βNow the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeignedβ (I Timothy 1:5).
βThe commandmentβ here is a reference to the ten commandments, commandments which God sees as one (James 2:10,11). The βendβ of the commandment refers to the goal or intent of the ten commandments. We use the word βendβ that way when we ask, βTo what end are you doing what you are doing?β Godβs goal in giving the ten commandments was charity, a Bible word for love. Godβs goal in giving the commandments was to get men to love God and their neighbor. If you love God, you wonβt take His name in vain, and if you love your neighbor, you certainly wonβt bear false witness to him or steal his stuff!
But the intent of the ten commandments wasnβt just to get people to love God and their neighbor. It was to get them to love βout of a pure heart,β and the only people who have a pure heart are saved people (Ps. 24:3,4). Thatβs why the Lord said, βBlessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see Godβ (Mt. 5:8). So Godβs goal in giving the ten commandments was to get everyone saved and obeying them out of a pure (saved) heart.
The process starts when the unbeliever hears the commandments and gains βthe knowledge of sinβ (Rom. 3:20; 7:7). He then can see his need of a Savior and believe the gospel. This then enables him to obey the ten commandments out of a pure heart and out of βa good conscience.β Unbelievers cannot obey the ten commandments out of a good conscience, for βeven their mind and conscience is defiledβ (Titus 1:15).
But when a saved man obeys Godβs commandments, he does so out of βfaith unfeigned.β The word βfeignβ means to pretend (I Sam. 21:13), so unfeigned faith was genuine faith, the kind Timothy himself had! (II Tim. 1:5). In the millennial kingdom, the unsaved will have to feign faith, but the goal of the commandment in the dispensation of grace is βcharity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.β Are you living up to Godβs intent? source
