We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
Summary: Paul continues to lead us into deeper and deeper waters with his instructions to Timothy about the use of the law.
Most of Paul’s letters are written to churches. The two letters he wrote to Timothy and his letter to Titus are different — very different!
Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus assume a certain level of understanding about the Gospel. Both Timothy and Titus are actively supporting church development. Both are involved in selecting and training leaders for the churches they serve.
As we dive into some of the more challenging passages in this letter to Timothy, it helps to prepare ourselves by discussing things that Timothy most likely already knows. So far, we have reviewed what it means to judge correctly, why we need the law, the nature of evil, the responsibilities of teachers, and why God’s law is unique.
That leaves us with the question, “Are all of God’s laws the same?”
The short answer is, “No.”
When we talk about judging correctly, it is important to understand which standard to use and why. When Paul says, “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly,” we are left to wonder, “Which law is he talking about?”
The word “law” can be defined as a system of rules.* The Bible provides us with layers of rules that are used for different purposes at different times.
The foundational layer is that we must recognize God as Creator of All Things. Without acknowledging that truth, everything else becomes wobbly.
The next layer deals with covenant law. A covenant is a binding agreement between two or more parties. It can be a contractual agreement that requires certain things from both parties, or it can be a unilateral agreement where one party makes promises and/or places conditions on the other party.
Finally, we can look at the various kinds of laws discussed in the Bible.
The most foundational laws are what might be called moral laws. These are the rules that God uses to describe eternal truth. For example, loving God and putting him first is always right because God is … well … God. He is the Creator of All Things. Rejecting God is morally wrong.
God also set out rules for how we treat each other. These rules have their roots clear back in Genesis, Chapter 4, where Cain kills Abel. Murder is wrong. God spelled these rules out in detail when he gave Moses the Ten Commandments†.
All the rest of the laws are conditioned on these two things: Covenant Law and Moral Law. Both of these come from God. Because the New Testament is about the new covenant between God and man — made possible by faith in Jesus Christ — there is a new set of rules that are in operation, different from the legal requirements of the Mosaic Covenant.
For the purposes of our discussion regarding Paul’s letter to Timothy, we are assuming that God’s Moral Law is always in place, while the specifics of Old Testament Law have become referential, meaning we can learn from them even if we are no longer under them.
Application: Remember that the word “law,” like the word “love,” has many meanings.
Food for Thought: How does misuse of the law make it “bad?”
*The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines “law” as “a binding custom or practice of a community” Definition 1, 1/29/2026, “https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/law”
†Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:1-21
I like your devotion and definitions. That was helpful.
The misuse of a law makes it bad because we have co-opted it for our own selfish purposes rather than seeking God’s will and purpose. We can become either legalistic or licentious. Both of those miss the mark of God’s intended purpose to love Him and love others.
Thank you, Rich!
Yes — you are spot on.
I think misuse use of the law means bending it to favor the self-interest of one person or a specific group of people. The law is meant to be impartial and universal, as it is truth in motion, and ultimately shows the condition of the heart. The misuse of the law makes it “bad” because someone else ultimately suffers so another can benefit. If the law were a blanket, it should cover everyone. If someone pulls the blanket so they have more, someone else “loses.”
Jesus spoke of this with the Pharisees in Matthew 23. He gave many examples of how the Pharisees bent the law in their favor, for their own self-interest. Here is just one example:
Matthew 23:13-15
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
Thank you, Chris!
Great point! If we lose sight of the First Law, that God is God and we are not, then all bets are off.
How does misuse of the law make it “bad?”
The law does not become bad, it is our conduct, application of lack of that is judged to be bad.
If the posted speed limit, is 55 MPH and we drive our car at 56 to 90 MPH or even higher, we have broken the law, and we will be held accountable by law enforcement personnel if they are aware of our actions, 55 MPH remains the posted speed limit.
My dad was a long haul truck driver and in the cab of all long haul freight trucks was a recorder which recorded the speed of the truck at all times the engine was running, and it could not be tampered with.
God is perfect in every possible way. Gods perfect laws, are written on the hearts of all mankind. Our love for God is demonstrated in our obedience to His laws, while our lack of love, disregard for God and His commands, is clearly shown as we ignore the good He has revealed to each.
It is our proper use or our misuse of the freedom given to each that will be judged by God.
John 14:15, If you love me, keep my commands.
Romans 1:21, For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 2:15, They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.
1 John 2:3-4, We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
Thank you, Ron!
Very interesting illustration! The “recorder” is always on, isn’t it?