Purpose of the commandment

Life as the Church - 1Timothy  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  1:03:25
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Keeping the commandment

Jesus said “if you love Me, keep My commandments.” Commandment keeping is not a popular subject and not a popular or even easy application. Today we are looking at keeping the commandment, not commandments, but commandment as given to Timothy by Paul.
How do you look at commandment keeping?
Is it something that is second nature, does it take concerted effort? Is it something that you do, or something that God empowers in you?
If we are honest many have a hard time in keeping any kind of commandment, it was the commandments that showed us we were sinners and we need a way out of our sin.
But what about commandments (rules, regulations) you were given in your life, like when growing up, or in school, work, marriage.
Yet as Christians we are called to keep the commandment of God, and today we are looking at the purpose of the commandment and how to do it (apply).
1 Timothy 1:5 NASB95
5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Hold on I need to park on this verse just for a minute, for in other versions you can see the The aim, the purpose of the instruction, commandment, charge, order is . . .
So, what is the goal, the purpose, the aim of any commandment from God?
Is it only to urge, encourage, prod one to blind obedience?
Or do you think there is a a noble, honest, upright purpose behind the commands?
This morning we are looking, focusing on one verse 1Tim1:5, here look at one of the other versions then we will get into looking at, exampling what Paul reveals about the purpose of the commandment.
1 Timothy 1:5 NLT
5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

The Purpose, aim, goal is to produce love

You were born with a purpose, love God and love others. God gives us what we need to do both, but we need to take the instructions, the charge, the order, and put it into action, to accomplish the goal of producing love.
OK, we were also created to worship God, to fellowship God and to serve others by love, but that is not our focus today, but just wanted to throw that reminder out there.
The purpose is not . . .
Just to know the word
Studying, discussing it, debating it, defending it is good.
We hear it, share it, converse about it in bible classes, bible studies and in the assembly
It cannot stop there, the purpose is for application (keeping the command)
If no application it will fail to meet and fulfill the purpose, the aim, the goal, to produce love
People that do this offer vain worship, their religion is vain and is not the pure religion.
To have vain religion as James notes (Jm1:22-27)
James 1:22–23 NASB95
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
James 1:24–25 NASB95
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:26–27 NASB95
26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Commentator, writer, theologian Alexander MacLaren once said
“The purpose of all revelation and the test of all religion is character and conduct.”
The purpose is . . .
To produce love (1Tim1:5)
1 Timothy 1:5 GNB
5 The purpose of this order is to arouse the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a genuine faith.
Love for God (Jn14:15, 21) and man (Mt22:35-40; 1Jn5:1-3)
Matthew 25:35–36 NASB95
35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
Matthew 25:37–38 NASB95
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
Matthew 25:39–40 NASB95
39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
This love for God go beyond the adoration, beyond the praise, beyond the devotion to God.
John 14:15 NASB95
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
and then
John 14:21 NASB95
21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
True love for God is realized, comprehended when we keep His commands
1 John 5:1–2 NASB95
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.
1 John 5:3 NASB95
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
(transition) so the goal, the aim of any command of God is love, not just any love, but love that springs, comes from a good source.

Love from. . .

That source is a pure heart, a good (clear) conscience and a sincere faith.
From a pure heart (1Pt1:22-23; Mt5:8)
It is always good to turn to the scripture, so let’s look at
1 Peter 1:22–23 NASB95
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
Pure heart, purified heart/souls for a sincere love, a fervent love for one another since you heart has been cleansed, and you have been born again through the living and enduring word of God!
You have your souls purified by obeying the truth, the gospel, if not then you are not:
A heart without impurities (Gal5:19-21, Col3:5-7)
Galatians 5:19–20 NASB95
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
Galatians 5:21 NASB95
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
and add to that painful list
Colossians 3:5–6 NASB95
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,
Colossians 3:7 NASB95
7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
Unless we have been purified we will be plagued by our spiritual impurities and will be unable to love God and man as we should.
From a good (clear) conscience (Act23:1, 26:9-11; Rom3:23, 2:14-15; 1Tim4:1-2; Heb9:9-10, 14)
Conscience is defined as “That process of thought which distinguishes what is considers morally good or bad, commending the good, condemning the bad, and so prompting to do the former, and to avoid the latter.” - Vines
Good conscience needs to be properly set (like a clock, like GPS)
If not properly set it can lead us astray.
Paul lived with a clear conscience as noted (Act23:1; 26:9-11)
Good conscience needs to be set according to God’s standard
A good conscience must be properly cleansed
Properly cleansed because God says so (Rom3:23; quote it)
In fact, even our own conscience does.
Romans 2:14–15 NASB95
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, 15 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,
Any who deny this, that God says so, that our own conscience says so have rejected or seared their conscience.
1 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,
So, what can cleanse, properly cleanse our conscience?
Not any Old Testaments sacrifice or worship.
Hebrews 9:9–10 NASB95
9 which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, 10 since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.
It is the very blood of Christ that does it.
Hebrews 9:14 NASB95
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Only a conscience that has been properly cleansed from dead works can then we, love God and love men. Love God and Man with a pure heart and a good conscience (1Tim1:5).
(Transition) - From a pure heart, from a pure conscience now onto a sincere faith.
From a sincere faith (1Tim1:5)
1 Timothy 1:5 NRSV
5 But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.
A faith without hypocrisy (Rom12:9) a faith that is genuine (2Tim1:5)
Romans 12:9 NLT
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
In other words, without hypocrisy. Genuine love, genuine faith
2 Timothy 1:5 NKJV
5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.
Faith that only comes from the word of God (Rom10:17; Jn20:30-31)
We know where faith comes from (quote ROm10:17)
The reason for the word we see that brings faith, brings belief
John 20:30–31 NASB95
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
Faith is a pretty big concept, a necessary concept, some interrelated concepts at that.
A strong conviction in that which is believed.
A strong trust in the object of that belief.
And when linked with a sincere faith it would be.
A true, honest to God, conviction
A true-hearted trust in God and in Jesus.
This sincere, unfeigned,d genuine, real, true, honest, authentic faith is what pleases God, for without it, well it is impossible to please God according to Heb11:6
(Insert Consider this PowerPoint here)
Do you understand the purpose, the goal, the aim of the command?
Do you have pure and undefiled religion, or is it words of faith but no acts of faith?
Does you faith, your religion please God and is expressed in keeping the commands? Is it a working of faith through love?
Galatians 5:6 GNB
6 For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.
This faith working through love comes from a pure heart, from a good conscience and from a sincere faith as we have looked at in our verse this morning.
That is the goal of every command God gives, including and not limited to His command, His plan, His way for salvation and from salvation to sanctification and onto glorification.
(Invitation slide: create in me a clean heart-Ps51:10)
Are you willing to allow God to create in you a clean heart, give you a steadfast spirit? to have a clear, good, cleansed heart from sincere faith.
(Expand, invite) (song) (Prayer)
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