October 16, 2022 Rules or Grace 1 Timothy 3:14-4:16

 Faith is seen by many people as constricting.  It puts limits on the fun you can have.  You have to be nice to people.  You can’t swear, do illegal drugs, or be a jerk when driving on the highway.  Faith and virtue seem to go hand in hand.  Growing in faith is seen as becoming more and more virtuous, and more and more constricted.

I have here a pitcher of water and some funnels.  Pouring water through them constricts the flow.

(Pour water into bucket directly)

If I just pour water out of the pitcher there is no restrictions whatsoever.  This is a person who just does what they want without regard to faith or any limits.

Next is a canning funnel.  It doesn’t constrict the water much, but it does limit it a bit. 

(Pour water into the light blue canning funnel)

Perhaps this is the person who says they believe in God, but they really don’t practice it.  They just say they’re going to be a good person and live by their own moral code, which creates some limits.

Or maybe this is the person who comes to worship for Christmas and Easter.  There is some limit on them but not much.  On Christmas Eve they could maybe go to a party but they choose worship.  Or on Easter they could sleep in or go to brunch, but they choose worship.  Again, some restrictions, but not much.

Next is a regular kitchen funnel.  Here we have more restriction.  If this represents a life of faith we see a lot of focus and control. 

(Pour water into the kitchen funnel.)

This is the person who worships regularly.  They give generously to their community of faith and to many charities.  They could use that money to indulge themselves, but their faith limits it and they give it to God.

This is the person who could do all sorts of things on Sunday mornings: sleep in, watch TV, play computer games, go out to eat, etc.  But they limit themselves to worship.

            Perhaps it is faith at this level that causes guilt when kids’ sports conflict with church things.  If it’s a parent they feel torn in priorities.  They know they should witness to their kids that faith should be the number one thing in their lives.  All other things should be secondary.  And yet, in today’s culture, unless a kid is involved in sports to the extent that it consumes Sunday mornings, they will never advance in that sport.  And besides, don’t sports build character and a sense of teamwork?  Don’t sports help kids feel worthwhile?

            So faith at this level means priorities that feel restricting.  It is easy to become resentful towards such restrictions.  Kids whose parents force them to church things rather than everything else feel left out, or like oddballs.

            There is yet another funnel.  This is a fuel filter for a gas lantern. 

(Pour water into the red fuel funnel)

Now the water flow is very restricted.  It is focused.  It is limited.

            Perhaps this person is what we would call a religious fanatic.  They limit and deny themselves to the extreme.  Perhaps think of the stereotypes of the Puritans.  Or perhaps people who sell their possessions and join a commune or monastery.  If we step out of Christian faith, perhaps this would be a Buddhist monk who has renounced everything in life and is deeply committed to achieving nirvana.

            These people are living saints.  They indulge in nothing.  They make faith their 100% priority at all times. 

            But is this really the nature of faith?  Or at least the nature of Christian faith?  A look at what we’ve been reading from 1 Timothy over the last few weeks could lead us to answer, “Yes.  Faith is about discipline and sacrifice and selflessness and virtuous living.”  After all we’ve read things like these requirements for church leaders, “…be above reproach,…temperate, sensible, dignified, hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and no lover of money.”  (1 Timothy 3:2-3)

            From these words faith sounds like a pretty high bar of virtue to be maintained.

            But is that the right interpretation?
            Today we read, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage an enjoin abstinence from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.”

Is faith restricting?  Is growing in faith growing in restriction?   The text from 1 Timothy continues, “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.”

The answer is, “No.  Faith is not restricting at all.”  Faith is permission giving.  Faith sees opportunities and possibilities.  Faith takes risks.  It enjoys successes.  It knows of forgiveness when there are failures.  God wants wholeness of life, not restricted life.  God brings abundance and delight.

While many will live in such a way that they think increasing faith means ever more restrictions.  A life of grace is the complete opposite.  Faith is not a funnel at all.  Faith is perhaps more like a colander.

(Pour water into the colander -with bowl upside down inside to divert water to the sides.)

A life of faith can flow in many directions at once, without restrictions.

Does that mean that anything goes?  Does that mean that true faith means indulgence in all things?  Are we encouraged to become hedonists?

Our text says, “Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 

Godliness is knowing where your value comes from.  It is connecting to the deep reality that you are God’s.  It is knowing that God loves your ‘youness’.

And so a life of faith, and its fullness of life, will not be caught up in silly pursuits that lead to nothingness.

Why work hard to make money and then spend it on something that will not satisfy?

Why try to keep up appearances, make impressions, or try to fit in with people who don’t really matter?

Who’s opinion of you really matters?

God’s.  And God’s alone.

That is freedom!

That is the power of faith bringing you abundant life.

That is faith that will open your life to endless possibilities and opportunities.

Faith does not restrict.  Faith opens possibilities.  It keeps us from all that brings dead-end unfulfillment.  It makes us fully alive – in this life and the next.