Right off the bat, Paul’s first letter to Timothy reminds us that the Lord Jesus Christ is our HOPE! (1 Tim 1:1)

And He is, you know.

And the more we know Him through His Word, the more we will experience hope in our hardest of our moments.

So let’s don’t approach 1st Timothy, to simply grow in religious knowledge. It’s so much more than that!

It’s our opportunity to grow closer to the One we can trust more than what our eyes can see, what our minds may worry about, and even more than we trust ourselves.

As we take in truth from the Word, we can use it to daily refute the flimsy, false teachings of this world that come at us all day, every day!

Paul uses strong words as he charges his young disciple, Timothy, to teach no other doctrine but SOUND doctrine. (1Tim 1:3)

“Doctrine” sounds like something only theologians say, but all of us are being taught doctrine, all the time, whether we realize it or not.

Doctrine means “a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group”.(Oxford Language Dictionary)

Sound teachers teach sound doctrine.
False teachers teach false doctrine.

And false teachers are a threat to all of us.

Paul charges Timothy (and us) to keep on living and teaching sound doctrine because it is vital to truly loving others!

YES!
LOVING
them!!

Paul says the “The aim of our charge“ (to teach sound doctrine) “ is LOVE that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim‬ ‭1:5‬, ESV)

Sound doctrine will help us live victoriously.

God’s Word—including the law, is good and is to be used to help the ungodly and sinners be aware of their sinfulness and the devastation it can bring (1 Timothy 1:8-11).

In Romans, Paul tells us, “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” (Rom 7:7)

Though the world would have us believe otherwise, the more we call wrong, “right”, the less those caught up in sin will see their need for Christ. We may think we are loving them, but if we never talk to them about the things that are contrary to sound doctrine (1 Tim 1:10), we may be “loving“ them all the way to Hell.

Let’s take those words Paul penned to our hearts.

Let’s remember, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:17-19)

Let’s be more determined than ever to study the Word of God, so we can not only test everything with sound doctrine and hold onto the good, but also so we can help others to do the same.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.”(Psalm 19:7-9)

1stTimothy