URC Daily Devotion Monday 15 September 2025

I Timothy 1: 1 – 1 – 7
 
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope,
 
To Timothy, my loyal child in the faith:
 
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.  Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.
 
Reflection

John 1:14 asserts that Jesus is “full of grace and truth” – and we see this displayed throughout the New Testament. For example, when Jesus is confronted with a woman caught in adultery and a baying crowd, Jesus shows her grace (“Neither do I condemn you”) and truth (“Do not sin again”) (John 8:1-11). Most beautifully, on the Cross, Jesus reveals the truth about sin and its seriousness, and fulfils the demands of God’s justice, whilst also flooding the world with mercy and grace.

Here in 1 Timothy, Paul is also concerned about grace and truth. Truth, because in the early Church there were many false teachers: teachers who were promoting myths or speculation, rather than faith. But he’s not just concerned about right theology. The aim of theology is transforming grace, or, as Paul expresses it here, “love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.”

Later, in 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul writes, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” I wonder: where do you and I need God’s truth to teach, rebuke, correct and train us – as uncomfortable as that may be? And, simultaneously, how might we grow in grace and love? Truth without grace is mean. Grace without truth is meaningless. May we, like Jesus and Paul, attempt to walk the way of grace and truth.

Prayer

Jesus, 
we marvel that You are full of grace and truth.
 
In grace you entered our world, lived, died, 
rose again, offer forgiveness and new life,
sending the Holy Spirit to fill, empower, and transform us.
 
In truth you beckon us to let God be God.
You call us to sin no more and obey your commands;
You invite us to take our crosses and follow you.
 
Help us to be faithful, Amen