1 Timothy 6:12-16
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Biblical Manhood.
Biblical Manhood.
What is a man? What is a woman?
If you had to describe a man today, I’m not sure you could even get a clear answer to that question from a lot of people.
Manhood and Womanhood as God intended and designed them to be are both under attack. In fact to offer anything as a solid foundation of what manhood and womanhood should be in this cultural climate would be dismissed as bigoted and out of touch.
The culture around us wants to boys into girls, and girls into boys.
The culture around us wants boys to be girls, and girls to be boys.
In fact its hard to even define what being a man or woman in the world today means.
If you celebrate God given masculinity and encourage men to lead, to protect, to provide, and to quite simply not act like little boys you are chauvinistic.
We’ve spent the past two week discussing Paul’s commands to Timothy to flee from sin and pursue righteousness.
To celebrate biblical womanhood and to proclaim what God says about what the women should be will earn you the title misogynist in today’s world.
And while the world’s definition of manhood and womanhood are blurry, God’s definition is not.
The past few weeks, we have been discussing what Paul outlines and makes clear.
Timothy being a man of God should display clear and biblical characteristics.
We’ve spent the past two weeks in verse 11 discussing Paul’s commands to Timothy to flee from sin and pursue righteousness.
My earnest prayer and hope as we move forward to a new verse is that you do not let those principles grow cold.
Run from sin.
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love. perseverance, and gentleness.
Don’t give up running.
Its a constant thing, which really carries over to the commands in verse number 12.
My earnest prayer and hope as we move forward to a new verse is that you do not let those principles grow cold.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Run from sin.
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love. perseverance, and gentleness.
We’ve spent the past two week discussing Paul’s commands to Timothy to flee from sin and pursue righteousness.
Don’t give up running. Its a constant thing, which really carries over to the commands in verse number 12.
My earnest prayer and hope as we move forward to a new verse is that you do not let those principles grow cold.
Run from sin.
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love. perseverance, and gentleness.
Don’t give up running. Its a constant thing, which really carries over to the commands in verse number 12.
Fight the Good fight of faith.
Fight the Good fight of faith.
Billy Graham once said, “The Christian life is a battleground not a playground.”
Have you ever considered that being a Christian in this world is a fight?
I don’t think most of us do. I think most of us have more of a passive understanding of the Christian life.
The Christian life for many of us is just something else on the schedule. Its a spectacle we watch but its not something we would consider a fight.
But the Bible makes clear that it is.
If you are truly living your life according to the mission of Christ.
If you are actively fleeing from sin, and pursuing holiness, it will be a fight.
its
I would argue that if living the Christian life doesn’t feel like a fight, it can mean a few things.
1. You aren’t fighting at all.
2. You are fighting with the wrong things
3. You are fighting for the wrong things.
4. You are losing.
The Christian life is a fight, but we must make sure we are engaged in the right fight
Paul commands Timothy to engage in the most worthwhile of fights. The fight of faith.
The Christian life is a fight.
This word fight here can be translated in a few ways- fight, struggle, contest, battle.
Which means
And the language is that of a continuous battle.
For what though? What are we fighting against what are we fighting for?
The enemy in the fight is Satan.
We dealt with this a few weeks ago.
What does the Bible say about our enemy? Who are we fighting against?
Look what Paul says here and it should be familiar to you.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
If there is armor to be worn, there is a fight coming.
Satan uses many means to advance his cause, but believers are to fight against that, recognizing that we are fighting on the winning side.
SO as believers, We fight in this life, and the goal is making much of God’s name for His kingdom and for His glory.
Which means:
We fight to be holy in a world of sin.
We kill sin. We pursue righteousness, by the HS power.
We fight to cultivate humility in a world of pride.
We fight for our families, which by the way Satan seeks to destroy. Which means:
Husbands. The fight is not against your wife. Your wife is not your enemy. Satan is.And The fight is for your wife and for your marriage and for your children, by loving her like Christ loves the church and leading your home.
Wives. The fight is not against your husband. The fight is for your husband and for your marriage, not with your husband. Satan desires to destroy homes. We must fight for them.
In the church. We fight for unity in our church, where Satan would seek to sow dissension. Thats backwards isn’t it? Too often churches are known for their fight against one another, rather than fighting together for the Gospel.
Satan would much rather us concentrate our efforts as a church to fighting each other rather than for the purpose and mission of the Gospel.
We fight against the false doctrine of false teachers and we fight for the truth of the Gospel.
We fight through prayer. We fight for prayer.
The Christian life is a continuous fight.
Its Never ending while we live on this earth.
In other words, while in this life, it should be and will be a fight to live by faith.
It will be a struggle/ battle to live by faith, and Timothy should expect that.
We should expect that.
One thing that is important to remember in this is that fight is not to earn salvation.
We are fighting because salvation has been earned for us.
It is being saved that promotes the heart of the Christian to fight.
Its the fight of faith, not the fight for faith. Its the fight that faith produces.
That is why I believe Paul issues the next command to Timothy.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Take hold of the eternal life.
Take hold of the eternal life.
In other words, eternal life has been purchased.
Timothy doesn’t have to earn salvation.
Eternal Life is not something he has to wait for, it is his NOW.
Paul is saying. Grab hold of eternal life. Life for that and in light of that.
Timothy is no longer of this world, and as such, his pursuits should not be in this world either.
His pursuits are other worldly, because as believers,
Paul encourages the church of Philippi
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
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Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
Timothy take hold to that. Grab a hold of what God has given you in Christ and through salvation.
Let that be what you hold tight.
We tend to hold tight to the things that we really should loosely. Like money possessions any temporary things.
At the same time, we tend to hold loosely the things we should hold tightly.
God has given Timothy eternal life in Christ. Grab hold to what God has called you to.
This is what he means here by “to which you were called”
God called him to salvation. It was God’s sovereign Spirit that raised Timothy from dead to life.
It was God’s doing that gave Timothy eternal life.
God called him to that.
This is true of every believer here today. If you are in Christ today, it is because God’s has called you to himself by His grace.
I believe this speaks of God’s sovereignty and control over salvation.
Jesus says,
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.
Jesus, I believe is speaking of the inward call of the Spirit in , and I believe Paul is referencing the same thing here in .
Paul is telling Timothy and confirming in Timothy the inward call of the Holy Spirit.
Take a moment and appreciate that for a minute.
What a blessing that must have been. To have the Apostle Paul affirm God’s work of salvation in Timothy.
But Paul doesn’t leave it at that. He also points to Timothy’s responsibility to live out the confession he previously made in the presence of many witnesses.
I believe and most scholars agree that this is probably in reference to Timothy’s public profession of faith that he made in his baptism.
A few reason here:
It points to a one time event.
It describes there being witnesses.
This fits what Baptism should be:
Baptism is a one time event that should be administered only AFTER someone has professed faith and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is to be done in the presence of witnesses for accountability sake.
Why should there be witnesses you may ask?
To hold you accountable to profession and confession that you made.
When you get baptized you are declaring tot he church and to the world, I have been united to Christ by faith, and the church’s responsibility to each individual who gets baptized and joins the fellowship of the church is to hold them accountable and call them to live according to the confession that they made.
And this is exactly what Paul is doing, Paul is calling Timothy to live out his profession of faith and he adds to the accountability of this matter by mentioning all the witnesses of his confession.
In other words, Paul is calling Timothy to live out his profession of faith.
Timothy:
Fight the good fight
Take hold of eternal life.
Live out the confession you made.
Lastly:
Remember who God is.
Remember who God is.
We are going to look at verse 14 first and we will come back to look at verse 13.
that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
One final charge to the man of God.
This one Paul hammers home.
He begins the charge by explaining that he gives the charge in the presence of God.
Which is a reminder to Timothy that he ministers in the presence of God the Father is the giver of life.
Just think about that for a moment and put your life and worship of God in perspective.
That we do all we do in the presence of the one who gives life.
God gives life as a gracious gift and its his to give and stop giving.
But he goes on,
In the presence of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession in front of Pontius Pilate.
I think Paul is reminding Timothy of the faithfulness of our Savior to remain steadfast as he went to the cross.
and they gave them for the Potter’s Field, as the Lord directed me.” Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”
Just as Jesus our Lord and Savior and supreme example remain faithful whatever the cost, Timothy is to do the same.
Specifically, Look at verse 14
that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul is commanding Timothy to keep the commandment.
I believe this is in reference to the entirety of the Word of God. not one single commandment.
And essentially, this command is for Timothy to live a life of holiness and in light of the fact that Christ will return at the proper time. In other words, Timothy, you be faithful in the fight and in the struggle to live this life. The Lord is in control and his plan is in place to make it all right.
In other words, Timothy, you be faithful in the fight and in the struggle to live this life. The Lord is in control and his plan is in place to make it all right.
I think Paul tells him this because Paul understands the damage done by unfaithful men of God.
Church I need your prayers. If I can ask you to pray one thing for me, its the contents of verse 14.
It seems as if every week, I hear of another instance of sin in a pastor’s life.
When that happens, the church doubts, and the unbelieving world mock.
Pray that i never do anything that would bring shame to the name of Christ.
This is a tall order. Its hard.
And Timothy is encouraged to do so with a few things in minds.
How will he ever do all of this? How will I?
By remembering who God is.
Look what he says in verses 15-16
which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
Paul reminds Timothy of who is God and who God is.
He ends this section with a doxology. Its a praise to God for who and what he is.
He is the only Sovereign.
There is one God. One in control and one on the throne in heaven.
He is the King of kings.
He is the Lord of lords.
God’s supremacy of every other thing is in view here.
I believe this encourages Timothy.
I believe it gives Timothy rest to know that God is sovereign.
Timothy isn’t in control in the church of Ephesus.
And neither am I in control here.
That is comforting.
I cant imagine what it would be like to pastor to lead this church and think that it was ultimately up to me on whether or not it succeeds or not.
Now this doesn’t mean that we say, well God’s sovereign. He’s in control, so I guess that means it doesn’t matter what we do.
No God’s sovereignty rightly understood, does not produce one who is lazy or disobedient. In fact, if it does, you have not rightly understood God’s sovereignty according to the Bible.
God’s sovereignty and the fact that he is King of kings and Lord of lords, produces obedience as we submit to the one who is in control and who does reign over all.
Isn’t it wonderful to think that the God who made the galaxies and holds them all together is our God, and there is none like him.
Paul goes on here to discuss the uniqueness of who God is.
who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
He alone possesses immortality.
Meaning, he alone possess life in and of himself.
He is not dependent on anything else.
You and I have a soul that will live forever, but that life is derived from God It is given by God. In other words, we would not have that unless God gave it to us. In fact, we have nothing unless God gave it to us.
God possess immortality in and of himself.
He is the only truly eternal one. From everlasting to everlasting. in dependent and in need of nothing outside of Himself.
He is different than us in that he is the only independent being.
He is also different than us in that he dwells in unapproachable light.
This speaks of God’s Holiness. He is perfect. His word can be trusted.
And lastly.
It is his honor, not mine that we are after.
To him be the honor.
God deserves praise not man, not me.
I’m here on this earth for a very short time and I am control of very little while I’m here.
God rules and reign eternally.
I do best to remember that and submit and serve him.
Timothy:
Fight the good fight
Take hold of eternal life.
Live out the confession you made.
Remember who God is.
Believers this is what we are called to.
We are called to fight remembering we are saved, living out our confession, and remember who God is.
Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
The strife will not be long:
This day the noise of battle,
The next the victor’s song;
To him that overcometh
A crown of life shall be;
He, with the King of glory,
Shall reign eternally.