In my Bible Reading this morning, these words struck me:
“The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5 ESV)
This verse represents one of the reasons I am reading the letters to Timothy during this first month of the year—so that I may focus on the basics. And you cannot get more basic than this—that, as I pursue to communicate the gospel, I put love as the aim. I don’t share because I am somewhat “better” than others. I share because the love and grace that has saved me from my sin is available for all and all should have the opportunity to come face to face with this love and receive it.
But this love doesn’t come easy. This isn’t the “love” is so marketed by our world—a gooey “feelings driven” love. This is love that comes from “a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” It is much harder to achieve a pure heart—a heart that is uncorrupted by the sin of this world. It is also much harder to acquire a good conscience; this is not to say sinless, because we are all sinners, but one that knows what is right from wrong and endeavors to do the right. It is also difficult to build a sincere faith, one that is not swayed by the doubts that Satan desires to throw our way. We try so hard to “prove” our faith as scientific or historical or factual—which they all are; but we focus on this to the absence of the reality that, at the end of the day, the gospel we preach must ultimately be accepted through faith.
When we come face to face with this struggle; then we are drawn toward our aim of our charge, which is love. And that love is a love to share with the world.