So happy you’ve decided to visit daily devos! This is where short reads are added for today’s hungry, and often harried souls! Breeze through quickly if your time is limited. Saunter with solace if you are leisurely browsing. Whether you have only a few minutes or time to linger, be sure to reflect on the thought-provoking questions and challenges included to encourage your spiritual awareness and growth.
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 niv
For two days, we have examined this verse. First, we considered where love comes from – a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. Then we discovered how to have a pure heart. So today, we will consider a good conscience. Notice what Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians about his conscience:
My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 niv
We can speak and act as we choose, even with a good, clean conscience but still be wrong in God’s eyes. How? Why? Because of hidden, impure motives within our hearts. Even the wisdom writer said:
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Proverbs 16:2 niv
So let us ask Him to reveal anything that needs to be purified within us so we can live our lives in love with Him and others – out of a pure heart from which true love flows, because Jesus said …
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 niv
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The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 niv
Yesterday we considered where love comes from as noted above (a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith). Yet how can we have a pure heart? Is there something we can do to develop a pure heart? Paul again wrote:
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 niv
So let us call to the Lord as David did when he wrote …
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 niv
… and let us ask for a pure heart because:
… no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalm 84:11 niv
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Paul wrote to Timothy with instructions for what needed to be done in Ephesus since false doctrines were being taught. And these were promoting controversy rather than God’s work. Then he explained:
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5 niv
In this, we can see where love comes from: a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. So let us take a personal inventory and give attention to where we may find lack.
Jesus said:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 niv
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In a time when sensationalism is too often used to gain attention, let us measure messaging to the truth of God’s Word to help us. Paul wrote:
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. 1 Timothy 1:3-6 niv 1984
So let us avoid that which promotes controversies, meaningless talk, and instead embrace sincere faith and love.
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners … 1 Timothy 1:15 niv 1984
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Give people what they want and they are typically willing to pay for it. God was willing to pay a high price for what He wants. So what does that tell you about how much He values you?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 niv
REFLECTIVE RESOURCE:
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‘What?’ … was solved with one word!
Having stood there for what seemed to me a very long time, my curiosity finally burst through in the form of a question. “What are kup’eez?” I
It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth … 2 John 1.4
Mother’s Day 2024
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Watching a home show recently, I found it interesting when the designer did not want a shelf placed near a window. It would be out of reach because of the height. She insisted it needed to be functional, to have a purpose beyond merely displaying décor. That scene replayed in my mind as I read:
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. Psalm 67:1-2 niv 1984
The psalmist desired God’s grace, blessing and favor. And the function or purpose of such gain is so that His ways and salvation will be made known. How might the world around us be different if God’s grace, blessing His shining face of favor were really known?
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