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Doctrine of Faith and Love

Charge certain, not to teach another doctrine, neither devote to endless tales and genealogies, which promote useless speculation, rather than the stewardship from God, the one in sight of Faith, on the other hand, the end thing of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and a real faith.*

Paul writes he has been given authority as an apostle of Christ to give a commandment. We see in his writings that false teachers had entered into the Church, which he so dearly loved, so he gives this command for Her purity, and this is the command; that we teach only this doctrine, "one in sight of Faith" where "the end thing of this doctrine is love." Of course we see godliness or our sanctification in this, being perfected in love. Paul writes, this is proper stewardship from God, "the one in sight of Faith," which is attained through correct doctrine, and this doctrine is to produce real faith and love.

By this all will know that you exist a follower of me, if you have love for each another.2

Why does Paul command to teach this doctrine? The "end attained" of the stewardship of faith is love, as a pure heart and good conscience in genuine faith attains love. A doctrine of faith and love is a stewardship of God "in sight of faith," and has an outcome of real love. So to answer why, because all will know we follow Jesus by our love for one another. Show me your faith, I know I have faith, but how do I know you have faith? Because our faith is active in love, we love thus follow the doctrine of Christ and he commands us to love one another. Thus by our fruit; love for one another our faith is seen, real love being a fruit of the Spirit. The end thing of the command to teach only this doctrine, "one in sight of Faith," is real faith and love.

The end thing of this command is love. The word "end thing" is telos, meaning "end attained, result, outcome, consummation." Consummation is a thing at which something is complete or finalized, which is different than the word goal, skopos, which means a distant object on which the eye is kept fixed; a mark, goal. If we combine the words telos and skopos we form the word tele-scope. Think of a telescope, the object in scope is attained, or brought into focus by the lens. The scope or object of our faith is Jesus, so what is the lens? or how do we "fix" our eyes on Jesus. And how do we stay fixed, stay the course, endure?

Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith...*

The object of our faith is Jesus, and we fix our eyes on him through faith. And we know our faith is founded and increased through His words thus He is the perfecter of our faith. And we know that freedom, or focus, is through abiding in the truth, who is Jesus. This word for perfecter, tele-iotes , means "a finisher, one who completes and perfects a thing; one who brings through to final attainment, perfecter." When Jesus died on the cross he said,“It is finished.”4 This word for finished, teleō, means "to finish, complete, fulfill, perfect." It is finished, so we focus our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, "who in place of the joy placed before him endured a cross, disregarding its shame and is appointed to sit now the right hand of God."6 How did Jesus endure, how did he have strength?

Indeed, in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision strengthens a person, but faith that is active through love.*

No other doctrines count for anything, as we know that without faith it is impossible to please God and faith without love is nothing. Teaching doctrines of the old covenant, knowledge of scriptures, traditions of men, things that do nothing to increase faith or that is not active in love, is useless. So is  teaching worldly principles like positive thinking, love, and wisdom that doesn't increase faith, these count for nothing. The Body is only as strong as it weakest member, a body without an arm is not at full strength, thus the Church is only as strong as the least of these His brethren. To strengthen a person, is to increase faith and this increasing is accomplished or is active in love. This is godly wisdom and a command from Paul, if you believe he was called an apostle.

What strengthens a person, but faith active through love? So the purpose of the command from Paul is to strengthen the Church. What does it mean that we are strengthened by faith active in love? We are established, "that He may give powerful ability to grow strong, Christ dwelling in the heart of you through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may fully able to attain with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."* This is how we attain to the fullness of Christ, faith active in love, "to build up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,"*

some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.*

Paul writes, do not devote yourselves "to endless tales and genealogies," or follow "deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons," this the Spirit states will happen in later times. Do we see why this command to teach a doctrine of faith and love is important? hirelings, wolves in shepherd's clothing will teach other doctrines which will lead astray. These teach doctrines that at their core cause little children to stumble, putting heavy burdens on the shoulders of men. For what purpose? these teachings are of demons, against God's kingdom, dividing, and destroying little children, not building them up in faith. So we stand for truth in love to perfection and there is a difference between standing for truth and causing division and strife. Those who abide in truth, abide in the teachings of Christ thus know how important the Church is to Him.

the stewardship from God, the one in sight of Faith, on the other hand, the end thing of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and a real faith.*

Real faith is active, is working to completion in genuine love. How do others see my faith? in genuine love. It is important to understand faith and love is a fruit, thus one must abide in the vine. The object of our faith is Jesus, we "fix" our eyes on Jesus through faith. And how do we stay fixed, stay the course, endure? in love, we are rooted and grounded. This faith active in love spills over, or loves as Christ loves the Church, building up, loving one another, teaching the words of Christ. Any other doctrines "promote useless speculation, rather than the stewardship from God, the one in sight of Faith," but this command produces real faith active in love, a doctrine of faith and love.

Jesus I Believe

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