1 Timothy 6:11-16; 20-21
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen… Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. Grace be with you.”
Commentary:
In the book, What Makes a Man?, John Yates writes that there are three types of men—a ladies’ man, a man’s man, and God’s man. A ladies’ man is self-centered and essentially lives for the applause of women. A man’s man lives for the applause of men. He wants to be seen as successful in the eyes of the world. But, the highest and most noble goal for any man is to be God’s man.
John Yates writes, “To be God’s man means to be the friend of God and the servant of God, who wants, above all, the will of God. God’s man knows and trusts that God’s way is the best way, and therefore he commits himself daily to discerning the will of God in all situations.”
A man of God lives for the applause of God.
The Apostle Paul was a man of God who spent years teaching Timothy how to be a man of God. In 1 Timothy 6:11-16 and 20-21, Paul gives Timothy four key resolutions to follow if he truly desires to live to please God.
1. Flee worldliness. In verse 9-11, Paul encourages man to flee and warns that people who want “to get rich fall into temptation” and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” A man who is living by the world’s values is under the control of Satan. Heed Paul’s warning: flee.
2. Follow hard after Jesus. Paul tells Timothy to “pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” To pursue means to follow after with all your strength. Following hard after Jesus takes commitment, time, and discipline and it’s well worth it. You will be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
3. Fight the good fight. If you’ve made a confession of your faith, it means that you’re Christ’s soldier and Satan’s enemy. You have entered into a war. 1 Peter 5:8-9 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” The souls of men and women are at stake. This is what the man of God is fighting for.
4. Be faithful. In verse 20 Paul writes, “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.” The word “guard” means to watch over, protect, and defend. The phrase, “what has been entrusted to you,” comes from the Greek word “paratheke” which means deposit. The deposit Timothy was to guard was the truth.
One day, countless men will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) and Jesus will say “well done, good and faithful servant.” Do you want to be one of these men? Then heed the charge that Paul gave to Timothy. Flee the pull of the world. Follow Jesus Christ and be engaged in the battle. Fight the good fight! And be forever faithful!
