honor the prophets.

As the voice comes down from heaven and says this is my beloved son. Hear ye him. Now the person that you might be arguing with about these things is not going to see this but you can see it. You can see very clearly that what the father was saying was we have different program.

We have yes, the law and the prophets had its place, but the Son of God is here Peter. You don't you don't want to put him in the same on the same podium. Seated at the same level in the same chairs with Moses and Elijah.

Moses and Elijah were powerful. They represent powerful things of God, but not to be compared with the Son of God. Hear him to me it ushers in the new the New Testament. This was an important message for Peter.

Okay, Peter was very zealous of the law of Moses and set the stage. To be helped by Paul a little bit later on he'll be taught another lesson now. About this but the father tried to I say tried to him speaking as a man.

I'm thinking what what happened is the father says this is Peter should not have had to be corrected by Paul later. But he was so turn to Galatians chapter 2 verse 13 and you're gonna see poor old Peter.

He just did not he even God told him this. God the father with his voice. Told Peter and he didn't get it yet. So these things are very strong within the hearts of people. Galatians 2 13 and the other Jews dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

I'll say that there is a strong appeal that these kind of people have because Most of us really do want to please God. We want to be holy. We want to be righteous we want to do what the Lord wants we want to be obedient and How someone comes to you and says well.

Well, you know the keeping the Sabbath on Saturdays part of the Ten Commandments. How come you choose just to drop that one off, but you want to keep the one about thou shalt not kill. You know, are you ready with an answer for that you?

They can be difficult Questions that these kind of people can ask well, so you so so the law doesn't count more. Is that what you're saying? The Ten Commandments don't count anymore. Is that what you believe and they'll hit you with this kind of sarcasm and this this sort of holier-than-thou because they're implying the whole time like just as the rich young ruler did that they are keeping these things and Therefore you're not and they're higher than you are and that is what goes on in the psychology.

It's very very difficult to get away from Peter himself. Wonderful beloved man of God had a real difficult time moving away from this problem in his life. And I think right here is where he learned to move away from it.

So he's in the verse 14 but when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel. Paul says I Said unto Peter before all of them right in front of everybody if thou being a Jew Live us after the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews do.

Why do you compel them the Gentiles to live as the Jews do? He said Peter you have freedom in your life. You have freedom in Christ and now you're trying to teach the Gentiles. They got to be circumcised.

They got to keep the law. They got to do all these things you were doing. Why do you do that? Obviously Paul thought it wrong to compel the Gentile Christians to live as the Jews were living. The key word there is compel.

The Law’s Proper Use: Stopping Every Mouth and Revealing Sin

They were trying to compel them to do it by psychology of guilt. Go into Romans chapter 3 now in verse 19 proper use of the law. Now you notice in our little passage. We're saying that they desire to be teachers of the law, but they don't understand the law.

So what does it mean? It means they don't understand the proper use of the law. They don't know what the law is all about. They don't know what God is doing with the law and what he's not going to do with the law.

Proper use of the law is to Primarily to stop the mouth of those who believe they can be saved by keeping the law. Romans 3 19 now we know that what things so ever the law saith it saith to them who are under the law.

So Paul says very clearly said the people this applies to are the ones that think that they're under it the ones that think that they can be saved by the law, so It says to them who are under the law and the purpose that every mouth may be stopped.

Paul says if a person who really is after God's heart tries to live under the law long enough. The law itself will teach him that that won't work. The law itself will teach him that you got a system here.

That's not going to work and It will stop their mouth eventually and all the world becomes guilty before God. This says that the law is written for those who are under the law the Israelites. Romans 10 5 says quote for Moses Describeth the righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

The Jew could not find righteousness by the works of the law. So every mouth is stopped and the whole world Jew and Gentile together stand guilty before God. That's one of the great purposes of the law.

Secondly we find as you move on into chapter 3 Verse 20 and following. The righteousness of God does not come by the law. In fact, it is without in other words apart from the law. Paul taught very clearly by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the righteousness that we get from God we gain apart from the law.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without or in other words apart from the law is manifest being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

Now the righteousness of God is without the law. It it means literally separately or apart from the law. It comes in a different manner in other words. For example, the righteousness of God is apart from the law.

It comes separate from the law without the law. This was witnessed by the law and the prophets in Romans chapter 4 verses 1 through 8 as compared to Genesis 15 verses 5 through 6. The law and the prophets verify again and again the failure of the law to bring righteousness to those who were under the law.

It just brought a knowledge of sin. And that's what the Apostle Paul's recording here verse 22 even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus faith of Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference.

And Paul points out. There's no difference between the Jew and the Gentile in this age. They all must come by way of the cross. Let me give you another point of the proper use of the law go into Romans chapter 14 verse 13.

One thing that the legalizers don't study is they have a hard time studying the Abrahamic Covenant and. And One thing they will do however is they'll challenge you to become an expert at it. They will take they'll take you right to the place where?

You do become an expert at it Romans chapter 4 verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

Or if they which are of the law be heirs faith is made void and the promise made of none effect. Because the law works wrath, but where no law is there is no transgression. Therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all The seed.

Now look what this phrase says in verse 16. To all the seed not to that only which is of the law but to that which is of the faith of Abraham. Who is the father of us all? Paul being the Apostle to the Gentiles.

He's including the Gentiles in this word all. As it is written. I have made thee a father of many nations now that word nations always carries the connotation of Gentile in the New Testament usage so I've made you a father of many Gentile nations not just the Jews before him.

Whom he beloved even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which are not that's the Gentiles as Though they were. So this is a miracle. The Jew has a problem with it. The Judaizer has a real problem with the fact that Gentiles can even be saved, but Paul says well, you know, then that means you don't believe in miracles because He calleth those things which are not as though they were.

Yes, am I in the wrong? I'm thinking I'm in Romans chapter 4. I'm verse 14. Did I say 14? That's the verse. Sorry. Well, I heard the pages. I should have realized I got something wrong. It's chapter 4 verse 13 and 14.

That does help if you can see what I'm seeing. Now look at look at verse 16. Therefore it is a faith that I have it right now. Okay, therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed.

Not to that only which is of the law see that's the nation of Israel. But to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all as it is written. I have made thee a father of many nations that includes the Gentile nations before him.

Whom he believed even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which are not that's the Gentiles as if they were in Other words he brought us from the dead to he quickened us. Who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations according to that which was spoken.

So shall thy seed be. And then it gives it in Genesis chapter 17 verse 4. I'm not going to read that but that's where all that comes from now. Paul taught very clearly that on this side of the cross. Meaning our side of the cross.

Salvation does not come through being a Jew or becoming a Jew and coming under the law. But through the promise in other words to all the seed not to that only which is of the law. But to that which is the faith of Abraham who's the father of us all.

Salvation comes to Abraham seed not to the seed which is of the law, which is the Old Testament economy Only but to the seed also. Which is a faith of Abraham the nations the Gentile believers the Jewish believers all are baptized into the same body of Christ in the church.

Both approach God by a new and living way. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 18 addresses this it says now where remission of these is there is no more offering of sin,. I Tell you this that those who are into the law have a major problem if there's no more sin offering.

So God's God put it an end to it when Jesus died once. For all the law is literally done away or abolished now. Let me give you some other truths about it's very key to understand the Abrahamic Covenant.

The Bible teaches very clearly that Abraham The Covenant was given to him before he was a Jew. Before he was even circumcised. So it is not. The Abrahamic Covenant is not a thing of the law of the Israel Israeli law or the Israeli nation.

It's a thing for all God's people for all ages and The only way to come into God's family is through this Abrahamic Covenant, which is for the Jew. But also for the Gentile is for God's elect. But it has to do with the faith of Abraham is not to do with the law.

Paul teaches that again and again and again and again and again. 2nd Corinthians 3 6 teaches that the law kills. But the Spirit brings life. 2nd Corinthians 3 6 who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament not of the letter.

So we are not ministers of the letter. Not ministers of the letter. So when you have these folks bring you these books that tell you if you're having church on Saturday. They are ministers of the letter.

Because the letter of the law means like the Ten Commandments as they were given to the to the children of Israel now one thing. It'll help you out a whole lot that a lot of times. We don't think through is that those Ten Commandments were not given primarily so that they could be on the court Wall if they still let them do that nowadays here in the United States.

They were given as a law for the nation of Israel. Now it is true that all of our laws in most Modern civilized nations come from the Israeli law. But the fact is Jesus made it very clear that it is not the letter that we live by.

In certain examples such as if you hate your brother you've murdered him. We talked about those last Sunday. So you understand that we don't live by the letter. In other words We're not going to stone you if you don't come church on Saturday.

Are we if you've got to have the Sabbath then you also have to have the stoning if you don't keep the Sabbath or else. You're not keeping the law. That's just common sense. So we're not by the letter.

2nd Corinthians 3 6. We are not ministers of the letter, but of the spirit. We are ministers of the spirit for the letter killeth, but the spirit gives life. God even promised the Jews at one point. He said I'll create within you a new heart.

I'll make you believe a priest and they said no we don't want that. Now God and his sovereignty had planned it that way and we know all that but from the human viewpoint. The Jewish nation could have had grace like we have it theoretically.

You want to talk in theories, but it wasn't to be but they rejected it because they wanted to reject it and. So there would go into the law at that point and they failed miserably, of course under the law.

The Law Done Away, Abolished, and Taken Away

The letter killeth the next fact about the law. Turn to 2nd Corinthians 3 and verse 10. You'll see some very plain language. And I really believe these verses would be very good to have a little road map.

Where you can find them and where one verse then leads to the next one to the next one. You can work your way through this little Study on the law but in 2nd Corinthians 3 10. For even that which is made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excel it the first part where it talks about the glory is talking about the Old Testament and It says it has no glory.

When you compare it to the glory that excels it. So there is a contrast between the Old Testament economy and the New Testament economy. It says the New Testament is so far superior that the old loses its glory.

So why would you want to teach it as the law now, you know, you know, don't take something. I'm not saying we preach probably most of our sermons from the Old Testament. A New Testament Church is not a church that only studies the New Testament.

It's a church that understands that the Old Testament is in type and the New Testament is the antitype. So when you go into the New Testament and you learn a truth you can go in the Old Testament find the symbols and you'll see a lot of colors in detail to the truth and but It is not there for the letter to be lived by as to the letter of the law.

So the law it would go on here now. It talks about the fact the New Testament excels. Look at verse 11. For if that which is done away, and I want you to circle or underline those words. If that which is done away now notice the word is that's present tense.

So it's already occurred. Something has been done away with and that thing which has been done away with was in fact glorious. What do you think it's talking about? The Old Testament economy of living by the letter of the law that has been done away.

Even though it was glorious or if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remain it is glorious. That's the New Testament economy. Now. Remember now the person who desires to be a teacher of the law.

Understands neither what he says he doesn't understand the place of the law and when you begin to try to teach it to him. It's very frustrating. Sometimes they'll listen sometimes they won't sometimes they'll listen to some of it and other parts.

They won't but you just give them the truth that you think God wants you to give them so. Another fact about the law is it's been done away with. Now you got to deal with that. I mean a person who's a Judaizer has to deal with what does Paul mean when he says been done away?

I'm teaching something that's been done away. All right. Well, there's a way to teach it and there's a way not to teach it if you're teaching what it symbolizes and the spiritual truths. Behind it you're fine.

If you're teaching that you have to keep it by the letter and if you don't you're not right with God. You're not fine. Because that's been done away with the Old Testament economy was done away with in favor of the New Testament economy of salvation by faith in Christ.

By being spiritually baptized into the body of Christ the church. This is much more glorious than the letter of the law. The next thing look at verse 12 there in 2nd Corinthians 3 not only has it been done away.

It has been abolished. This is strong language. If you have this little roadmap in your Bible, you can ask very simple questions. The best way to win an argument by the way to ask questions not try to give answers.

They ask you and you start answering like well, what do you believe when you start going into all that? You know, they're gonna whip you. Usually they'll whip you because they've only been studying this focus thing.

You study the whole Bible. They study this only things all they're interested in so they're really no more scriptures made. So don't try to answer it ask them a question do it this way say well, let me read this to you 2nd Corinthians 3 12.

Seeing then that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech and not as Moses. Which put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished.

Let me ask you. What is it? That was abolished and then let them answer let them talk for the next 20 minutes trying to explain. What it means that this has been done away with and abolished. Nailed to the cross first.

The Old Testament economy was abolished this abolished. This is even stronger language than saying it was done away with. Now the next thing that I see in this same passage 2nd Corinthians 3 you go down into verses 14 through 17.

And you see that those who believe they are saved by the law are blinded and there's a veil over their heart. And until that veil is removed they cannot see grace. But their minds were blinded for until this day remain at the same veil.

Same veil that was that Moses had to put on his face is still on their eyes. In the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ. But even until this day when Moses is read to these sorts of people the ones who want to be teaching the law.

When the Old Testament is read the veil is upon their heart that you can read the same scripture. We might preach a sermon out of where we're teaching the beautiful Types that picture the antitype or the spiritual truth and they don't see the spiritual truth they focus on on the thing to do they focus on the earthly thing to do and It's not so bad to do an earthly thing.

If what you focus on is the picture. When you see Jesus in it, then that's the purpose of it. But these Judaizers they they want they're into making sure that you do it just right so they can put another notch on there pistol.

But got him another one. But even until this day when Moses read the veil is upon their heart nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord. That means their heart when their heart turns to the Lord the veil shall be taken away.

Now the Lord is that spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty from what? You might ask that question liberty was this liberty from what? So now another interesting place is found in Hebrews 10 8 through 10 and The phrase that he uses he says he taketh away the first.

That he may establish the second that's found in Hebrews 10 9. You might ask the question. What is this? That's been taken away and that the second might be established. And what is the second thing that's been established?

Just get them to talk get them to answer. What is it that he takes away? Then said he lo I come to do thy will. O God he taketh away the first that he may establish the second. That which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all that little phrase.

He takes away the first so we see then that the law has been done away with it's been abolished. And it has been taken away all of this language is used. Go into Galatians 4 9 you'll see that it's called beggarly elements now.

You get see do you see how the language gets stronger? Paul was not pulling any punches here because I believe Clarence was telling me that brother MacArthur feels. This is his personal opinion. Maybe right maybe wrong, but he feels that the thorn in Paul's flesh was not some physical malady.

What was perhaps? Having to deal with these Judaizers and the demon hordes that Energize them and teach them the gospel doctrines of demons and Gospels that are not another gospel, but accursed Gospels, and he felt Paul was having to deal with these.

They were Jewish brothers in a sense. But they couldn't see they were Blinded and they began to come at him and attack him and the stripes that Paul had. Paul said very plainly I don't have these stripes because I taught the law.

I've got him because I taught the love of God and he's Judaizers with whipping and. So perhaps that's right. Perhaps it was his thorn in the flesh in the sense. That the demons behind these teachings these legalistic teachings and the people teaching him were his foes.

But he so his language gets very very serious. Look at Galatians 4 9, but now after that ye have known God or rather are known of God. How turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements wherein to you desire again?

To be in bondage you observe days. Months times and years. I'm afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain. Now it's interesting you study Paul's life. You'll find out he was keeping the feast at the same time.

He said this. So, how can he say this and not be contradicting himself or being hypocritical? It's because when he kept the fist feast he saw Jesus. He was not he was not in it for the doing of the thing.

He was in it to see the symbol he saw Jesus in it if he kept the Unleavened bread feast. He saw the purity and holiness of Jesus in that. If he kept the Passover, he saw the Lamb of God. There's nothing wrong with that.

But there's something very wrong when you take it over the line and you begin to say well. Everybody has to do that or you're not right with God and this is what Paul says. Why do you try to get these Gentiles to turn back and why do you yourself turn back to the beggarly elements?

Rather than seeing Jesus Christ in his fullness. And that was the language and the gist of what Paul was getting at. There's there's a couple of others. As the language moves on not only is it a beggarly element?

He says it has vanished away Hebrews chapter 8 verse 13 in that he sayeth a new covenant. He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. All in his lifetime shortly after the death of Christ.

Said the Old Testament system the economy that they used is vanishing away. It is done away because there is a new and living way, which has replaced it. This contrast is seen throughout Paul's Writing Hebrews chapter 10 verse 20 by a new and living way.

Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiness by the blood of Jesus a new and living way that see. That's written to the Hebrews to the Jewish mind. That's why it's called Hebrews the book of Hebrews.

And he's trying to teach these Jews That there is a new and better Living way, which he hath can consecrated for us through the veil. That is to say his flesh. And having a high priest over the house of God.