When The Law Is Correctly Understood

 In this first epistle to Timothy, Paul balances the encouragement and edification he gives, with some necessary warnings about teachers of the Law, who have deviated from the truth, while setting him the task to correct any erroneous doctrine.
 Sadly, there were false teachers who were not using the Law legitimately. They had missed the whole purpose of the Law and were undermining the true gospel of God. They were leading people astray with their incorrect understanding.
 When The Law Is Correctly Understood, it is good, it brings lost sinners to salvation in Christ. But when it is misapplied, misappropriated, and misunderstood, it is being used unlawfully, causing sinners to strive to do good works in their own strength, by attempting to keep the righteous requirements of the Law in the hope that God will forgive them because of their good works and meritorious acts. But this is not what Scripture teaches.
 When the question: "What must I do to be saved?" is asked, and the word "AND" becomes part of the answer: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and do this.....  BEWARE! When any 'work of the flesh' is being added to Christ's finished work on the Cross, it is using the Law unlawfully.
1 Timothy 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.

Our United Prayer:
Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You that we are justified freely by Christ's finished work on the Cross, and that salvation is a free gift to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank You that our salvation does not depend on our merit, or anything that we do. Give us discernment to identify teachers who wittingly or unwittingly, use the Law unlawfully, by adding to Christ's finished work on the Cross. How we praise and thank You that our salvation does not depend on work that we do, but is dependent on the work that Christ did at Calvary, on our behalf, for which we praise and glorify Your holy name, AMEN.