Breaking the Law

1 Timothy 1-Part 5
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1 Timothy 1:8


LET IT GLOW

I am glad that our nation has laws, aren't you? They protect us and others, as well as give us guidelines by which to live. I must admit, there have been times in my life that I have broken the speed limit laws. Mostly it happened whenever I was in a hurry or late for work, an appointment, or such. Are you with me? Laws should keep us doing what is right for our society. (However, some I don't agree with-abortion and homosexual marriages are legal in our states/nation.) In verse 8, Paul is talking about the laws that God set up for people to follow. When He established laws, God knew that mankind would break them and not be able to keep them all, so He provided a remedy for us-a Savior.

"The law is good and meant to be used even today, but it must be used for its intended purpose, 'that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,' (Romans 3:19), so that man turns toward Christ for righteousness (Romans 10:1-4)," states Liberty Bible Commentary.

We are all sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. He has provided all that we need in order to to be right before God. The purpose of the law is to show us that we sin and fall short of obeying God's laws. The only perfect one is Christ.

Paul wrote to the church in Galatians 2:16a says, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ; Galatians 3:24-26 says, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

So the law of God is a good thing. Not only does it show us our sinfulness, but the Ten Commandments given to Moses is a good standard by which we can strive to live.
What are my standards based upon?

LET IT GROW

Verses 9-11 say this: 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 of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there abe any other thing that is contrary to sould doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

Paul listed 14 kinds of people who were condemned by the law in these verses. Who are they?

• lawless
• disobedient (rebellious)
• ungodly
• sinners
• unholy
• profane
• murderers of fathers
• murderers of mothers
• manslayers
• whoremongers (immoral)
• defilers with mankind (homosexuals)
• menstealers  (kidnappers)
• liars
• perjured persons

[Words found in the NAS are in parentheses.]

Warren W. Wiersbe, in his book Be Faithful, a study on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, said this:

The lawful use of the law is to expose, restrain, and convict the lawless. The law cannot save lost sinners; it can only reveal their need for a Savior. When a sinner believes on Jesus Christ, he is freed from the curse of the law (Gal.3:10-14), and the righteous demands of the law are met by the indwelling Holy Spirit as a believer yields to God (Rom. 8:1-4). Paul centered particularly on fiev of the Ten commandments in Exodus 20-umbers 5-9. It is the "glorious gospel" that saves lost sinners. Law and gospel go together, for the law without the gospel is diagnosis without remedy, abut the gospel without law is only the good news of salvation for people who don't believe they need it because they have never heard the bad news of judgment. The law is not gospel, but the gospel is not lawless (Rom.3:20-31).

I'm glad that we have the Holy Spirit and the grace of God because I can't keep all ten of those commands daily, much less until I die.
Grace, grace, God's grace. How wonderful and matchless!

LET IT GO

Live by faith and under grace.

Keep the Ten Commandments for a guide for me to live by.

Point others to Jesus.