Welcome to Wednesday’s Podcast.

Our reading today is 1 Timothy 1: 8-11 – today I will focus on verse 8.

‘We know that the law is good if one uses it properly’.

Today we continue thinking about Paul’s charge to Timothy: to challenge the false teachers influencing the Ephesian Church.

REFLECTION

Have you ever been caught speeding?  I have.  Four years ago this summer driving late one Saturday evening back into Cambridge (where we lived) I came to a dual carriage way and in a moment of absent mindedness increased my speed.  As the car filled with three flashes I knew I’d been had! Was I really speeding? I was doing at least 35 in a 30 – surely they’d be lenient and let me off?

A week later a letter arrived. Pay a fine and get three points or attend a speed awareness course.

I chose the latter.

The speed awareness course was a bizarre experience. People from all walks of life. From the hyperactive 17 year old on my table – cap on backwards – who continually drummed the table with his pen, to a wonderful 86 year old man who seemed genuinely surprised that his forty year old Rover could actually achieve the speeds he was caught doing. There were people from different parts of the world too.

We had one thing in common. We were all caught!

There were two speed awareness instructors. One a lovely cuddly Northern Irish grandfather figure and the other an aggressive – must have been former drill sergeant turned gym instructor from Essex whose opening line was this: ‘you’ve all broken the law…’ to which one man pointed out that he was only doing 71 and thought that the law allowed for a 10% excess. To which the former drill sergeant turned gym instructor now speed awareness operative replied: ‘still broke the law though didn’t ya…’

In today’s passage the apostle affirms that the law is good if it’s used properly.

Why does he say that and what does that mean?

Paul is talking about the Mosaic Law – the Torah. When we hear ‘law’ we can think of courts, barristers or Police. Another way of looking at it is like this – The Mosaic law which shaped the Jewish people, their culture and how they live was a vision of what God’s people should look like and how they should behave. From the famous 10 commandments to other details on how a man should style his facial hair – it pretty much left no stone unturned on how Jewish people should live.

While Paul affirms the law and says it’s a good thing, we also know that in other letters – for example if you’re part of STC you’ll know we’re working through Galatians which contains a lot from Paul about how as Christians we are free from the law – so why then does Paul say the law is a good thing if as Christians we are free from it?

My old Youth Leader Rob used to remind us of these words from Paul from Romans 3:23: ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.’

It’s true. Take my speeding story. All of us – whether you’ve been a Christian 40 years or 4 minutes – we’re all like those speeders I sat with on autumnal Monday morning.

The law is a bit like the speed camera – it catches us in the act. The gospel of grace, the good news, is that we don’t earn our salvation by trying harder and making sure our speedo never goes over 30 in a 30 zone.

We accept Jesus’ gift of salvation – it’s a free gift.

The Law reminds us that we’re a sinner – we’re speeders. And do you know, it’s helpful to be reminded of that – not to feel bad about us; to feel better about the fact that despite that, Jesus has reached out to us and forgiven us! We recognise we’re sinful but celebrate our forgiveness.

So, if you’re driving to work right now – just check your speed!

PRAYER

Jesus we thank you for your glorious grace. We were once far from you but you have welcomed us home in your son. We celebrate that today. Amen.

READING: 1 TIMOTHY 1:8-11