Lesson 3: Know what is good
1 Timothy 1:8-14 - www.bible.com/bible/59/1ti.1

8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,
9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers,
10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief,
14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.


To be faithful to God we need to know what is good, what is His way for His kingdom. This might sound too simple, but in this world’s culture today the lines of good and evil have been blurred to an amazing degree. We don’t even all agree that murder is wrong! We certainly don’t all agree that sexual immorality is wrong. But God’s standards have not changed.

God’s standards, from the beginning of creation, are that to murder someone is just as wrong as sexual immorality, which is just as wrong as telling a lie, which is just as wrong as blaspheming against God, and every other sin we can describe. There is no difference or grade or level of sin – Romans 6:23 tells us every sin has the same penalty, death. God never bargains with us about any sin.

We must KNOW what is good, what is God’s way. And then to the best of our ability we must follow His standard. Can we keep the law as it is given in Exodus and Leviticus? Of course not! And to make matters worse, when Jesus came He tightened those laws from actions down to the thoughts. He equated murder with hatred, adultery with a lustful thought. So if we are trying to keep the law, we must keep it Jesus’ way. In our human bodies we cannot do this, because our human bodies are subject to desires and passions which lead to sin. Our best ability will never be perfect, but God has given us His promise in 1 John 1:9 that He will forgive us whenever we confess our sin to Him. Our “best ability” is to keep confessing when we fail and asking Him to help us not give in to temptation the next time. This is a prayer He answers every time.
*Do you need to apply 1 John 1:9 to your heart and life right now? God never grows tired of forgiving us, or grows impatient with how many times we slip and fall into the same sin. He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west, and loves us unconditionally – no matter what. His love for us isn’t based on our performance, but on His character. God is love!