Chapter one, I mean. We'll get to chapter three eventually, but not tonight. First Timothy one. I'm going to begin reading in verse three. So that must be why three was on my mind.

So we're going to focus on verses seven through 17 this evening, but to catch back up, let's begin at verse three to get the context. First Timothy one and verse three. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went to Macedonia, the thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith, so do. 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 into vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm.

But we know that the law is good if man use it lawfully. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for man stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the ministry, who was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. Albeit for this cause, I obtain mercy that in me first, Jesus might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which hereafter would believe on him to life everlasting. Now, unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. So Paul is writing this letter to Timothy, to give him advice and instruction and guidance in pastoring the church at Ephesus.

He writes at the very beginning saying, Timothy, I left you there that you might as charge, that you might command others not to preach any other any other gospel. That you might not give heed to fables and English genealogies, be caught up in these false teachings and in these distractions that others bring, but that you might stick with the gospel of Jesus Christ with the word of God and the gospel which teaches us to love one another. Paul wrote in Galatians one six through nine. We looked at this last week. I marvel that ye are so soon removed, he wrote to the churches in Galatia, from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel, which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. That's very strong language. It means let him be set aside for destruction. That's what the word accursed, there means. So very strong language from Paul.

The grace of God is the key to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Titus three five. And so there were those that were teaching that you weren't saved by grace alone, but you were also saved by what? By works.

Okay? Grace was not enough. Works was required. The works particularly what works? The works of the law of Moses.

They were teaching that the Gentiles had to become Jews, that they had to follow all of the tenants of the law of Moses in order to be secure in their relationship with God. Paul call Paul Paul calls that another gospel. It's not really a gospel at all. It is a false a false teaching that Paul was battling in his ministry to these fledgling churches. This is the case as we move forward in Timothy.

This is the primary target of the passage we just read and that is legalism. Salvation by the works of the what? By the works of the law. This was the teaching largely of the Pharisees that Jesus battled with during his earthly ministry. He taught salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, the Jews' Messiah, while they taught self righteous self righteousness was the means to salvation and entering into the kingdom.

The two are not the same thing. That is why Jesus in Matthew five said, unless your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Why? Because they didn't try hard enough? Because they didn't follow the law better than anybody else?

No. They were very pious. They worked very hard at keeping the law, but they did not have a relationship with God through faith. It was all about them. They missed the point of the law as Paul is going to point out here.

He says in verse in verse seven that they desire to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are talking about. He says, but the law is good if you use it, what? If you use it lawfully. In other words, rightly. What is the purpose of the law?

That being the law of Moses is the law that he is specifically talking about. The false doctrine was that taught by some that were called Judaizers, legalists in the church. The false teaching that salvation is obtained and sustained through self righteous living, thus keeping the law. The doctrine of the Pharisees infiltrating the doctrine of the what? The doctrine of the church.

Satan doesn't come in the front door. He comes in the what? He comes in the back door. He wiggles his way in. He's very deceptive.

He comes in saying, I have a new truth. You missed something. Here it is. Okay? And he wants to add to the gospel.

But if you add to the gospel, it's no longer the gospel. If you take this cup of water and you add cyanide to it, it's no longer water, is it? What is it now? It's poison. That's right.

We take the gospel of Jesus Christ and we add works as a means to salvation. The works of the law, then it's no longer the gospel of Jesus Christ. It becomes gospel of men, and the gospel of men will not get you where? It will not get you to heaven. It will not find you a relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you'll turn to Galatians chapter three, Galatians chapter three, Paul deals with this this false teaching there as well. He says in Galatians three one, O foolish Galatians. Again, he's not pulling any punches here. He didn't say, O you poor thing. He said, O foolish Galatians, Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

In other words, there should be this shouldn't be happening, Paul says. This shouldn't be a problem. How is it that we start with the gospel and you've been you've been bewitched by this false teaching? He says in verse two, this only would I learn of you. Received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

That's a rhetorical question. What's the answer? By the spirit or by the works of law? Which is it? By the spirit.

He said, ye so foolish having begun in the spirit? Are ye now made perfect by the flesh? The answer to that again is no. No. If you're saved by the spirit, we're made new by the spirit, we're not perfected by the flesh or the works of the law.

Have ye suffered so many things in vain if yet it be if it be yet in vain? Ye therefore that minister to you the spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth by works of law or by the hearing of faith. Which is it? You got there's choice. You got to choose one or the other.

This trying to mesh them both together, that doesn't what? That doesn't work. That is not what God intended. Even as Abraham believed God, verse six, even as Abraham believed God, it was accounted to him for righteousness. In other words, Abraham was rightly received the righteousness of God, received forgiveness because he what?

Of his what? Faith, not by the works of law. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseen that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

For as many are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things, that little word all is important, that continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident. For the just, the justified shall live by what? Shall live by faith, not by their effort to keep the works of the law. This is the false doctrine that Paul was dealing with here in Galatians and Philippians and as he is writing Timothy at the church of Ephesus.

The false teachers were those pushing the doctrine. They long to be admired as intellectuals who are more enlightened and educated than their ignorant companions, but Paul tells Timothy that they are anything but. They are the ones who came and said, we're smarter than everybody else. Yeah. You silly people, you can't be saved just by putting your faith in Christ.

You you have to you have to do jump through all these hoops and do all these things we tell you because we're smarter than you are. Does that sound like anything we're dealing with in our society today? And sadly, in many seminaries and universities, so called Christian are full of people that are smarter than everybody else. But Paul writes as Paul writes in Romans, professing themselves wise, they became what? They became they became fools.

Who is smart? Who is wise? God is wise. And he has given us what we need to know in regards to salvation right here in this book in pretty plain English. No.

It wasn't written in English. It was written in Greek. But it was written in plain Greek in that day and is here in plain English for us. He goes on in verse excuse me, back to Timothy. Back to first Timothy chapter one.

And verse eight again, he says, but we know the law is good if a man use it lawfully. In other words, Paul is not opposed to the law. He's not saying the law is a bad thing. The law is actually a what? It's a very good thing.

Okay? But as long as you understand its limitations, as long as you understand its purpose is what Paul is saying here. Knowing this, verse nine, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient. For the ungodly, for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for whoremongers, fornicators, for them that defile themselves with mankind, that would be something similar to homosexuality, for men stealers, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjured persons, and that there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. So the law, Paul says, is for those that are ungodly.

Why? Well, for a couple things. The law attempts to do what? It attempts to restrict ungodly man from doing all kinds of what? Ungodly things.

Why is it that we have thousands of laws on the books of our country? And why is it that hundreds, if not thousands, of those laws are concerning things that are bad and immoral, why are they there? Why all these laws on theft? Why all these laws on fraud? Why all these laws on on on murder and all sorts of different sins.

Why do we have to have all those laws? Do we have to have all those laws for the for the for the righteous people, for the godly people who want to do the right thing? No. Those laws are there to restrict those who would do the what? Who would do the wrong thing if there weren't repercussions.

Okay? So thus, the law is there to try to restrict the sinfulness of mankind that would result in chaos and all sorts of terrible, immoral, unjust activities. So the law indeed is not for the righteous. The law is for the what? For the ungodly, for the lawless.

And the law, in regards to the law of Moses, was given not to save, but the law was given to reveal to man that he's a what? That he's a sinner. That he that's why he needs the law because he's a what? He's a sinner in need of a savior. And unless he has seeks the mercy of God and enjoys the forgiveness of God, the law will condemn him.

Thus, John three eighteen, he that believeth on him, Jesus, is not, what? Condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten. We're already condemned by the law. That that isn't a a question.

The question is, do we find forgiveness in who? In Jesus Christ. Do we find pardon for sin? Do we find redemption? Do we find justification from sin in Jesus Christ?

If we reject Christ, then then we have to deal with the alternative. In Romans chapter three and verse and again, in verse 19, Paul deals with that aspect there. It's here. Romans chapter three and verse 19, Paul explains to some who believe that they could find salvation or be pleasing to God by the works law. He explains here in verse 19.

He says, now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God, that man will recognize his condition. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall, what, no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin, not the justification, not the redemption, not the forgiveness, but the knowledge. So is the law good? Yes, it is because it reveals to us that we're what?

Sinners in need of a savior. But it can save us from sin. Verse 21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference.

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So one says, well, I I keep this law, and one says I keep that law, and another says, well, I've kept more laws than he has and he's broken more laws than I have. And Paul says, it doesn't matter. We've all what? We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

The law has condemned us all so that we might be saved, not by the works of the law, but by the grace of God through faith in Christ. Being justified, verse 24, freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God has set forth to be a propitiation, to be the atoning sacrifice or payment through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It's excluded. By what law?

Of works? Nay, by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Thus, what he is speaking about here in first Timothy in his letter concerning those who are teaching this false doctrine even in Ephesus that Paul is warning Timothy about and warning us about. Thus, Paul says that that the law is good when it is used properly to condemn the sinner, the guilty or the transgressor, that they might come to God in humility and faith for justification.

While much can be gleaned about God from the law concerning his mortal character and his intentions for his children regarding their morality in particular, the law in itself is in fully incapable of saving the human soul or empowering his children in their service for the Lord. You can memorize the law. You can try the hardest you can. Again, we're telling to keep the law of Moses. It is insufficient to save your soul and is insufficient to empower you in the service of the Lord.

We have something better. We have the spirit. We have the law written where? In our hearts. The law of Christ.

The way of the Lord. He grants us salvation not by works, but by his grace and sustains our salvation through the power of his spirit who will finish who will finish in us by his grace what he has begun, not merely by our efforts to keep to keep the law. Philippians one six says, being conned from this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is his work in us. It is not our work.

It is the work of Christ that brings us salvation and that sustains our salvation and that empowers us in service to our God. And grace itself demands more of us, not less. One of the things that Paul dealt with as he explained salvation by grace is said, well, if you're saved by grace and not by works, then that means you can do whatever you want. Paul dealt with this in Romans chapter six. The whole chapter is about it.

And Paul said, no, that's not the case. The grace of God was given not to free us from personal responsibility but to empower us in freeing us from the slavery of sin to serve the living God. And when you look at Matthew chapter five and Christ explains to the Pharisees when he talks about their righteousness not being enough, he says, you live by the letter of the law. The letter of the law says, do not commit adultery. Jesus said, I say unto you that if you look on a woman to lust after her, you've already committed, what?

Adultery in your heart. You say Moses said we could divorce our wives. Jesus said, you can't do not divorce your wives because what God has joined together, let no man, what? Let no man put asunder. He said the law says not to kill.

Jesus says, don't hate your brother. And he goes on. Law does not demand I mean, grace does not demand less. Grace demands more and more so grace empowers us to serve the living savior, not by the letter of the law, but by the spirit of the law and the spirit that he has given to us. So coming back to first Timothy and verse 12.

Paul uses himself as an example of the contrast between living for the law and living in the flesh and living by the grace of God through the power of Jesus Christ. So Paul says, want you to understand the difference. So he uses himself as an example. He says, I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Who was, speaking of himself, who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. We'll stop there for just a moment. Paul uses himself as an example of misplaced belief and effort to please God by the works of the law leading to good results or bad results. His effort to please God in the flesh.

Did it lead to good results or bad results? Bad results? Terrible results? Wanted Paul's zeal for the law to please God by his own efforts in the flesh led him to do what? Well, it led him and and he he was trying hard.

He was zealous. He was sincere. What it lead him to do? It led him to be a blasphemer because he denied that Jesus Christ is the son of God. It led him to be a blasphemer.

It led him to be a persecutor of the church. Starting in Jerusalem, spreading out from Jerusalem, he chased after Christians to bring them to justice, to purge Judaism of the cancer as he saw it of the gospel of Christ. Even to another country, the capital of Syria being Damascus. He stood there and consented at the stoning of who? Stephen in Acts chapter Acts chapter seven.

This is what Paul's zeal in seeking to please God by the flesh led him to. It led him to be a blasphemer. It led him to be a persecutor. It led him to be a essentially a violent person who was bloodthirsty to bring mayhem upon the church and to kill Christ followers. That's the kind of the idea of injurious here.

And yet Paul says, he obtained what? He obtained he obtained mercy. And who does Paul credit and thank for the opportunity to serve the Lord and to preach the gospel? He doesn't credit himself, does he? He credits God.

He credits Christ who stopped him in his tracks on the road to Damascus before he carried out his next heinous act, who opened his eyes and his heart to see that the Messiah of Israel is the one that he had denied and whose followers he was persecuting. He said, I thank Jesus Christ our Lord who hath three things enabled me and as he counted me faithful and put me into the ministry. Amazing what God did in the life of Paul. He enabled him to serve. Paul said, one of the most well known verses, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

He enabled Paul to do that which Paul had no hope of doing. He was trying. He was trying to serve God. And rather than serving God's interest, he was fighting against God's interest. But when he turned to Christ in faith, God enabled him to do that, that very thing.

He deemed him faithful. Only by the grace of God could Paul, who was a a persecutor of the church, a blasphemer of Jesus Christ, a violent person be somehow deemed faithful to be put into the ministry? Placed into the ministry by God by God himself, who previous to his conversion had sought to justify himself through the works of the law. He being trained as a Pharisee believed not only himself to be justified by God, before God by his works, but sought further recognition from God through persecution of the church. I like Philippians.

Turn back if you would to Philippians chapter three. I like what Paul has to say there. Philippians three verse one. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me, indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision. Concision is another word for the circumcision. He's talking about the legalists who were teaching them that they had to put themselves under the law of Moses.

He says, verse three, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the what? In the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews is touching the law, a Pharisee. What that means is he was very serious about his his his effort to keep the law.

He was a fundamentalist Hebrew. He took it seriously. Concerning zeal persecuting the church why was zeal persecuting the church? Because he saw the church as a cancer within his religion that he was trying to eradicate before he came to realize that it was the other way around. Touching the righteousness which is in the law blames.

But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. All of those gains, all of that effort, I count it all as nothing to have what I have now, Jesus Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss. For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as but done that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. And we'll stop there.

We could go on and keep reading, but we'll stop there for now. It was on his way to Damascus for this purpose that God stopped him in his tracks, revealed to him that he had been wrong all along, thus his ignorance. Jesus Christ, the one whose followers he was hunting down was indeed the Messiah and the savior of the world. Thus realizing his guilt before God, he received the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ Christ, not by the works of the law, but by grace, and was justified before God in heaven. Christ did not come to call the self righteous, but sinners like Paul now realized he was to repentance.

Up until that moment on the road to Damascus, Paul thought he was righteous. But when he saw Jesus, he knew he wasn't. Matthew nine thirteen says this. Jesus said, but go ye and learn what that meaneth. I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous, but what?

But sinners to repentance. You can't get saved from your sin until you're willing to admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior. And why did God show such mercy to Paul? Paul rightly deduces that God's mercy that he showed to him that day on the road to Damascus was not only for Paul's benefit, but for theirs and for ours. Because if God can save a Paul, known then as Saul, then God can save the worst of sinners by his grace and mercy.

If he forgave Paul, he can forgive us. If Christ died for Paul, then Christ died for who? Christ died for us. If God saved Paul and gave him an opportunity for ministry, then God can do the same for us. Verse 16.

Howbeit for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering. What long suffering? What did God go through in suffering long with this man who was zealous in the wrong direction, denied him, was persecuting and bringing suffering upon his people, God suffered long indeed with Paul. That in me first, Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life. It was not merely for Paul's sake, but for the sake of those to whom he would preach the gospel, presenting himself as an example if what God can do by his grace.

If God can do this for Paul, he can do this for for anyone. And that the works of the law cannot, what? Cannot say, but the grace that is found in Jesus Christ alone. Bringing us back to Timothy and Paul's instruction, command them, charge them that they teach no other doctrine, not even this doctrine of legalism, that by the works of the law, we are justified in the eyes of God. For you can only be justified in the eyes of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, who saves, redeems, justifies, and changes us.

Not through the law, but through the power of his spirit and by his grace. Paul concluding this passage in verse 17 by giving all the glory to God. Now, unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only, the solely wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you, for the for the grace of God that has granted us a place in the beloved, salvation from sin, redemption that has given us a ministry and an opportunity to praise the Lord who has accepted us and given us a mission to go into all the world and preach the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Lord, thank you for the example of Paul and the example of your grace and what it did in his life. And, Lord, if there be one here this evening or who watches this at a later date, who's been trying to get to heaven by doing good works, Lord, I pray that you would that you would open their eyes, that you would help them to see that there is salvation only in the mercy of God through faith in his son, Jesus Christ, that they might be freed from sin and the law to serve the living savior. Thank you for the privilege of looking into your word this evening. May we go forth from this place with an added knowledge and zeal to go into all the world and share the good news of Jesus Christ as Paul did.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.