The Aim of Our Charge

Paul, “an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,” (1 Timothy 1:1) labored diligently. He planted churches, trained leaders, traveled widely, preached boldly, wrote forcefully, and suffered greatly. In all that he did he was mindful that he had been entrusted with a stewardship. This stewardship included both content and function. That is, there was a body of revealed knowledge that he felt obligated to protect and well as promulgate. False teachers could corrupt it, and fear could silence it. As a steward he could let neither happen. So he challenged heresy and prayed for boldness to speak as he ought to speak. As a result, the impact of his life has been, and continues to be, profound.

Given all that we know of Paul’s ministry and theology, it’s a revelation to discover the single-mindedness of his aim as he fulfilled his mandate: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Timothy 1:5) Interesting, right? A succinct statement of the goal he had for every disciple of Jesus as he exhorted them to faithfulness, turned them away from false doctrine, or challenged the unbiblical worldviews of those yet to believe. This reflects Jesus’ own emphasis when he offers the summation of what is expected,“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind . . . You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Why this emphasis? I believe it’s because it addresses the fundamental problem we have as fallen human beings. When Adam and Eve’s faith in God was undermined by the deception of the serpent, their hearts became corrupted with impure motives, and, as a result, they were stricken with guilty consciences. This lack of love for God and the resultant lack of love for others, evidenced by the immediate enmity that existed between them, is the fruit of our stepping outside the bounds of our identify. This is the fundamental disease that Jesus came to cure, a cure made possible by his possessing a love that issued from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. His love for God and neighbor was expressed perfectly, and as he yet lives, his love is being fostered in our lives as an aim of our discipleship.

Perhaps this is helpful when we read of the love that is repeatedly called for in the Bible. What is being asked of us in those moments? It might be expressed in different ways depending on the context or need, but always it must be a love that issues from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith. This is something that we can do as a self-check and if we find anything lacking, call upon Christ to supply what we need. The more we pursue this kind of love, the more we become like him, which, at its most fundamental, is the aim of our discipleship.