First Timothy for the life..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. Good evening, everyone, and welcome once again to our Bible studies on Wednesdays. If you have your Bible, would you please open them up to First Timothy?

First Timothy, and as we start this new year with this new series of study, we are going to be going through the first letter of the Apostle Paul to Timothy. And by the will of, by the grace of God, and we hope that by the help of the Holy Spirit, we're going We're going to be going through the whole book, six different chapters, a very practical book. We're going to be going through it. But this evening we're going to be addressing the verses that are contained in the first chapter from verse one to verse seven. So we are going to read that reverently.

Actually, we're going to read this whole chapter from verse one to verse 20. And I want you to pay special attention, as I said, to verses one through verse seven. And then when we reach the end of the chapter, I want you to pay also special attention to verse 18, 19 and 20, which is in the end of the chapter, because this is going to help us to understand what we have in the section that we're going to be addressing this evening. So this is the word of God. This is from the English Standard Version, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus.

By command of God, our Savior and of Christ Jesus, our hope to Timothy, my true child in the faith, grace, mercy and peace from God, the Father and Christ Jesus, our Lord. As I urge you, when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine. nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God, that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from this, have wandered away into vain discussions, desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Now we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank Him who has given me strength. Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointed me to this service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The same is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. to the king of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God. Be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Now, verse 18.

This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. Amen. That's the words of God. Brothers and sisters, this evening we're going to start with a new series of Bible studies. And the purpose of these Bible studies that we're starting in this new year and this new term is to complement, I don't know if that's the word, just to fill up or to add to that which we did last year.

Last year we addressed different topics, trying to answer the question of what a Reformed Baptist Church is. That was a series of different Bible studies addressing the identity of what this church is. That was purely in doctrine and theology, trying to identify from a doctrinal point of view, from a theological point of view, what the church identity is. What are the beliefs that the Church holds to generally? And what is in general the Reformed Baptist tradition?

And to the best of our ability and according to our limited understanding, what we taught you are those distinctives that belong to the Reformed Baptist tradition as he's been known historically. from the 17th century, primarily outlining in historical documents such as the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 and probably some other catechism, Reformed Baptist catechisms. The purpose of all of those Bible studies was to give you an overview of what the Church holds to and what the identity of the Church is. But now what we want to do once the doctrinal or the theological foundation has been given or has been put at the table and even is being recorded by the providence of God and the means that he has given us, once that theological or doctrinal foundation has been given, we see and we think that it pertains or it is good for the church that we will address now those things that are practical for the life of the church, that which pertains to the life and to the practice of the local body of the church, not to the universal church as such, but as Reformed Baptists, rather to the local body of the church. And following a little bit the pattern of the Old Testament, when the apostles will come and then just will provide a body of theology in the first section of a book, and then they will move into the practical aspect of that doctrinal statement that they have provided to the church.

Following a similar framework, we are doing the same. We have provided already some of the framework that is theological and doctrinal in foundation. And now we are going to move into those things that are practical for the life of the church. And we've decided that the first letter of Paul written to Timothy is a huge and very good example of how that doctrine can be applied to the life of the Church. is the Apostle Paul writing to his main disciple Timothy about things that pertain the life of the Church.

And it's very interesting because the Apostle Paul, in many letters, he will provide, as I said, a doctrinal, a foundational introduction, like, let's say, Ephesians that has six different chapters. He will provide three chapters of pure theology and doctrine, and then in chapter four, five, and six, he will go into the practical aspect. But this book, that we have in front of us, the first letter of Timothy, is rather a very practical book. From the very beginning of the book, Paul is going to introduce himself and he's going to get into practical matters of the church. And probably it's because the Apostle Paul is writing to his main disciple, Timothy, the man who has been with him for a long time and who has learned from him many things.

So there's no need for the Apostle to provide all of this theological foundation, all of this doctrinal foundation, but rather he starts addressing practical matters of the church. This is a book that was written by the Apostle probably 30 years after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as I said, and I gave you the example with first Peter, when we're doing it on the Sundays, that it was written probably 30 years after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. So when the Lord Jesus Christ was ascended, probably 30 or 32 years after that, the apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy and he calls him a true child in the faith. That's what we have there in verse two.

He says, my true child in the faith. is speaking of this very close relationship of the Apostle Paul with Timothy. Now, Paul probably was at that church at Ephesus where Timothy was, and then probably he was just taking care of some things and then he left. And then the first charge that the Apostle is going to give to Timothy is that he remains at Ephesus because there are some things that need to be looked after, that need to be put in place. So, brothers and sisters, the letter, the book that we have in front of our first Timothy is a very practical book that is going to address things that happen within the life of the church, false prophets, false doctrine, what a true teacher is.

things within the life of the church pertaining prayer or pertaining how the church should be organized or practical disciplines within the life of the church. So this book is a perfect framework that the Holy Spirit has given us as individual children of God, each one of us, for us to see how the church should operate. Now, the apostle is going to give a different amount of charges or he's going to give a different number of instructions to Timothy. But the first one that he's going to give is one that is very important and it's related, beloved, it's related to false doctrine. The first thing that the apostle is going to address and is going to speak to Timothy, it is false doctrine.

So I want us to read again from verse 1 to verse 7, and I want you to pay careful attention to how the apostle is going to develop this argument here, and taking and having in mind that what we are going to be addressing tonight is the nature of false doctrine. Because as I said, this is a very practical letter, and that which the apostle decides to address first is false doctrine. So he says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, he introduces himself as an apostle, not that Timothy needed the credentials of Paul, because Timothy knew that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ. But probably this letter, he knew that this letter was going to be read in the church. So he introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

And then he says, by the command of God, our savior and Christ Jesus, our hope. to Timothy, who is the first recipient of the church. My true child in the faith is speaking of this relationship between Paul and Timothy. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. This is his introduction.

But now pay attention to this ecclesiastical charge that Paul is going to give to Timothy. As I urge you, Timothy, when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus, so that you may charge certain persons," and this is a very important word, he's going to repeat that, certain persons or certain people, not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves, those certain persons, to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God, that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from this, have wandered away into vain discussions, desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. As I said, beloved, Paul did not need to introduce himself as an apostle to Timothy.

Timothy knew that he had apostolic authority and everything that was coming from the hand of the apostle Paul carried Holy Spirit authority. But he knows that Timothy, as a leader of this church, is going to bring this letter of the apostle and is going to communicate this letter to the people within the church. So he presents himself as the apostle. And now he is going to call him a true child in the faith. Speaking of this very close relationship that they had, he was a young man and Paul was an older man rather here.

And the first charge that he's going to give is about false doctrine. But now pay attention to what the charge that the apostle gives to Timothy is that he might exhort certain people within the church not to teach other doctrine. And then he says, and that they might not devote themselves to silly or to vain things. The charge that the apostle gives to Timothy is that exhorts certain people not to teach other doctrine. And then he says that they may not devote to silly things.

One would think that if we are speaking of false teachers, that if we are speaking of false doctrine, rather the charge that the apostle will give to Timothy is remove those people from the church. take those people away from the church. If those are false teachers, remove those people from the midst of the church, because these are causing destruction in the midst of the people of God and the doctrines that they are bringing undistracted for the souls of people. But rather, the charge that the apostle gives to Timothy is a charge which I think initially is a charge of grace. He says, exhort these people that they might not teach other doctrine, he calls it first, and then that they might not devote themselves to these silly practices.

Now, this is very important, beloved, because the apostle is making a distinction between doctrine and other doctrine. And he calls these people within the church that they are teaching other doctrine. So it's very important for the church to know the doctrine that should be preached and should be taught in the midst of the church. The Apostle Paul will tell us in Ephesians chapter two that the church of Christ is built upon Christ as the cornerstone and upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. So it's Christ, the cornerstone, the apostles and the prophets.

And upon those foundations, the church is built up. Now, it is not about the apostles and the prophets as human beings, but rather the truth that God has revealed to us through his son, through the service and through the ministry of the apostles and through the prophets. So the doctrine that the apostles calls us to compare the doctrine that is taught in the church to is apostolic doctrine is apostolic teaching very early in the life of the church. The church was fighting false prophets. Jude will say that we are called to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

That we are to contend earnestly, earnestly for the faith. This is the body of faith. This is the structure of faith that was given to the saints, that we are content earnestly for that faith, to protect that faith. And this is the first century. In the first century, the false doctrine was being introduced already into the church.

Now, beloved brothers and sisters, when you go through the New Testament, one would expect that those churches that were formed and were established after the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ will have everything in place, that they will work and operate in a very good way. They were taught by the apostles themselves. They had the apostles coming and visit them and teaching them many things. But when you go through the letters of the New Testament, you will find that the churches were going through many difficulties and trials and problems, and the apostles would write to the saints to put things in place. These are churches that were fighting the war against that which is spiritual.

Our battle is not in the flesh, but it is spiritual. And because it's a spiritual battle and it's a spiritual war, that started from the moment that redemption started. And for the organized church as institution, for the moment that the Lord says it is finished. The devil started to attack the life of the church. So then the apostle is going to tell us here something very important, that we are to identify this other doctrine that was taught in the middle or in the midst of this church.

Now, the reason why I think, beloved, that this is rather a gracious This is a gracious charge that Paul is given to Timothy is because in verse 18, 19 and 20, we see the consequences of false teachers with unrepentant heart who continue doing that and who do not pay attention to the exhortation that is given to them. The Apostle Paul in verses 18, 19, and 20, he's going to give us the story or he's going to give us the narration of the situation or what happened and the circumstance that happened with Hymenaeus, and I hope that that's how it is pronounced, and Alexander. These two guys, if you read it in verse 18, it says, This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by then you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, a good conscience, by rejecting the good conscience, some have made shipwreck of their faith. So he calls Timothy, who is a true prophet, who is a true teacher.

He calls him to hold his faith, to hold in the faith, and a good conscience. And these other men, by rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme. And then this vocabulary is very strong vocabulary in which the Lord says these two people. They have made shipwreck of their faith. And I, with the apostolic authority that I have, I had handed them over to Satan.

This is vocabulary that speaks of removing them from the church, from excommunicating them from the church, for taking them out of the church, handing them to the world, to the power of Satan. Similar vocabulary is used in first Corinthians five of removing that person from the midst of the church. These were false teachers who were teaching this other doctrine that they rejected by rejecting their conscience. They were removed by the apostolic authority. So it seems, brothers and sisters, that Paul was already in the midst of this church and he was taking care of these things that people were teaching different doctrine and that he was taking these people out.

But then he left and then he leaves Timothy and he says, now I exhort you. that you may charge these people not to teach other doctrine and not to devote themselves to these silly things, to myths or fables, some other translations would say, or endless genealogies. But the important thing of this section that we have here, beloved, rather than the charge, rather than the charge of exhorting these people not to do those things, is that the apostle is going to give us insight in the nature of false doctrine. Because if you think about it, false doctrine is an external manifestation of an internal reality. It's not that false doctrine goes into the church out of nowhere.

It's not that a person is start teaching false doctrine or other doctrine or doctrine that is contrary to the doctrine that has been given to us by the apostles and by the prophets out of nowhere. This corresponds to something. And the apostle is going to give us, in the verses that follow, insight in the nature, in the inner part of false teaching, of false doctrine. And therefore, this becomes vital for the life of the Church, not only for the Church here, but for us as individuals who are part of the Church of Jesus Christ. Because we are going to see in these verses the nature or the substance, the heart of false doctrine.

So, the Apostle will say, as I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus, so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, or not to teach other doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies which promote the things that they were doing, speculations, rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith, or rather than the order of God that is in the faith, or rather than the godly edification that it is of God in faith. The aim of our charge, this is the purpose of this which I am commanding you, Timothy, the purpose of this instruction that has been given to you, It's love. Now remember that Timothy is a true prophet. He is a true teacher. So he says, the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

So Timothy, my disciple, my beloved true child in the faith, the purpose of this, which I'm telling you right now, is love. a love that is rooted, that is issued in a good conscience, in a pure heart, in sincere faith. So he's connecting love with a conscience, with a heart and with faith. And then he's going to say something very important. Certain persons who are these certain persons, the certain persons that were teaching other doctrines, The certain persons that were devoting themselves to myths, the certain persons that were devoting themselves to endless genealogies, the certain persons that were teaching doctrine that was different to the apostolic doctrine, certain persons by swerving from this.

And that was a new word for me, swerving. It means going away or deviating. certain persons by swerving from this, by deviating from this. And then he gives the this in plural. You have this thing and these things.

He gives the plural referring to the things that he has just mentioned before that were the aim for the true prophet, for the true teacher. These people, having deviated from these things, from a love, from a good conscience, from a pure heart, from a sincere faith, having deviated from this, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertion. The puzzle is given us in the middle of this section here, the substance and the origin of the source of these other doctrines that were taught in the midst of the church. These vain discussions, these endless genealogies, these fables or these myths that were these people devoted to. Now, beloved, how would i explain this how would i present this to you this substance the heart of false doctrine is when a person deviates himself from the love of god so that person deviates himself from the love of god to the love to self changes the love of god through biblical love Loving God changed that to love to self.

And in doing so, in changing love to God to love to self, that person becomes enslaved to the desires of his being and ends up doing things that the Bible calls vain. vain practices, vain outcomes, vain teachings, empty teachings. But this is a process. It is a deviation from the love of God to love to self. And that love to self is expressed in the desires and then in the actions.

The apostle says here that these people desire to be teachers of the law. The verse seven says these people desire to be teachers of the law. Then in chapter three, the apostle will say that desiring to be a pastor or desiring to be a bishop or decide to be an elder is a good thing. But he says that these people who are teaching false doctrine, that they desire to be teachers of the law. The difference is that these people desire the law over the God of the law.

They do not desire God anymore. They are very good with the law and with the commandments that are found in the book and with the law of Moses and with the doctrine and with theology and with intellectual assertions. They are very good with that. And they truly desire those things. But their heart is apart from God.

This is very important because many times the Bible speaks of the character of a pastor of an elder or a false pastor or a false elder. And actually what the Bible does is speaking of the character of every Christian, just simply recognizing a particular way for a particular role. But these people change the love to God for the love to self. And in changing that love to selves or for themselves, they decide to be teachers of the law. And I love what he says next, because he says that they do not understand the things that they say, nor the things that they affirm.

that desiring this law, these people lack understanding of the things that they are saying and the things that they are affirming. Because, beloved, the illumination and the understanding of the things of God is not a thing that happens through human effort. It's not something that happens with the strength of men. It's not something that happens with the intellect of men. It is not enough to desire to be a teacher of the law in order to understand the things of the law.

Because the secret things of God are according to the Spirit of God. And it's the Spirit of God that illuminates those things to the spirit of man. So then the spiritual will discern the things according to that which is spiritual. The law of God is discerned, that is given to a person by the same God of the law. These people did not understand the things that they were saying, lest the things that they were affirming, or the assertions that they were affirming, they lacked of this God-given, Spirit-given, Spirit-empowered illumination, understanding all of these things.

That's why the role of a teacher in the church is foundational, beloved, because it's not an exercise in which a person goes and opens a book of what someone said about this portion of scripture and then presents it to the others. It is a spiritual exercise. in which God speaks to a person through his word. And then God, through his spirit, uses that person to speak to the church, because men cannot speak to the heart of men. Only God can speak to the God of men.

Just as your salvation happened when the gospel was proclaimed was not for the clarity of the words of the person who shared the gospel with you, but rather was by the power of the spirit in those words. that despite the person who shared the gospel with you, open your eyes and your heart to see Jesus Christ and him crucified. That was your salvation, your edification in the faith, your understanding of your faith, your sanctification happened through the same means. This is the spiritual. These people desire to be teachers of the law.

They did not have the understanding of the things that they were saying with their mouths, nor the convictions that they have. And therefore, they ended up doing with all of these vain practices, empty practices, because they turned their eyes from God to themselves. So now what they wanted to do to decide to be a teachers of the law, they wanted to put themselves in display before the church. And they started to discuss traditions of men, making traditions of men, the commandments of God, making the things of men, the things of God, putting things putting names of God to things of men. So they started to discuss myths and fables and genealogies.

Empty, silly things. And then the apostle says that these things are not for the stewardship of the things of God that these are contrary. These things, what they promote is speculations. They promote questions. They promote doubt within the church.

They promote uncertainties. But those things that are of God, those things that are not other doctrine, but the doctrine that has been given to the church through Christ, the cornerstone and the apostles and the prophets, that doctrine, which is communicated through the church by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, is the doctrine that edifies, that puts things in place, that organizes the church and that makes the church to grow and to be edified. The apostle brings this charge to Timothy in a very serious way. Exhort, beloved. He says, exhort these people not to teach this other doctrine.

because everything that comes into our ears has an effect. Every doctrine that we receive has an effect. And Paul knew that this was the reality in this particular church, deviating from the love to God, to love, to self. And this love to self will produce a slavery of their actions towards things. The apostle compares here, the true prophet or the true teacher against this one that is a false prophet or a false teacher.

And he says to the true teacher or to the true prophet that the purpose of his exhortation is a heart that is pure or rather a love that is issued from a heart that is pure, from a conscience that is good and from a faith that is sincere. When we read the case of Hymenaeus or Alexander, when they were excommunicated or when they were removed from the church by the authority of the Apostle Paul, he says that they made shipwreck of their faith, that they rejected their good conscience, that they rejected those things and they made shipwreck of their faith. And for that reason, they were excommunicated of the church. The good prophet or the good teacher or the true teacher or the true prophet is a person who, by the grace of God, holds to the love of God, not to the love to self. And this is very important because he says desiring to be teachers of the law.

How then would the true preacher or the true prophet be a teacher of the law? by loving God, because love God with all your mind, your strength and your soul and loving your neighbor as yourself is the substance of the law. And all the commandments of God come from loving God as loving God with all our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves. This is why he compares. And he's even actually after this going to speak about the use, the good use of the law.

Because he's not removing the law from the church. He's rather saying these people desire to be teachers of the law. But if their heart is not in the place where it should be, they will never be teachers of the law of God. They will never desire really or truly the things of God. It is only by the work of the Holy Spirit that empowers the stewards of God, the servants of God.

We cannot have a pure heart. We cannot have a good conscience in and of ourselves. Even our faith has to be sustained by the mercy of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet he says that the exhortation of Paul to Timothy is that he may have a love that is rooted and that is issued in a pure heart in a good conscience, in a sincere faith, opposite and different to those who were false prophets and removed from the congregation. In a different place, the Apostle Paul is going to speak about this very important role of the conscience in the life of the stewards or the ministries.

And I want to read with you that passage because I always come back to that. It's found in 1 Corinthians chapter 4. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, you might remember the first book of Corinthians, as we said initially when we started, you know, like the apostles write to these churches that are going through difficulties and different situations. Well, the church of Corinth was one of those churches that was going through difficulties and different things. And then in chapter 3, the apostle is going to address how God providentially uses his servants to minister to the church, the stewards, he calls them, or the servants of Christ.

And now he's going to say something very important here in chapter four, in verse one. Pay attention to this. He says, now, remember that we are in light or our minds, I hope that are in the framework of false teachers, false doctrine and true teachers, true doctrine. He says, this is how one should regards us. as servants of Christ.

He was speaking of Apollos, of Paul, as servants of Christ, as pastors, as leaders, as elders, as stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards, that's elders or that's them, that they be found faithful. But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. Meditate on that. The apostle is saying this to the church.

This is he saying this to the church. He says, it is very small thing or rather is very little thing that I should be judged by you. And this is the church. This is very little thing that I might be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.

For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. Acquitted. Now he says. For I am not aware of anything against myself." This speaks of the clean conscience that the apostle had, that everything that he had done was done in light of his love to God.

So he could say of himself that he had a clean conscience, that he had a good conscience, that no one would come to judge him. But then he says, it is the Lord who judges me. You don't judge me. People do not judge me. Not even me.

I judge myself. It is God who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Beloved, when we're going to continue with this passage, but when Paul exhorts Timothy, to contend earnestly for their faith by the charge of telling these people, do not teach other doctrine, do not devote themselves. Imagine that.

They were so into themselves that not only they decided to be teachers of the law, but that desire moved them to devote themselves. It moved their passions in such a way that everything that they do, it was to devote themselves. But then the apostles gives this charge to him with the intention to protect and to purify the church. is the Lord, the one that will bring to light the secret intentions of the heart, either in time or when the final time comes. But the Lord, in purifying his church, uses the church herself and the people within the church and the sword of his word to bring to light the secret things of men.

Men cannot hide in their hearts what they have. God is going to bring it to light. And this is a mercy for that man or for that woman and for the church. But he continues, I have applied. Please pay attention to this.

Verse six, I have applied. And please memorize this, because this is speaking to the church. I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos. Remember that he's talking of servants, of pastors, of elders. I have applied all of these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers.

And this is it, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, not to go what is written. He says, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit. It is your benefit that I do not do things that go beyond of what is written. It is for the benefit of the church, that everything that they would do, it is according to what God has given in his written word, that no one of you might be puffed up in favor of one against another, because when the servants of God submit themselves entirely to the word of God, not in the external doing, but in the secret place of the heart, they end up being simply that servants of God. And this is a benefit for the church.

False prophets, those who were teaching false doctrine, they deviated from the love of God to the love of self. and loving themselves, they desire to be teachers of the law. It's nice to have an audience. It's nice to have people listening to you. It's nice to have people coming to ask you questions and giving in the flesh and giving answers in the flesh.

That's appealing for the flesh of a man. It's appealing for the character of any man to do those things apart of the Holy Spirit. That's why they were desiring to be teachers of the law. And they were teaching things in the midst of the church. And they were pushing doctrines in the midst of the church.

Because they were their doctrines. That was their kingdom. That was their building. That was their intention. That was their thing.

That was not the thing of Christ. They deviated from the love of God, which is the substance of the law and which is the substance of obedience. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. No, you keep my commandments if you love me. But if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Love is the substance of the faith and a faith that obeys. It's not all the way around. It's love towards Christ. It's love towards our God that empowers the faith that we have. And that faith then becomes an obedient faith.

But it is love towards him. It is a heart issue. It is a heart matter. So that's why the church and every individual has to pay attention to their own hearts, to her heart, to his heart. because it's easy to put my eyes outside, but not inside.

And the best thing for the safety of the church is that the heart, not only of those who call themselves to be teachers or preachers, that is a constant, it is a constant, it's an ongoing, it's a non-stopping, labor and endeavor to check my words, my heart, my intentions, my time with the Lord, my efforts in the Lord, my life for the Lord. Because apart from loving him, we have only another option, which is loving ourselves. And in loving ourselves, we end up doing things that are not for the edification of the church. Now, the church is the church of Jesus Christ. It's not the church of men.

And because it's the church of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ will edify and will build up the church, will purify the church, will bring maturity to the church. But it is also the endeavor or the mission of the church to know that faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, to understand those principles that have been given to us through the ministry of the apostles and the prophets, to put those things in our minds and also in our hearts and to test everything in our personal lives and in the life to the church compared to scripture. Why? Because we are called not to do beyond of what is written. not to do anything beyond of what is written.

The Word of God is sufficient to fill the heart of every man with that which is needed for the service of the church, desiring to be teachers of the law, not knowing what they say, not the things that they affirm. that the Lord might give us grace, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 119, that we will know more than our teachers, more than the ancients, because we love thy law, because we keep thy law, because we love the Lord. It is in loving the Lord that the Spirit ministers to the church through His servants in a heart issue, in something that goes inside of us, something that we cannot hide, something that we cannot keep, something that we cannot disguise or manipulate. Eventually, the Lord will purify the church and eventually the Lord will purify us. These disciplines, as we were speaking with the brother the other day, all of these disciplines are sometimes a grace for the person who is disciplined.

because these disciplines show to the person the shortcomings of their sins. And it's best for a person to go through the pain and through the sorrow of knowing how sinful I am than living a life blinded to those shortcomings and those sins. It is better to go through those things because the Lord is gracious and He is good always to forgive, to accept, and to restore the way that He has started the work in us. Amen?