Sound

DEVOTION
1 TIMOTHY
SOUND
1 Tim 1:8-11
8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers — and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
NIV
It is very clear that once I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior I was freed from the bondage of the law. It is not meant for me anymore. It has no hold over me nor am I to be judged by it in anyway by God. He established it to show his people they could not ever fulfill it and thus were in desperate need of his salvation based not on their abilities to do good works by trying to keep the law, but by faith in him. That is the whole purpose of the law. It is still in action working in the lives of all those who commit those acts listed plus much more in our modern times. It stands in judgment of them for they cannot ever be perfect within themselves and if they believe in their own abilities to be right, they fail and are therefore lawbreakers and doomed to destruction. But I do not have anything to fear from God. I do not have to worry about the law, because I am in Jesus and he in me thus through him I have already fulfilled the law and am under grace because of my faith in God and God alone for my righteousness. That is as sound a doctrine as anything will ever be. That is the only sound doctrine which exists. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ and not of works of any kind. Now of course I work trying to do my part, to follow my calling, to use the gifts God has bestowed upon me. I do whatever he leads me to do, at whatever the cost happens to be. Am I always on the top of my game? I think not, but I am trying to be worthy of my calling. Doing works out of my love for him, not because I believe it will have any bearing on my gaining eternal life. I think those works can become such a focus that some people, some believers lose they way in the works and forget about the free gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. I pray I never travel that road but always remain faithful to the sound doctrine of salvation through faith in Christ and that alone. I am so keenly aware I can never fulfill the law completely and if I ever thought I could I would be guilty of spiritual pride and thus be a lawbreaker and so I would still be guilty of all the law. For me, there is only one way, his way, and that is pretty sound to me.