The end of the commandment is love out from a clean heart, and a good conscience, and unhypocritical faith, from which some have missed the mark, turning aside unto idle talk, desiring to be law teachers, not understanding neither that which they speak nor concerning certain things they thoroughly affirm (1 Timothy 1:5–7).
The end of the commandment is love out from a clean heart and a good conscience; however, some have missed the mark and turned aside from this purpose. These men and women get involved with everyone, wanting to connect with all beliefs, use empty words—phrases or sayings with no true value —and pursue false knowledge. Some, in their declarations about these things, miss the mark concerning the faith (1 Timothy 6:21). We are to shun accepting all beliefs and sayings that have no value, for through them ungodliness increases. Their message spreads like gangrene. They have missed the mark concerning the truth (2 Timothy 2:16–18). They use words and phrases instead of doctrine and truth.
Those who desire to connect with all beliefs and use empty words, not understanding the things they profess, also desire to be law teachers (1 Timothy 1:7). A law teacher is a position of authority among the saints in religious matters (Acts 5:34; Luke 5:17). Since they desire to be law teachers, they bring in destructive heresies that subject the saints to bondage (Galatians 2:4).
The law cannot produce a good conscience (Hebrews 9:9). The law is proper, if it is used lawfully (1 Timothy 1:8). However, law is not made for a righteous person (1 Timothy 1:9). The Christian is righteous in Christ because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to him (1 Corinthians 1:30). Therefore, the conduct for Christians is dictated by the new man they are immersed into, who was made in righteousness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:24). The Christian life then relates to manifesting the righteousness they possess in Christ, not seeking their own righteousness through law (Philippians 3:9).
The law is for the unlawful, insubordinate, ungodly, sinners, unholy, profane—those open to every belief system, murderers, fornicators, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and any other thing that is contrary to healthy teaching (1 Timothy 1:9–10). The law is not just for people we perceive as wicked, but also for those who act contrary to the doctrine of Christ while desiring to appear righteous. These are the ones who have crept into the Church, bringing heresy and changing the gospel. These men and women who desire to teach law are acting lawlessly, for God’s commandment for the Christians is love out from a clean heart with a good conscience, which cannot be obtained through law.
