keep the commandment unstained

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

1 Timothy 6:13-14

Timothy was charged by Paul to stay faithful to the Word of God, to proclaim the gospel clearly, to watch his doctrine closely until Jesus returns. This is the charge every Christian, but especially every Christian leader must also take to be their own. We live in times where it is easy to stain the truth.

Holding to a gospel that is free from reproach means that I must take God's Word seriously. It is my life. And through scripture God sheds light on my days and gives life to me in ways that I cannot take for granted. I must let His Word saturate my thinking, change my actions, and mold my character until the day I leave this world.

As Jesus stood before Pilate, the earthly ruler who had the power to execute Him based on the charges brought against Him by His enemies, Jesus did not deny the one true statement, but clearly affirmed that He was the King of the Jews. He made the good confession at great cost. And so confessing the truth about Jesus may cost us in some similar way. But the truth cannot be reproached. Even at our own hurt.

Lord Jesus,

Help me to keep the Word of God unstained... to always believe You and never let my sin cloud the truth. May the gospel mark my life always, even at cost, until I am forever with You.

Amen