As 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 not to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work; which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincerely faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. “1st. Timothy 1:3-7

I would suppose I am putting myself on the line, so to speak by even writing about this.  I must admit that as I have studied the Bible all my life some of it is still a mystery to me.

My Lord gives me comfort by giving me the assurance that as I need the information it will come.

What Paul was writing about is something that is still done today.  We have actually accomplished a division among those who believe in Jesus Christ by setting up boundaries based on which day of the week we should call the Sabbath, how we go about baptism and whether or not we are even worthy to take communion.  I won’t try to address these differences because I believe they have been addressed. 

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus the scripture you just read above.  He goes on to say this.  The law is good if we use it properly but he continues to explain that the law was not made for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and he goes on and on.

Paul goes on in 1^st. Timothy 1:12-17 to say, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.  Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.  The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Jesus once said those who live by the law shall die by the law.  Those who live by the grace of God will obtain grace.  The truth is this.  We have all failed at one point or another in our lives.  If we were bound by the law there would be no man saved.

If we live by grace it is not the law that we thank but the wonderful grace of God which leads us to follow after his ways.  If we fall on our face and forget even for a moment the law would be our accuser.  The grace of God through Christ is our salvation.  He will forgive us but we must accept that forgiveness freely and if we do we will also show forgiveness to others.

It is for this reason that I do not judge those who have different ideas of who God is or what God is.  I simply realize that God will show them if they are wrong about any point.

For that matter he will show me where I have allowed myself to be led astray.  Forgiveness is the seed of the Holy Spirit.  Plant it; nourish it; and help it grow.

God Bless you one and all,

Lew