1 Timothy 1:3-7

3As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you
may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote
themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies
rather than God’s work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love,
which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some
have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to
be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what
they so confidently affirm.

Meditation:
1. In his letters Paul often emphasized the importance of teaching “sound
doctrine” as well as guarding against those who teach “false doctrines.”
Paul noted that teaching sound doctrine produces a distinctive lifestyle
characterized by love, “which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience
and a sincere faith” (v5).
2. God’s truth has the power to stimulate faith, to cleanse the conscience, and
purify the heart, because God’s truth is in fact, the Truth—Jesus (John 14:6).
A person touched by Truth will become a loving, caring individual.  We are
not to fight for God’s Truth.  We are to open our hearts to the Truth, and let
Him transform us.
3. Stay quiet before God and consider the following:
• Does my love come from a pure heart? Or has it been contaminated
by self-centeredness?  Ask God to help remove the selfishness in my life.
• Is my love real, and from a good conscience, not fake? Ask for courage
to be authentic with God, others and myself.
• Does my life and love demonstrate a sincere faith in God? Or is it
closed off, or resistant to God and His purposes?  Ask God to give me
the willingness to be more open to his purposes, even if doing so feels
uncertain and scary.
4. Am I willing to live and love selflessly, authentically, and openly today?