Since early September we’ve been making our way through Paul’s First Letter to Timothy.  And we’ve run into a lot of commands.  Let me quote (or summarize) a number of them:

• Charge “certain persons” not to teach different doctrines (1:3).
• Pray for all people (2:1), including kings (2:2).
• “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths” (4:7).
• “Train yourself for godliness” (4:8).
• “Command and teach these things” (4:11).
• “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” (4:13).
• “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (4:16).
• Encourage older men (5:1).  “Honor widows” (5:3).
• “Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses” (5:19).
• “Keep these rules” (5:21).  “Keep yourself pure” (5:22).
• “Flee these things” (e.g., the love of money, 6:10) (6:11).
• “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love” (etc.) (6:11).
• “Fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12).
• Charge the rich not to set their hope riches, but on God (6:17).
• “O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you” (6:20).

So many rules!  Duty upon duty!  But always remember, these imperatives (i.e., commands) are grounded in prior indicatives (i.e., statements of fact about what God has done).  Paul calls Timothy to action not to achieve God’s favor but because he already basks in God’s favor.  The glad and humble heart of a forgiven sinner is what moves Paul (and Timothy as well) to put faith into action and practice good works.  In 1:15 a pivotal point is made:  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” and Paul was the “chief of sinners”!  But grace abounded to the broken Pharisee, and out of grateful joy he practiced the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5; 16:26).  As Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give!” (Matthew 10:8).