Faith and a Good Conscience
November 05, 2023      |     By: Jonathan Brickley      |      Category: Sermons      |      Location: El Dorado
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Continuing on in the season teaching of the shaking & exposing work of the Lord, Jonathan gives an overview of first and second Timothy. He then teaches on how to “war the good warfare“ - by recalling prophecies, holding onto faith, and also holding on to a good conscience. We have been given the tools to fight against doubt and condemnation!

1 & 2 Timothy – Overview

Two of Paul’s three Pastoral Epistles: Timothy & Titus

1 Timothy
- Father to Son Letter concerning the church in Ephesus
- Mid 60s AD

1) Big Picture Goal = “LOVE” (1 Timothy 1:5)
2) Mid-Level Goal = “Gospel Shaped Living (1 Timothy 1:10-11)
3) Ground-Level Goal = Combatting False Teachers
- Bookends = 1 Timothy 1:3, 6:20-21
- Middle = 1 Timothy 4:1-2

1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV)
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:10-11 (NIV)
10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.

1 Timothy 1:3 (NIV), 6:20-21 (NIV)
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
21 which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV)
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

2 Timothy
- Father to Son Letter -  2 years later
- Last epistle of Paul

1) Big Picture = Persevere in spite of suffering / Continue the fight of faith
- 25 times: “Be bold, courageous”

2) Mid-Level = Honor the Scripture!  (2 Timothy 3:16)
- Final Charge - In view of His appearing & kingdom - Preach the word! (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

3) Ground Level = Maintain good, healthy teaching & combat false teaching (2 Timothy 1:13, 2:2, 15-17, 24)
Teachers = the context (2 Timothy 3:1-10, 4:2-3)

2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 4:1-2 (NIV)
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

2 Timothy 1:13 (NIV)
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

2 Timothy 2:15-17 (NIV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,

2 Timothy 2:24 (NIV)
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

2 Timothy 3:1-10 (NIV)
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,
7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,

2 Timothy 4:2-3 (NIV)
2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Opposing Moses
Opposing the Truth
In 2 Timothy - eight false teachers/deserters are called out by name
1) Phygelus
2) Hermogenes
3) Hymenaueus
4) Philetus
5) Janes
6) Jambres
7) Demas
8) Alexander

1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NIV)
18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well,
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.
20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1) Inspired by (keeping with) Prophecies

2) Aided by (recalling) Prophecies
- Fight the battle well - War the Good warfare
  What battle?
1 Timothy 1:4 (NIV)
4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.

- Advancing God’s work/kingdom by faith

3) Hold on to Faith (subjective - the act of believing)

4) Hold on to Good Conscience

Faith + Conscience = Linked
Faith “leaks” when our Conscience is Offended

Rejected = Drive away / thrust away / push away / repel / refuse
Shipwreck regarding “The Faith” (Objective - the things in which we believe)

The path to Blasphemy
1) Despising/Disregarding Prophecies
2) Releasing our Hold on Faith
3) Releasing our Hold on Good, Clean conscience