5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Love must spring from a place of purity. In this letter that Paul writes to his young partner in the ministry he gives some practical advice to help him in his journey. He has just warned him about the presence of false prophets, those who twist and manipulate their teaching in order to twist and manipulate those who hear their message. Paul warns them to stay away from these people and he does it because he loves them with the God-kind of love. If it is this kind of love, then it must flow from a clean place. You can’t have an impure heart, a soiled conscience or an untested faith if you want to love. God’s love starts in a place of purity. If a person is not a Jesus-follower, they are incapable of this kind of love. Only those who follow Jesus can have these three qualities. And these three things are very desirable. Don’t you want a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith? I know I do. The last quality is about a faith that has stood the tests of life. It has no temporary cover to hide the impurities. It is a faith that doesn’t pretend. What you see is what you get. No pretences. No false modesty. It is the same day in and day out. It doesn’t show up on Sunday morning and then go into hiding for the rest of the week. That is the kind of faith the Lord wants us to have. Is that the kind of faith you have today? If not, then pray and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Ask Him to cleanse you and fill you with a fuller knowledge of Him. The more we know Him the more He can fill us.
The Arnold Journey 