What to do until Jesus comes back, 1 Timothy 6:11-16

What to do from now until Jesus returns.

1 Timothy 6:11-16

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 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, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:11–16, ESV)

MIT Faithfulness is more than avoiding sin, it is also the pursuit of God’s will. Or, another way to say it “Avoiding is not the same thing as being faithful. Faithfulness requires saying yes to what God wants and no to what God doesn’t.

Walking through the passage:

But as for you, O man of God

This refers to Timothy the pastor, and to Timothy the blood bought child of God. As Christian’s we are no longer the same person after we come to Christ. What we once craved and lived for is transformed into an entirely different and Holy Spirit produced desire to live for God.

“Flee these things”

What are these things? They are the cravings and actions of the false teachers mentioned in 6:3-10.

The thing most in view of 6:3-10 is the love of money. As Paul says it is the root of all kinds of evil. And, the love of money is what has produced the desire in some to pursue godliness as means of personal gain. Personal gain is financial, but it can also be more. Personal gain can be the approval of others, it can be the hunger for a platform of power and notoriety.

Paul writes in Philippians 3 about this contrast of desires: Philippians 3:7-21

[7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—[10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [12] Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13] Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15] Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16] Only let us hold true to what we have attained. [17] Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [18] For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness

Righteousness

right conduct and relationship with others

Godliness

humble and obedient in our relationship with God

Faith

trusting in God

Love

toward others, putting the well-being of others over yourself.

Steadfastness

endurance, faithfulness, not giving up

Gentleness

the way he was to be toward those who cause issues in the church and the way we are to be toward unbelievers.

In many ways, you can look at this encouragement to pursue as a description of what the 1 Timothy 3 overseer lives for and desires.

Fight the good fight of the faith

This means to strive or to struggle for the truth of the gospel. This is a struggle for personal obedience and growth, as well as a call to continue to struggle for the sharing of the gospel and the growth of the Kingdom.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called

To grasp, own, possess… the reward that is promised, like the garland that is received in the Olympic Games. This is what God has given to us, but it is also the life that we are striving to live in the present. It is the reward, it is the relationship we have, and it is the wa of life to which we are called.

“and which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses”

This is likely a reference to Timothy’s acknowledgement of the truth of Christ, which may have included baptism at that time, but would have surely included baptism. The good confession Is clearly something that others can see and bear witness too. It’s more than baptism, but I think baptism would correlate on the other side of the cross.

Paul’s charge to Timothy to fight the good fight is rooted in remembering his salvation and baptism.

“I charge you”

The/ charge to Timothy from Paul is about living for God, not for man… and there is no such thing as living for God (the giver of life) without also believing in and living for Christ. Paul had at one time lived for the Father while rejecting the Son. But, as Paul has come to know- this is impossible. For to reject Christ is to reject the Father… and to receive Christ is to receive the Son.

“In the presence of God who gives life to all things”

The Father, the creator of heaven and earth. God himself is now an active participant in their covenant one another. And, God has made the promises, and he hasn’t said anything about the days

“of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession. “

The good confession of Timothy is to echo the good confession that Jesus made about himself, namely that He is the King of the Jews, the promised Messiah!

Matthew 27:11-14, [11] Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” [12] But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. [13] Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” [14] But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

“to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach”

This could be in reference to the things said to Timothy as he accepted the role of overseer/elder in Ephesus. this could be the words given to him as he first said yes to God’s call to shepherd the church. This can also be the commandment to pursue, the commandment to fight the good fight, and the general commandment for all Christians to love God and love their neighbor. In light of Timothy’s ministry, the charge to live as an example to others, and the passage- Timothy is called to be faithful all the way to the end, unlike those who have wandered

Purity is one of the most important virtues that is left out of the larger teaching of the modern church. In an effort to avoid sounding fundamental many chuches have removed all teaching on sin, and have become something that is unrecognizable in comparison to the early church of the NT.

“until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ which he will display at the proper time”

There is no such thing as retirement from faithfulness to God and fulfilling your calling. And, when it comes to the good confession, Paul gives us a quick confession of our faith and belief in God…

“He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords”

God is the only true God, and as such is the supreme ruler over all things seen and unseen. These are titles that are also given to Jesus. And Jesus in view here since this flows from the mention of being faithful to God’s call until Christ returns.

And in the next few phrases lift our gaze high to the majesty and glory of God.

“who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see.”

God alone is immortal, God in his holiness is unapproachable and we cannot make our way to Him… where he is we cannot go without Jesus. Our sin has separated us from Him, and we have not seen him, and we will not see him unless we are in Christ.

“To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

God alone is worthy of our worship and our devotion. God is above all, and at the same time God us ruling over all.

Implications/ Take aways

5 commands to follow until Jesus comes back:

Run fast and far from sin and temptation.

Run fast after the things that please God.

Give it all you have when it comes to living for God.

Be all in when it comes to living for God.

Press on and persevere in your obedience.

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” - Charles Spurgeon

When you are tired and worn from the fight, look to Jesus.

After his beatings, and knowing what was on the other side of his confession…

Jesus spoke words to Pontius Pilate that He knew would bring the cross. And he said them.

Jesus who was crucified, Jesus who endured suffering and shame, Jesus who stepped down from heaven to redeem your sinful life from the pit.

Jesus stands before the throne of God today, in John’s vision of revelation he says that Jesus standing there like one who was slain… Even now, in the throne room of heaven Jesus bears the marks from our salvation… Look to Him and keep on in the fight!

When you feel like you just can’t do this anymore and wonder if it is worth it, look to heaven.

Paul motivates Timothy with a vision of God and his glory… we need the reminder that it is God that has saved us and it is God that we are living for, and it is God whom we are going to be with for eternity.

Where there is no vision, the people perish…

Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”

It is the glory and vision of God that keeps us fighting the good fight of faith each day.

We strive, we yearn, we crave- in contrast to the world and it’s earthly cravings, we crave what waits for us, we crave what is in the presence of the giver and creator of life.

(Maybe the dawn and light of Christ-funeral, if time)