1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word on this 14th Sunday after Pentecost is taken from 1 Timothy 1:5-17, it’s entitled, “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Paul writes to Timothy: “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully.” (1 Tim. 1:8) The church in Ephesus had a special place in Paul’s heart. He spent over two years there, preaching and teaching, and when he had to leave, he entrusted the congregation to young Pastor Timothy. Now, Timothy was a faithful servant of Christ, but he was also a young man—so Paul writes to strengthen him, to encourage him, and to remind him what really matters in ministry.
3. And what really matters, Paul says, is sound doctrine. Not the opinions of men, not the fads of the day, but the Word of God—Law and Gospel. Now, when you hear the word doctrine, you might picture a dusty old book on a seminary shelf, read only by pastors who drink too much coffee, believe me, I’m one of them. But really, doctrine simply means teaching. Every school has doctrine. Every workplace has doctrine. Even every family has doctrine—just try loading the dishwasher, the washing machine, or dryer “the wrong way,” and you’ll find out real quick what your household doctrine is! (My family knows what I’m talking about, especially if I put the special pots and pans in the dishwasher or my wife and kids delicate clothes on the normal cycle in the clothes washer).
4. In the Church, doctrine isn’t just about dishwasher arrangements or office policies. It’s the teaching that God Himself gives us in His Word. That doctrine is sound. It’s healthy. It builds up the body of Christ. And so today, Paul reminds us—and Matthias Loy helps us sing it in his hymn—“The Law of God is good and wise.”
5. The first thing we learn is that—Sound Doctrine Comes from God, Not Man. Paul warns Timothy that some in Ephesus were straying from the truth. They were following the “doctrines of men”—teachings that sound nice, but lead away from Christ. That hasn’t changed. In our world, people still want to replace God’s Word with human wisdom. Some say the Bible is outdated. Some say God’s Law doesn’t apply anymore. Some say the Gospel is too narrow. But man’s doctrine, no matter how clever it sounds, is like a cheap knockoff—it looks good at first, but it breaks down fast. Only the doctrine of God builds up. Only His Word is strong enough to save sinners and comfort the brokenhearted. If left unchecked, the doctrine of men both destroys churches and leads those who hear its lies astray and into eternal death. This is why Paul urges Timothy to hold to the sound doctrine of God and to urge certain people to do the same (1 Timothy 1:3–4).
6. Sound Doctrine Centers on the Proper Understanding of the Law. Paul says, “The law is good (1 Tim. 1:8).” That’s not something we usually say when the law shows up in our lives. Usually, when we hear “the law,” we think: speed limits, taxes, or front yard laws – in some neighborhoods you’re not allowed to hang clothes on a line, or you can only grow certain kinds of grass. Pet rules – in some towns, you can’t own more than 2 or 3 dogs, or it’s against the rules to walk your alligator down Main Street (yes, some places actually have rules like that!). Food laws – some schools or towns have banned things like chewing gum or big sodas.
7. But God’s Law is different. It’s not about bureaucracy—it’s about love. In the Ten Commandments, God shows us what it means to love Him above all things and to love our neighbor as ourselves. In the 2nd Commandment we are told to not misuse God’s name—because God’s name is holy and good. In the 3rd Commandment we are told to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy—because we need His Word and Sacraments for our forgiveness, life, and salvation more than we need another shopping trip. In the 4th Commandment we learn to, Honor your father and mother and others God has placed in authority over us—because family is God’s gift, even when parents aren’t perfect (and even when kids aren’t perfect either). And yes—according to the 9th and 10th Commandments, don’t covet or desire your neighbor’s stuff as your own. Which, let’s be honest, is harder than ever in the age of Amazon! Instead, God wants us to be content and happy with what has been given to us. Paul says the aim of this teaching is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)
8. But here’s the problem: when we hold ourselves up to God’s Law, we see that we haven’t loved God perfectly. We haven’t loved our neighbors perfectly either. God’s Law is like a mirror—showing us every wrinkle, every flaw, every sin. That’s why Matthias Loy could sing about all three uses of the Law—how it curbs wickedness, how it shows us our sin (mirror), and how it guides believers in holy living. The Law is good, but it also exposes our desperate need for a Savior. As a result of this sin of failing to love God and our neighbor, we justly deserve God’s temporal and eternal punishment of death (Rom 6:23).
9. This is why—Sound Doctrine Centers on the Proper Understanding of the Gospel. Thanks be to God, the Law is not His final word! Paul, who once called himself the “foremost or chief of sinners,” Paul also says: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15) That’s the Good News. That’s the doctrine that is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance.
10. Jesus came for Paul, who had been a blasphemer and persecutor of Christians. Jesus came for young Pastor Timothy, who sometimes felt timid and overwhelmed. Jesus came for Matthias Loy in the 19th century, and He comes for you and me today. Where we fail, He succeeded. Where we sin, He forgives. Where we deserve death, He gives life. He fulfilled the Law perfectly, bore our sins at the cross, and rose again so that in Him we might have forgiveness, life, and salvation. That’s the doctrine that builds up the Church—not the doctrine of man, but the sound doctrine of the Gospel.
11. Taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus, God’s Son, came into this sinful and dying world to save sinners like you and me. Where you have failed to live in perfect love toward God and neighbor, Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law, even as He endured all bodily torments, temptations, and sufferings. Though He Himself was without sin, Jesus became chief of sinners by bearing your sins in His flesh. Carrying them to the cross, Jesus suffered the Father’s wrath and condemnation so that you may receive His forgiveness, life, and salvation. This He secured by rising from the dead on the third day.
12. It is the sound doctrine of the Gospel alone that brings forgiveness and life, comfort and peace in the face of sin and its wages of death. It is the Good News that strengthens and builds up the church of Christ. In your ongoing struggle with sin, God calls you to repent and cling to the sound doctrine of the Gospel, for the Lord is merciful for Christ’s sake and is able to forgive your countless sins. Consider Paul once again—he holds himself up as an example of God’s perfect patience to those who would believe in Him for eternal life (1 Timothy 1:16).
13. Like the church in Ephesus, we too will often be tempted to follow the false doctrines of men that only harm and destroy. But in His Word, God has given us a doctrine that is sound. Through His teaching of the Law and the Gospel, we come to know the truth of who we are and what God has done for us. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
14. So, brothers and sisters, let us hold fast to the teaching that Paul handed down to Timothy, and that the Church still proclaims today: The Law of God is good and wise. It shows us our sin. But more importantly, the Gospel points us to Christ Jesus, who came into the world to save sinners. That saying is trustworthy. That doctrine is sound. That Good News is yours. And now, to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, until life everlasting. Amen.
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