Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-21
Title: Becoming a Man or Woman of God
1 Timothy 6:11-21 11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 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. 13 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, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 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, 16 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. 17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed. 20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge "-- 21 which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.
I. The Man or Woman of God Flees from Evil- 11
a. Avoid evil places
b. Avoid evil people
c. Avoid evil teaching
II. The Man or Woman of God Follows Virtue- 11
a. Righteousness & Godliness
b. Faith & Love
c. Perseverance & Gentleness
III. The Man or Woman of God Fights for Faith- 12-16
a. Hold fast to your calling
b. Hold fast to the commandments
c. Hold fast to Christ
IV. The Man or Woman of God Fosters Growth- 17-21
a. Teach Contentment
b. Teach Commitment
c. Teach Consistency
Are you a man or woman of God? In our super-spiritual saturated world we would all probably say, “Yeah, I’m a man or woman of God”. But in the Bible the phrase “man of God” meant something very significant. It was a phrase that was used to describe Moses, a man who was a spokesman for God and wrote the first five books of the Bible. It was used for prophets who spoke for God and warned against sin, guys like Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha.
In the OT the phrase “Man of God” refers to someone that God used to speak prophecy, or pen the Holy Scriptures, or lead the people. It wasn’t used for just anybody. It was
So when Paul calls Timothy a man of God he is saying a lot. He is identifying Timothy as a messenger of the gospel and a spokesman for Jesus Christ.
My prayer is that every single one of us would be worthy to be called a man or a woman of God. All of us who are believers are children of God. We are heirs to the kingdom. But we are not all men and women of God. That takes a step beyond a confession of faith. It takes commitment and calling.
Today we are going to look at what it takes to be a man or women of God. Follow along as I read 1 Timothy 6:11-21…
Step #1, the man or woman of God will flee from evil. The classic biblical story of how to flee from evil is back in Genesis with the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Potiphar was an Egyptian official in charge of a particular area. He had made Joseph his second in command. Joseph had a great deal of authority and trust. And I guess that Joseph must have been good looking too, because Potiphar’s wife had the hots for him. She kept trying to get him to go to bed with her. But Joseph kept turning her down.
One day she set a trap for him. All the servants were gone and it was just the two of them. She made another pass at him and he left his cloak and ran. This was an evil woman who wanted him to betray the trust of his friend and master. He fled that evil situation, even though I’m sure he could have gotten away with it.
What was his reward for fleeing evil? He got thrown in prison. That’s not fair. He did the right thing, but still got punished.
It’s not your reward that identifies you as a man or woman of God, but your actions.
In the context of 1 Timothy here, Paul is referring to things like the love of money, legalistic living, and teaching false doctrines. Those are the kinds of evil things that Paul wants Timothy to flee from.
In a more general sense, fleeing from evil means avoiding evil places. You know what that means in your own personal life. Evil places might be bars, night clubs, the computer room, or any place that you associate with sin. Be honest with yourself. If you know of a place that often gets you in trouble, stay away from it.
Fleeing from evil also means avoiding evil people. Usually those evil people are hanging out in those evil places. You know the friends or acquaintances that can get you in trouble.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Fleeing from evil also means avoiding evil teaching. There is no shortage of wrong theology and bad teachings about God. All throughout this book Paul has warned against false teachers and people who warp Christianity into some kind of works religion. Fleeing evil means completely rejecting any teaching that is contrary to the clear message of the scripture.
Step #2- the man or woman of God will follow virtue. So it isn’t just about what you avoid, but what you pursue. What do you follow after? What kinds of things do you strive for? To be known as a man or woman of God there are certain things that we need to reach for. Paul gives us a list of some of them here.
First of all we need to strive for righteousness and godliness. These are two very similar ideas. Righteousness has to do with the external actions and godliness has to do with internal motivation. It is not enough to simply be righteous, the Pharisees in Jesus time were righteous, but they were not godly. Actions without the proper motivation are just meaningless works.
Doing good things has to flow from a love for God, not from guilt or pressure from the nominating committee or some external force. If we are striving for godliness it will show in our actions.
Next Paul mentions faith and love. Paul uses these two words together in a number of different places. It reflects our relationship to God and our relationship to other people.
Faith is directed towards God. It is that vertical relationship. Faith is a strong confidence in God’s sovereignty. It means trusting Him in all things. Faith believes God in every situation. Faith is all about how committee we are to God.
Love involves both the vertical and the horizontal relationship. It is directed towards God and towards other people. Matthew 22:37-39 says…
Matthew 22:37-39 37 And He said to him, "’YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, ’YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
Faith and love are the internal motivating factors that drive the man or woman of God. It is what causes them to do what they do. And it can clearly be seen in their life. A person who is faithful and loving is obvious.
The final two virtues for the man or woman of God to pursue are more external qualities; perseverance and gentleness. These qualities are not always innate to us. Sometimes we need to work at them and strive to improve in these areas.
Perseverance is the ability to hold up under any trial. It is patience, confidence, and steadiness. All of these things are qualities that should characterize the man or woman of God.
Gentleness is also very important. How do you come across to people? Are you acidic and harsh and mean, or are you kind and patient and soft with people?
If you want to be a man or woman of God these are some of the qualities that you need to pursue. Are you there yet? Are you at least growing in these areas? What are some specific ways you could improve in your righteousness and faithfulness and love and gentleness?
Step #3- So the first thing you need to do is flee evil, then you need to follow virtue, next you need to fight for the faith. According to this passage the man or woman of God will fight the good fight of faith. Paul explains further in verses 12-16…
What kinds of things do you fight for? If you were to look back over the last year, what kinds of things have got you fired up? What has put you in a fighting mood? Were they things that mattered? Were they things that were noble and virtuous? Did most of those fights have to do with helping others or getting your own way?
We are all fighters. Paul wants Timothy to fight for something that is truly important. Not to be selfish and prideful and greedy, but fight for God; fight for the faith.
This command is accomplished in a couple of different ways. First, we need to hold fast to our calling. Those of us who are believers in Jesus Christ have been called. We have been called out of that old life of sin and slavery into something new. We have a much higher calling. We have been given the Holy Spirit to help us hold fast to our calling.
But we are not only called to be sons of God, but we are called to serve. Timothy was called to be a pastor; you have also been called by God to serve Him. This applies to all of us. If you are going to stand up for the gospel and fight the good fight of the faith, you need to stay firmly grounded in your believe in God. Hold fast to your calling.
Next, fighting the good fight means holding fast to the commandments. Not necessarily the Ten Commandments, but the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Fighting the good fight means sticking up for what is right. It means living in obedience with God’s will and desire for our lives. That’s not always an easy thing to do.
Have any of you heard of a guy named A.J. Jacobs? He is a journalist and a writer for Esquire magazine. AJ Just finished writing a book titled, “the Year of Living Biblically”. Here is a picture of the book. What he did was compile all of the commandments and laws and rules in the Bible and try his best to live by them for just 1 year.
The reason that he did this was because he grew up with very little religious influences and wanted to learn more about Judaism and Christianity. He also did it so he would have an interesting book to write. He did it in a very clinical, experimental way; he wasn’t exactly trying to be a man of God.
Being a man or woman of God is a lot more than simply following the rules. It is about having a desire to obey God. It is about loving God so much that we want to serve Him in any way we can.
True men and women of God have an amazing connection to the Word. They have a connection to the Bible that pervades them. They have read it, over and over again. They have studied it. They know what it says. They live by it.
There are plenty of Christians who have heard about the Bible, but they don’t really spend much time with it. It is possible to be a Christian and not interact with the Bible very much. People do it all the time. But it is not possible to be a man or woman of God without a holding fast to the word.
Along with holding fast to God’s commandments, we need to hold fast to Christ. Look at this awesome testimonial to the greatness of God in 14-16…
Paul weaves these beautiful statements about what God is like into his letters because he wants to continually remind us of the awesome God that we serve. We have a tendency to get too familiar with God. We get so used to Him that He stops being awe inspiring to us. We get bored with God.
The person who wants to be a man or woman of God will never forget what Christ has done for them. They will continually be amazed at God’s creation, at their own salvation, at the ways in which Christ guides them and calls them. Jesus Christ will never cease to be a great source of joy and praise.
When I first applied for the position as pastor here I knew that it was kind of a long shot. I’m young, I didn’t have a ton of pastoral experience, and I’m fresh from seminary. But the idea of being the pastor here was something that I longed for. I knew that I was headed for ministry and I longed to be able to serve here. I spent a lot of time praying and pleading with God.
As the process narrowed I got more excited and optimistic. But it still seemed like such a long shot. It still seemed distant.
When Jim Pascoe called me up to let me know that the search committee had settled on me I was amazed. It was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.
Since that time I still am in a state of amazement. I’m getting more used to my role and learning more about the responsibilities, but I still have times almost every day when I stop and realize what God has done in my life. I am overcome with gratitude and awe at how He guided the events of my life. I have those moments where I realize where I am and what I am doing.
I don’t want to lose that feeling. I don’t want this to become a job, or to get to a place where I think I deserve to be here because of something I have done. I don’t want to ever take this calling for granted.
In the same way, I never want to forget what Jesus Christ has done for me. I was dead in sin, a slave to my own desires, completely corrupt and headed for a worthless life and an eternity in hell. But Christ died for me and called me and forgave me. Not because of what I had done, but simply because He loved me.
I don’t want that reality to every grow stale. I don’t want to start taking that truth for granted. I want to always be in a state of awe and thankfulness for Christ’s saving work.
The man or woman of God will hold fast to Jesus Christ. They will make Him the focus of their lives. They will follow Him, live like Him, and worship Him. It might be possible to attain salvation by loosely holding on to the basic tenants of the faith, but I don’t want you to just be saved by the skin of your teeth.
I want you to be men and women of God. I want your lives to be a reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to be used by Him to do great things. I want you to know the unsurpassable joy of knowing Him and being known by Him.
The man or woman of God will fight for the faith. Following the commandments and following Christ won’t come easy. It will be something that you will have to work at, maybe even fight for. You will need to change priorities, drive away meaningless distractions, say no to people, and overcome apathy. It’s not necessarily an easy thing, but then nothing worthwhile comes easy.
Step #4- The man or woman of God will flee from evil, they will follow virtue, and they will fight for the faith, finally they will foster growth. Look at verses 17-21…
People who are true men and women of God are not content with keeping it to themselves. They have a hunger for God’s Word, and a hunger for sharing it with others. They are focused on other people.
You cannot be content to simply feed yourself, at some point God is going to expect you to get out there do something. You will be expected to use your spiritual gift. You will be expected to encourage and uplift others.
At some point in your Christian walk you need to move from learning lessons to teaching lessons. You need to move from being fed, to feeding others.
Don’t get me wrong, we all need to be fed. We all need to be encouraged and uplifted and exhorted from God’s word from time to time. But what I am saying is that eventually it will be time to do something with all that good stuff.
I’ve read this passage before, but I think it bears repeating. It is the author of Hebrews lamenting over the fact that the people haven’t moved on to the next level…
Hebrews 5:12 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
The idea behind this passage is that each one of us should grow past a certain point. We should be maturing spiritually so that we can help others mature. I think the complaint that the author of Hebrews had still applies to us today. How long have you been a Christian? How long have you been coming to church? How long have you owned that Bible?
By this time should you be teachers and leaders? The man or woman of God doesn’t just focus on feeding themselves; they take what they’ve learned and teach others.
First, you can foster growth by teaching contentment. Last week we talked about learning the secret of contentment when it comes to our money. Now that we have learned that lesson it is time to pass it on to others. The lesson from verse 17 is so simple and so practical.
First, instruct people who are wealthy not to be conceited. Let them know that their money is a gift from God. Teach everyone to be humble and generous and balanced with their money.
Next, don’t fix your hope on earthly things. Riches will come and go. Instead, fix your hope on God, who gives us things to enjoy.
We need to teach contentment because it is a hard lesson for some people to learn. It will help us so much in our relationship with God and others though.
We also need to teach commitment. Look at 18 -19 again…
Again this is just some very simple, practical advice. Teach people to stay committed to the things that matter most. Paul says, teach people to do good, to be rich in good works. And teach them to share. Store up those treasures in heaven. Build a foundation on eternal things, not worthless earthly things.
It does take a high degree of commitment to be a man or woman of God. It isn’t something that happens by accident. Those of you who are more mature need to encourage others to finish the race, to stay on course.
Finally, we can foster growth by teaching constancy. In the final verses Paul says to Timothy, “O Timothy, guard what’s been entrusted to you”. Don’t get sucked into that worldly knowledge. Don’t get moved off course by all the junk out there. Hold fast to what you have been given.
Teaching contentment, commitment, and consistency is done through our example. We need to model these things and show others how its done. We can teach these things through talking to people. Share with them the truth. Encourage them to stand firm. Exhort them to avoid sin.
Are you a man or woman of God? Do you desire to become a man or woman of God? What will it take to get there? What needs to change to accomplish that goal.
Are you a person that flees from evil? Do you avoid sin and anything that would bring dishonor to the name of God?
Are you a person that follows virtue? Do you seek after things that are holy and noble and righteous?
Are you a person who fights for the faith? Not just believes it, but lives it, protects it, guards it, and stands up for it?
And are you a person who fosters growth? Do other people blossom around you? Or do they shy away from you? Are you mature to the point that you are now able to teach others, or are you still needing milk?
God doesn’t just call us so that we will avoid hell. He calls us to be men and women of God. Let’s strive together to make that the goal of our lives.
