Don’t Quit
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
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.
This passage is called a hymn or doxology.
It’s a song of praise to God - the doxology starts at verse 15 when Paul starts giving praise to
Jesus.
But, it is riddled with statements that causes us to have questions.
Questions like…
How long is Timothy supposed to keep the commandment?
Which commandment?
And what did Jesus confess to? And what made it good?
Woah - wait! Why is Jesus the only one to have immortality? I thought we have it too now that He’s given us life?!
Let’s dive in together and figure all this out and what this means for us today.
The Commandment
The Commandment
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,
To start off, let’s understand one thing…
Paul is commanding Timothy. It’s why he refers to the “commandment”.
When we hear that term, I don’t know about you, but my mind wanders off to Charlton Heston holding two large tablets… which always makes my mind drift further off to a Mel Brooks rendition of the same scene where Moses infamously drops one of them, breaking it into pieces.
Anyway, commandment… Paul had given Timothy a command, to “fight the good fight of faith” —
this is the commandment.
How many of you have had older siblings?
I’m the baby of my family and I can tell you, just because someone older than you tells you to do something, doesn’t qualify it as a command!
“Go clean your room.”
Often may have been met with a simple yet defiant, “No.”
An order from an older sibling needed the magic words to get my attention… “Mom said…” or “Dad said” to make me follow through with the command.
Those words carried meaning, especially if I didn’t want to do whatever it was that they were telling me to do.
A command matched with one of those phrases was a recipe for me to get to work.
Paul isn’t just telling Timothy to keep the good fight, he’s commanding him to keep fighting.
And he makes sure to tell him that God had approved the command.
It wasn’t only Paul who was commanding him to keep up the good fight.
It was issued in the presence of God.
Essentially, “God said Keep up the fight…God said, don’t quit”
I don’t know about you, but this official command from God concerning fighting for his faith… well, it may make your mind wonder something — why it even had to be commanded.
Why would Timothy need such a decree from the presence of God?
Because… temptation.
It was extremely tempting to quit.
To adapt to the culture around him.
To allow himself the sinful behaviors as the people he served.
He was tempted to indulge his flesh for its desires.
This wasn’t small talk from around the presence of God — this was a direct message to a wearied believer.
Maybe some of you are feeling that same weariness too?
Here’s your commandment — don’t quit fighting for your faith!
It’s a command from the throne room of God.
God said don’t quit.
So… go clean your room.
The Good Confession
The Good Confession
But within this command, Paul mentioned something about Jesus making the good confession.
This too, causes a couple questions;
What does that even mean?
So, Jesus’ confession was about Himself.
A year ago or so I preached about confessing… and it means to state what you know to be true
when you are asked.
To confess.
And when we look to what Jesus confessed to we find it was questions about himself.
Think back to when Jesus stood before the authorities of those days.
They grilled Him with questions…
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.”
Jesus essentially AGREED with Pilate - that was His confession… I AM THE KING.
11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
Jesus told Pilate that God was His Father, and that God was in charge. Jesus confessed to be the
Son of God, and where His authority came from.
Ultimately, Jesus’ confession was that He is the Son of God, He is the King, and that He is the
authority.
He confessed these things knowing that He would be put to death for saying them.
Which leads us to our follow question;
2. Why did Paul even mention that here?
Jesus didn’t quit.
Jesus did that which He was commanded by the Father.
Jesus was obedient even unto death. Philippians 2:8 “8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus did the will of the Father.
Paul was commanding Timothy to not quit, in the presence of God - who issued the authority.
And in the presence of Christ Jesus - who KNEW what it meant to follow one of God’s commands.
Suddenly this wasn’t just a SNAP and “Pay attention” moment for Timothy — it was a come to
Jesus moment.
Do you realize that this command - don’t stop fighting for your faith has been issued to you as well?
It was issued in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus?
Why are you still playing around?
Jesus sees the temptation - He understands it why you feel like quitting.
And here you stand right in front of God and Jesus — and you’re being told,
“Don’t quit” This is important work you’re doing.
There’s a reason Satan wants you to quit.
There a greater reason why God has you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE.
SO DON’T QUIT.
How to Keep the Commandment
How to Keep the Commandment
14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What is the expectation of the way in which we keep the command?
Unstained.
No reproach.
What does this mean to keep the command unstained?
Without reproach?
Live it.
If you’re going to say you’re a Christian, then be one.
You can’t live like you’re fooling everyone, because *newsflash* you’re not.
The world around you sees what’s happening.
People are watching the way we live, how we speak, if we behave like we say we believe.
This is why Paul tells us to live the command unstained and with no reproach.
How Long Are We Supposed to Do This?
How Long Are We Supposed to Do This?
14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Right there, did you see it?
UNTIL the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul tells us that there is an end… there is a powerful ending to all this.
It’s easy to lose focus.
It’s even easier to think, “I can’t keep this up”
Have you noticed that people REALLY believe that everything is just building up to some cataclysmic, black hole, end of all things.
We KNOW the ending.
You can read about it in the back of this book.
And for us… for believers… we know that there’s a POWERFUL moment when all the work.
All the striving.
All the painful decisions.
All the temptations.
All of it adds up to that one moment when Jesus returns to find His bride how?
Spotless and without wrinkle.He is coming for those who haven’t quit!
Many have already and more will do the same, they will pass before Jesus returns. Which is why
when Paul was near death he wrote,
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
This isn’t about being known for being a good person when you die.
It’s about knowing that you fought the good fight.
You have finished the race.
You have kept the faith.
As believers, we will either die knowing that you fought the good fight or we will be taken out of this mess by Jesus at the end of all things.
Either way you will live forever in the presence of God and Christ Jesus.
The Immortal One
The Immortal One
Why does Paul mention that Jesus is the only One who lives forever?
Like aren’t we going to as well?
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.
Well, of course, our response to Christ isn’t something that we give because of what He gives to us, Paul makes it clear that our response is simply because of WHO Jesus is!
The Immortal One, the One who dwells in unapproachable light, the One Whom no one has ever seen or can see!
And that response is simply to give Him honor and eternal dominion!
But what is this about “who alone has immortality”… wait — I thought when I read the fine print on my salvation that there was this whole guarantee that I could… well, you know…
Ok, ok, ok… Yes - we will live with God forever and ever - I promise that’s true.
This verse is pointing to the fact that we will have that gift because it has been given to us.
Let me explain.
Our immortality isn’t derived by something within us… it’s not who we are.
It was given to us.
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
We PUT ON immortality.
Jesus is immortal.
26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
Did He die - yes - that isn’t the qualification for immortality - to immortal simply means you can’t be killed —ended.
In other words, he didn’t stay dead.
You can’t keep something dead that’s immortal.
And there’s good news about that!
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Jesus resurrected from the dead - because He’s immortal.
If that same Spirit lives inside of you - you’re immortal too!
Nothing can keep you dead.
Cancer can’t defeat you.
Heart failure isn’t the end.
These things may attack your flesh.
You may lay down for awhile…
But YOU cannot be kept down.
There is coming a time when you’ll float too!
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
So, yes, we are given immorality to rise with Christ!
But He is the Immortal One.
He didn’t take the keys to death and the grave for Himself - He did it so that we too could have
immortality.
Who Is This Immortal One?
Who Is This Immortal One?
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.
I’d like to quote David Guzik concerning this verse, he describes what this verse means;
“He is holy. Jesus is not merely a super-man, He is the God-man; truly immortal without beginning or end; with a glory which if fully revealed would strike any human dead.”
That’s what unapproachable light means, it is like Raiders of the Lost Ark - unapproachable.
If we could see His glory, His majesty, we would be struck dead.
The angels can’t even behold God.
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.
They cover their faces because His glory is TOO much!
It’s the very reason why God hid Moses behind a rock so that when He passed by in front of Him
Moses wouldn’t die.
22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
WE CANNOT, IN THIS CONDITION OF MORTALITY, BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD’S
PRESENCE AND LIVE.
Even angels hide their faces from the power of God’s glory - and their in HEAVEN!
You ever stare at the sun? I did a lot when I was a kid.
They say you shouldn’t stare at what a welder is doing… but I do it anyway.
I can’t help myself.
These lights, the welder’s arc, the sun, those kinds of brightness are a kind of microscopic element of creation when they are compared to the vastness and power of God.
They are just snippets of creation.
We can’t handle staring at a little piece of God’s creative ability - how are we going to behold the
Immortal One?
That’s why worship is so amazing, we are gifted God Holy presence and we can experience Him,
love Him, know Him… but if we were to stand before Him — dead.
It’s also why it’s such a big deal that God came dwelled among us.
He left His glory behind and became like us.
We tend to forget the power and splendor of the One whom we worship, the One for whom we give
of our finances, the One for whom we sacrifice one day a week to gather with His people, the One
for whom we read and study, and pray, and worship during the week…
The One for whom we continue on in
1 Timothy 6:11 “11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
HE is the reason we continue to fight the good fight of faith.
He testifies to us that it is glorious to follow God’s commands.
Be loving, be gentle to others.
Be steadfast in your faith.
Show yourself to be righteous and godly in a world that anticipates that you will give up and move onto the next “phase” of your life…
In a world like this - fight the good fight of faith.
Because let’s be honest…
Most people don’t quit Jesus all at once.
They quit in inches.
They stop praying.
Stop reading.
Stop gathering with believers.
Stop resisting temptation.
Stop repenting.
Stop fighting.
Not because they hate God…
but because they get tired.
And Timothy was tired too.
That’s why Paul doesn’t gently suggest perseverance.
He COMMANDS it.
In the presence of God.
And Christ Jesus.
“Don’t quit.”
Some of you are exhausted right now.
You’ve been fighting lust.
Fighting fear.
Fighting depression.
Fighting bitterness.
Fighting disappointment.
Fighting temptation.
Fighting the urge to just coast spiritually.
And maybe nobody even knows.
But hear me clearly:
The fact that you’re still fighting means something.
Dead things don’t fight.
Living things do.
And one day—
either through death or through the return of Christ—
you are going to stand before the Immortal One.
The One blazing with glory.
The One the angels cover their faces before.
The One who never quit on you.
And in that moment…
You will never regret staying faithful.
You will never regret the prayers.
Never regret the repentance.
Never regret the worship.
Never regret the obedience.
Never regret saying no to sin.
Never regret enduring the awkwardness of holiness in a culture that mocks it.
You will not stand before Him wishing you had compromised more.
So fight the good fight.
When nobody sees.
When culture laughs.
When temptation screams.
When your flesh wants comfort more than Christ.
Fight.
Not because you’re trying to earn salvation…
but because the Immortal One already secured it for you.
So don’t quit.
Not now.
Not here.
Not after everything Jesus endured for you.
Fight the good fight of faith.
And finish the race.
