Waging The Worthy War Part 1
Faithful in Truth  - 1 Timothy 1:3-11

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;

Charge For The Truth

The Orders of the Charge vs 3

Charge means "to give strict orders from a superior officer."  The word is also translated commandment or command in other places, Paul used this word eight times in his two letters to Timothy (1 Tim. 1:3, 5, 18; 4:11; 5:7; 6:13, 17; 2 Tim. 4:1). It was not an accident that he chose this word. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul was telling Timothy, “Yes, you the pastor of the church but you are also a soldier of the Lord, under orders from your captain and King.”

Timothy was charged and was himself to charge those in the church he was pastoring with these 2 specific actions.

Teach No Other Doctrine that the truth that Paul had taught to Timothy, the truth that Paul had received from his own time with the Lord and through the study of God’s Word.

Do Not Heed Fables (myths) and genealogies. There was a tendency among the new Christians to get caught up in peripheral things that led away from the true purpose of their calling and salvation.

The Goal of the Charge

Paul then told Timothy here is the end, the goal of the charge, in vs. 5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.

Paul clearly cuts through the unnecessary, unprofitable and unfruitful by products of the fables and genealogies and points to the ultimate goal of a Christian soldier.

The goal of the Christian soldier is to have three true things. First is charity, agape love our of a true heart. Second is a good conscience and third is genuine faith. A true heart, a true mind and a true faith.
The Truth of the Law

Paul tells Timothy that he must deal with those on the churches who have turned from the true purpose of the Christian life, turned from love, good lives and true faith to “vain jangling.” (Do you need the Greek on that? I didn’t think so.” I did look at some other translations on this word. There was vain discussion, discourse, fruitless discussion. But none of those really hit the spot quite like vain jangling. Like somebody rattling and shaking their car keys, its just a worthless, irritating noise. Yeah I like the word jangling.)

Paul says the point at which these vain janglers trip into their vain jangling is at the point of the law. He says they want to be teacher of the law but they don’t understand what they say or where they make their claims. And what Paul tells to Timothy about the law needs to be emphasized even more today because we still have a lot of vain janglers in our pulpits and pews.

And here is the point about the Law that tripped up those in Paul’s day and is still tripping up people in this day. It is right here in vss 8-9 8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, 1 Timothy 1:8-9

To make sure his point is clear Paul list the people that the Law was created by God to deal with. Paul lists fourteen kinds of people that the law must deal with, “the lawless the disobedient, the ungodly, sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for homosexuals, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. 1 Timothy 1:9-10

Paul says this is the law being used lawfully and that is how it works according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God. The law convicts, condemns, and kills but the glorious Gospel saves, sanctifies and sends to glory. You can’t understand why the Gospel is good news until the law shows you how bad the news for you is. The law and the Gospel are intricately tied together but they must never be mixed or else both will lose their purpose and power.

Warrren Wiersbe said this, “The Law is not Gospel, but the Gospel is not lawless”  
Bible Exposition Commentary - Be Faithful (1 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon).

The Charge To Us

Timothy’s charge is our charge. As he was a Soldier of the Lord so also are we and our marching order are the same,

Teach No Other Doctrine. You need to know the truth as it is given to us from the hand of God, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the confirmation of the Word. Anything else and especially anyone else is false and dangerous.

Don’t Get Sidetracked with Fables or Meaningless Details. Keep the main thing the main thing do it as you share God’s word, teach, preach or live. The main thing is not numerology, genealogies, or the latest religious goofyology. The main thing is the truth of the Gospel.

Understand the Law. One of the most dangerous sidetracks Christians can get detoured to is the misuse of the law. We don’t live our Christian life by the law, we live our life by the a true love, a true mind and a true faith. The Christian soldier isn’t under the direction of the law, else all they can do is condemn. The Christian soldier is under the direction of God’s grace, seen in the power of the Savior love. Let the law do what only it can do, but let grace do what only grace can do. Don’t mix the two or you’ll never be the soldier God has called. Romans 11:6  And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

And most important know that everything should be according to the Glorious Gospel of God. Everything we do is subordinate to the Glorious Gospel of God, everything.