February 6, 2025
In these opening sentences to his young friend Timothy, Paul gives him a warning and a job to do. He is to prevent the overly curious and those who love hypothesizing from being drawn into controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work. The poor need good news, not endless genealogies. They need love, not endless lectures on the niceties of the law.
Even today, there are some Christians who believe that following the law is essential for our salvation. Other Christians believe that, as Christians, the law no longer applies to us, and we should be able to do whatever our conscience allows.
As Presbyterians, we have a different view. Drawing on the work of John Calvin and his magisterial Institutes of the Christian Religion (see II, vii, 9-11), most Presbyterians today recognize three uses of the law.
First, the law is a safeguard for the community. It protects us from those who are bent on evil. Through just punishment, the malefactor is taught to change their nefarious ways.
Second, the law is a deterrent to good people who might be tempted to do bad things. We are all tempted to do those things we know we shouldn’t. The law acts as a guardrail to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Third, the law is our loving response to God. How do we show God our love for God’s kindness? How do we respond to God’s goodness and love in our lives? Not through flowers and candy! We show God our thanks for salvation by joyfully following the law.
For those who love God, following the law is not onerous or oppressive. It’s a delight, something we do with good will and strong resolution.
Sadly, none of us are perfect! We live in a fallen world, and we are fallen, too. Sometimes, we go against the law.
Mercifully, Paul was not the only person ever shown mercy. In our baptisms, God’s grace was poured out on us abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. That abundant love and grace are still with us, today.
Yes, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The law helps to realize our salvation. When we break the law, we are shown the error of our ways and urged to repent. When we are tempted to break the law, it guides us back to the way we should be living. And when we love God as God loves us, we joyfully follow the law as a way of showing our thanks for God’s goodness to us.
The law is good. May we follow it as well as we possibly can.
God’s mercy be with us all,
Pastor Ken.