URC Daily Devotion Tuesday 16 September 2025

1 Timothy 1: 8 – 11
 
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it legitimately. This means understanding that the law is laid down not for the innocent but for the lawless and disobedient, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their father or mother, for murderers, fornicators, sodomites, slave-traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
 
Reflection
 
In his letter to Timothy, Paul reminds us that the Jewish Law is not a weapon for judgment, but rather a tool for guidance.  The Law, when used properly, helps us recognise what damages fellowship with God and others.  It was never intended to condemn indiscriminately, but rather to shine some light on the brokenness of the human heart.
 
This list Paul gives, ranging from violence to dishonesty to exploitation, illustrates extreme examples of how people end up far away from love, justice, and holiness.  It’s important to remember that Paul was writing in a time and culture far removed from our own, and we would be wise to avoid reading our own cultural understandings back into an ancient text from a different context.  What is clear is that Paul is addressing abusive, exploitative behaviours, not love and faithfulness.
 
At its heart, this passage is not about singling out individuals, but rather about warning against all practices that harm others and ourselves.  The Gospel is about grace, not gatekeeping.  Any behaviour – sexual, economic, or otherwise – that degrades another human being runs contrary to the sound teaching Paul upholds.
 
Paul does not end this list with condemnation, but with an important reminder: these things are “contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.”  The Gospel is our guide: not fear, not shame.  It invites us into healing, not into judgment.
 
If you take one thing from this passage today, perhaps it might be that Paul challenges us to use the law to see our need for grace, not to point fingers; that the Gospel calls us into a life of integrity, justice, and love.  Where can you align more closely with the heart of Christ today?
 
Prayer
 
Gracious God, thank you for your law that leads us towards love and truth.  Help me to use your Word to examine my own heart.  Where I have strayed, guide me back with gentleness.  Teach me to live in ways that reflect the goodness of your Gospel, loving, just, and true.  May I extend grace as freely as you have given it to me.  In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.