In 1 Timothy 1:5, Paul gives an important lesson on the prerequisite to love. The dictionary describes a prerequisite as: Required or necessary as a prior condition. The prerequisite to love means, in this writing, that which you have to possess before you can love someone. We often hear that we are to "love our brother" or "love your neighbor as yourself" but these seem to be impossible or we attempt to but fall short.
The reason we can't seem to accomplish it is because we don't follow the teaching of Paul in this text when he says "But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith". 1 Tim. 1:5
Paul tells Timothy that the goal, the purpose, the aim of his teaching is love. We see this also in what Jesus taught. However, Paul continues to tell what the origin or source of that ability is, or what is necessary before one is able to love. He mentions that love springs from one source, something like seeing a natural spring erupting in a spout of water, flowing into a pool. In that illustration, we can see love erupting but where it comes from is a three-fold source, somewhat akin to three streams of water, flowing into one.
Those three streams of water are: a pure heart, clear conscience and a sincere faith. The streams combined, produces love.
Let's break them down and show how we should apply this one scripture into our life.
A Pure Heart: The word pure, in Greek, is katharos. We derive our English word, catharsis. This means to purge, purify, cleanse. It is the "therapeutic result of this process". It is an ongoing process similar to our word, flush. We flush a toilet, for example, to take away the waste. The means of getting a pure heart is by confession. It is an ongoing process, one we need to do often. We confess our sins (Greek-sideslips) to God and one another. This is the process of continual flushing. This example, of getting a pure heart, is an action in 'the here and now, the present'. We cannot love unless we have a pure, confessed, purged heart.
A Clear Conscience: The next thing Paul mentions, secondary to having a pure heart, is a clear conscience. Whereas the pure heart was the present, here, Paul talks about the past, getting your conscience clear. He instructs us to take care of past offenses. If we have wronged someone, make it right. Sometimes we are so burdened with shame over our past that we feel it is insurmountable and we can not possibly take care of sins from our past. Not doing so causes us to have a quasi love but not agape love. It has the appearance of love but it is ineffectual, empty, mushy and without boundaries.
What does love without boundaries look like?
A Sincere Faith: Last, Paul puts the future activity in its rightful place. Getting and having a sincere faith which is implanting the Word. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, which is doctrine, moral conviction, beliefs, without which, we have no moral compass or beliefs to anchor into when we are tempted or one tries to sway us from the truth.
Jesus says not, that they will know you are My disciples by your words, your works, your … but rather, by your love for one another. Paul gives concrete steps for gaining the ability to love: getting your heart pure by confessing your sins; clearing your conscience from past offenses; building your faith and doctrine through God's Word. It is only then that you will be able to show sincere love to others.
Paul tells Timothy and ultimately, us, in 1 Tim. 6:12 to "Fight the good fight of faith"… The Greek illustration is someone planning a war. He plans with strategy. Ask yourself: What is my strategy for fighting the good fight? What are my plans? What should I do to insure my success in keeping a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith? What do I see as Satan's plan for me to fail? How will he thwart my efforts?
Fight the good fight, keeping the faith. Hold on to your convictions, reinforce them.
