I Timothy 1:8-11 - The Restraint of the Law

I Timothy 1:8-11

8 But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers 10 and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.

Message: The Restraint of the Law

Time: Paul is writing to a young pastor in Timothy. He is writing to Timothy in about AD 63, who is serving the church in Ephesus. He is writing about church leadership and organizing the church. Paul gives practical and pastoral advice. 

What the Lord is Saying:

After spending time in looking at justification by faith alone, it seems natural now to talk about the Law. The antithesis to faith alone salvation is some level of works or obedience to the Law or a law in one's life. The church is tempted often to set up check points or ordinances that must be followed to assure people that they are saved. But in this way we start to become too focused on the works and eventually succumb to the belief that we must prove ourselves worthy to Jesus. And suddenly faith alone is abandoned, but in these lessons I think we need to see the importance still of the Law. 

In civil law it comes down to who is to execute the law. Lawful authorities are given this responsibility and not merely the citizens living under the law. A court must decided someone's fate for murdering another, not an individual. This is being assaulted and contradicted daily in our world as it seems popular opinion or at times, any opinion becomes judge and jury. 

In a similar way to authority, God as our authority needs to be considered. In considering, there is a conclusion of 3 different effects. The first is the use of the law as a restraint. In our text today is the idea the law is for those who are lawless. The point of a text like this one in I Timothy is to compel people to not break the law by describing lawbreakers who are accountable to judgments and consequences by their rebellious acts. Consequences and punishments cause our lives to be detoured and we are clearly a people that do not want to be detoured. 

Sinners or those that are unconverted especially need this written standard. With a desire to do evil. we need to know what it is that will lead to punishment for our evil actions. If we were sinless and unable to sin, we would not need an external code. Obviously it is hoped salvation comes to people, but for life to work for all - the converted and unconverted - we need a standard. The Law is that standard. We need to be constrained by the fruit of our evil urges such as murder, theft, and adultery. 

Promise: God has given us the Law and we should be grateful for this restraint and heed God's law so as to preserve a safe and orderly civil society. 

Prayer: Lord, I am thankful for the Law and the continual reminder that your ways are the best ways. You want to simply protect us and make life the best it can be - even if are lives are not surrendered to you. At least we can show that adherence to your law is the best way. I think you that society believes on core basics but pray that it would me more sweeping in what they define as murder. theft, adultery, and many of the other commandments you have given. Return us O God to living according to your standards. Thank you for those groups that seek to uphold this and help me to reinforce this as well that we need these core standards in our lives. I pray that we would trust our leaders and our leaders would adhered to standards and not give in to personal whims. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.