Chasing Others with Love

1 Timothy 1:3-6 - 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 nor 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 and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 

Paul is clear here…we must be so sure of what the bible teaches that we can recognize false doctrine. We must let our sincere faith build a good conscience…and create in us a pure heart…a heart that is so in tune with God that it recognizes someone who is teaching a doctrine that is not based on the word of God. He tells us that we should strive to help those that have turned to these meaningless doctrines to help them worship. He tells us that this pure love we build in Christ will help us to show Christ’s love to all people….no matter what they profess to believe.

I asked God for a special dose of help this morning as I began to decipher just how I should go about this hard command.  Some may think that this command is easy…just bash away at all the diverse doctrines…tell them up front how crazy and wrong they are…delete all people from your friends list that don’t match what you think the bible says…isolate yourself and your convictions as you shout to the world that you think they are crazy.  But I don’t see this command as an easy one…my bible…it teaches this pure love that Paul mentioned here.  I struggle every day with just how to form my words to others that don’t match up exactly with my interpretation of God’s great word.

I believe Paul is telling us here to be firm in our faith….but be positive in our delivery of that faith to others.  He was talking to Timothy in his original letter…a man raised with the love of his sweet mother Lois and his grace filled grandmother Eunice.  Both of these women who trained Timothy in his faith were full of God’s love and great faith….a knowledge built on the word of God.  2 Timothy 1:5 says, “I remember your true faith.  That faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I know you now have that same faith.” They trained Timothy how to speak to others in love…not let hate….pride…. conceit… ego… haughtiness…pure arrogance drive how we witness to those that seem to have twisted the words of the bible…or added to it a manual of their own…or simply bring to our country a faith based on the God or Gods from another culture.

Paul tells us a little later in this chapter why we need to deliver this message of God in love…he says in verse 15-16, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”  …..unlimited patience……example…..for those that would believe.  Let’s be really honest here…most people would not want to believe in a God who constantly bashes and spreads hate messages to those around him that don’t accept his message. 

Personally…I believe in a God who chases me with his love…who showed this sinner….as bad or worse than Paul…his love and mercy…who always gave me a choice….who never forced his love on me…who walked into the places where sinners hung out and talked to them with love…patted them on the back and just shared his heart…every time he had a chance.  We are commanded to rebuke them with love….not get in their face and force them to listen to us rant and rave about what might be wrong with their doctrine.   There is that one scripture in Matthew 21:12…where Jesus threw out the money changers from his temple…he was pretty angry to see these people desecrating the worship place so blatantly….and he did speak pretty strongly to the Pharisees in Matthew 23…but there are so many more examples of his love and grace…like the woman accused of adultery in John 7….or the great leader Moses…or Zacheus...or David….or ME.

I could also admit how many times I have allowed hypocrisy to rule how I spoke to others. I have apologized for these …I think…but the damage that was done because I spoke out of pride…overconfidence…condescension…may take longer to be repaired than I want to wait.  I have learned the hard way that relationships with God are a personal thing…a sweet word of love ..a message that says how can I help...you seem to be really struggling today…sometimes leads to a prayer of strength…instead of a fight of the religious doctrines that rule what we believe at that moment.

Father I thank you for showing me how to love others.  Help me to always remember the love you showed to me when I speak to others that seem to believe different than I.  Reveal to me how to show them your pure love…give me the words that will speak love to their heart…and begin to dismiss the ‘myths and endless genealogies’  that continue to distort your holy bible. Guard my tongue forever from the harsh words that drive people away from the truth…and rule my mouth with your words of love that draw people to want to read for themselves how to accept your grace and mercy into their own hearts. Teach me how to minister to others….how to share the truth of your holy word with others….with love and grace and mercy like you did. Amen.