This past Sunday, our pastor issued the challenge to read the same 10 verses, twice a day for the week. I have been looking at 1 Timothy 1:1-10...the reason is outlined in the post titled day 2...
Gotta admit, did not do the 2nd reading yesterday. Thursday is my Bible Study night..
One funny note, this morning's scripture verse on my phone app was Romans 3:20...just interesting after yesterday.
so by reading my passage in the Message, this is what stood out to me...
5-7 The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love—love
uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to
God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into
cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious
issues, but haven’t the remotest idea of what they’re holding forth with
such imposing eloquence.
then NIV and ESV says it like this...
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.
(I am copying these from Bible Gateway...a favorite website for Bible reading, cuz you can see different translations on the same screen)
What do we know about Love...well, from the great theologians DC Talk, we know that "love is a verb'... also from the 1 Corinthians passage about love...it ain't about the feeling it is about the action.
And Jesus himself said to Love the "Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind" and to "Love our neighbors as ourselves"... and when asked who is our neighbor He told the parable of the Good Samaritan.
But I have experienced the other half of this verse!!
My own, many years ago, gosh 15 or so...I became fascinated with the study of theology and apologetics. While at a woman's retreat, while worshipping...I felt God tell me..."Karen, you are pursuing knowledge but you do not love". Well, I stopped the pursuit of knowledge and worked on the love. I think exercising love is like...exercising...it took little steps, it took being focused on it. Praying that I would begin to see people as He sees them. Stopping myself and Catching myself when I did not and Reminding myself to see them as He does. Finding women who had that Spirit of Love as my example to try to emulate (still not there). Forgiving and following his command to pray for my enemies...Gotta say it was not in MY nature, but I do see the change. (background, as I have mentioned I grew up half Japanese, in South Texas, during the late 60's and 70's...does that paint a picture of the childhood I had, school was horrible even the neighborhood was filled with bullies...so it was very difficult to love and trust people)(but there has to come a point where you let that go...forgive, release, understand, and even see them as hurting people also)
Also, many years ago, one of Dh's friend and wife was into listening to one of the tv evangelists...I use the term lightly, as I find him to be a false teacher. They were so into their 'knowledge' they were getting from a tv and had no love...no connection with fellow Christians. We were at a restaurant with them and they were talking their crazy stuff...sorry it was crazy...something about us being the fallen angels getting a 2nd chance at redemption by being born on this earth. As they spoke, people at the tables near us would leave. And they would say, "shine the light and the cockroaches will flee". I finally had enough and told them, "this cockroach is also leaving" and walked out.
Today, they are divorced and I don't know about her...but he is no longer a "Christian", he has rejected it all.
Our walk is certainly a balancing act...between Grace and Law...Love and Knowledge...good thing we don't have to do this on our own!! ha!!
Today I plan to read my verses using the 'big guns"...the John McArthur Study Bible...ha!!!
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