Fight The Good Fight Of Faith, 1 Timothy 6:11-16 & 20-21
INTRODUCTION:
A. The apostle Paul writes For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
1. Life in this world is a fight – a wrestling match if you would
2. Watch this YouTube clip
3. Did you notice the struggle?
a. Two forces at odds with one another, both striving for the mastery
b. Both want on top
4. We can use this wrestling match to illustrate our Christian life in one of two ways
a. First, if we look at the pair, there is the good and the evil, the spiritual and the fleshly, struggling for the mastery of our life
b. Second, if we look at each individual we would find an internal struggle
1) The one on the bottom is struggling with losing, wanting to win, trying to figure a way to get on top, while making sure he does not get pinned on the bottom
2) The one on the top is struggling with winning, wanting not to lose, trying to figure out how to pin the other without losing the advantage and ending up on the bottom – possibly pinned.
c. Can you see the parallel with our Christian life – it is a struggle, a wrestling match, a fight.
B. Either makes a good illustration of Paul's words found in this final portion of scripture from 1 Timothy, beginning
1. In 1 Tim. 6:11 Paul writes But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
2. There is a force to flee from (the world's way of thinking & living) and a force to follow after (the godly way of thinking & living)
3. There is this constant wrestling of one against the other
4. This struggle can again be seen in Paul's words in Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
5. This is the battle each Christian must face and so Paul concludes his words to Timothy with: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. [13] I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; [14] That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: [15] Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; [16] Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen…O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust…Grace be with thee. Amen. 1 Tim. 6:12-16, 20-21
C. This morning I want to encourage you to live for Christ.
1. It will not be easy – it will be a struggle, a wrestling match, a fight!
2. But we must persevere – we must continue on in the faith – the stakes are high – eternal, in fact!
3. So Paul closes this first letter to Timothy with:
a. An Exhortation
b. Followed by A Charge.
4. May God grant us the grace to Guard the Deposit: Keeping That Which God Entrusted Unto Us, that we might pass it on to the next generations.
PRAY
As Paul bring this letter to a close he sets before Timothy something we all need
I. AN EXHORTATION: 1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
A. The first words of exhortation, Fight The Good Fight Of Faith
1. Oh, how we need to hear these words!
2. The life we live as Christians is not for cowards!
3. It is a fight, sometimes an agonizing one.
a. The Greek verb (ag-o-needs-zo-my), translated "fight" at the beginning of verse 12, and the Greek noun (agon) translated "fight" three words later are the words we get agonize and agony from.
b. So we could translate the phrase "Agonize the good agony of faith!"
c. It's agonizing because the fight is as much internal as external - John Kitchens writes, "The words used here describe not just the outward engagement of such a fight, but also the inward turmoil inherent in such conflict."
1) It is not just the outward match that is taking place, but an inward one as well: it is a fight of our thoughts and our actions! And the present tense affirms that it is something we have to continually do.
2) The picture Paul is trying to paint is much like that of the wrestlers we saw earlier
d. The Christian life is a struggle – a fight.
4. But the exhortation gives us hope in the midst of the fight for we see
a. First it is "good"
1) Whereas the love of money (v. 10) is evil, the fight of faith is good.
2) This fight has beneficial effects
3) And as we will see eternal ramifications!
b. Second, it is about faith – the faith
1) Here we are talking about the body of truth contained in God's word – the teachings found there – doctrine!
2) All that is brought to fulfillment in Christ's death, burial and resurrection.
5. What we believe about God, Christ and man dictates how we live – it is important!
B. The second word of exhortation is …lay hold on eternal life….
1. The phrase "take hold" means to grasp it as our own – believe in God's word of eternal life – it is real – it is present
2. The phrase "take hold" is in the aorist tense, meaning that it takes place at a particular point in time and is established
3. Whereas we have to continually fight for the faith; we receive, once and for all, eternal life! Praise God we can't lose it!
4. And Paul establishes for us the dichotomous reality of this taking hold of eternal life
a. God called him/us to this eternal life - John 6:44 affirms this stating, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:….
b. And we make confession - Romans 10:9 proclaims That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
5. So Timothy was to follow Paul's instruction in this letter, struggling to maintain the faith which was given to him though the sovereign call of God and confessed to in front of many witnesses.
C. This is what we are exhorted to do!
1. Give the Gospel
2. Have you come to a knowledge of the truth – the faith – as given in God's word?
3. Is God calling you to eternal life?
If you have come to Christ or are thinking about it this morning you must consider
II. THE CHARGE, 1 Tim 6:13-14 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
A. Preparing for the Charge
1. Paul puts a high premium on this charge
a. It is made in the sight of God who quickens all things
b. And before Jesus Christ – who already made a good confession
2. In Roman culture, the higher the witness of a charge the greater the weight laid upon the charge and the one receiving it.
3. This was as high as it could go!
4. God is the witness of what Paul is about to tell Timothy and He wanted Timothy to know the seriousness of what he was about to say
5. Hence it is important that we listen as well, for God is still the one who will quicken all things and Jesus is still the greatest confession of all
B. Are you ready – here it is: …keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1. There seems to be much disagreement as to what "this commandment" refers to but the two greatest possibilities seem to be
a. The previous exhortation Paul made and we just looked at
b. Or possibly all that Paul had just written to Timothy in this letter.
2. Now this is not as big a deal as some might make it, because I think what Paul just gave Timothy in verses 11-12 is a summation of the whole letter.
3. Think about all topics we have covered: grace, salvation, faith, spiritual warfare, mercy, doctrine, the law, prayer, worship, church leadership, the church, godliness, materialism, relationships – and we just scratched the surface
a. In essence our life is to be as much, if not more about spiritual things as it is about material or world oriented things
b. 1 Timothy speaks to where we live – it is RELEVANT!
4. And so this charger, keep this commandment, comes with the attached admonitions: live it
a. Without spot: this means: free from vice, unsullied
b. Unrebukeable: that is with no grounds for accusation to be found
5. Ultimately he was - we are – to live a life that exemplifies Christ!
6. And we are to do it continually – until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C. Now this is a tall order, but remember, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us
1. It is the Spirit that will guide us, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Gal 5:25
2. It is the Spirit that empowers us: …This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zech. 4:6
3. And it is the Spirit that gives us the fruit of the Spirit - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Gal 5:22-23
4. We are to live, thusly, until the coming of Jesus Christ!
CONCLUSION: In closing
A. If we are to live for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church, in all things bringing glory to His holy name we are in for the fight of our lives – but it is a good fight!
1. The title for the series has been Guard The Deposit – Keeping What God Has Entrusted To Us
2. In 1 Tim. 6:20 Paul states one last time, O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust,…
3. Timothy receive the Exhortation and follow through on the Charge: now it is our turn!
4. We don't want to be the generation that lets it all fall by the way side
B. We must continue on until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
C. What do you say: yea or nay?
