FIRST TIMOTHY

Chapter 6

Introduction

Listen again to these key closing words of the apostle Paul to Pastor Timothy: "Pursue... lay hold on... keep... guard..." They are words of discipline and determination, passion and persistence. They are carefully chosen words that charge Timothy with the responsibility of persevering in his Christian walk until, as Paul said, "our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing."

Some, perhaps many, in the church at Ephesus were not persevering. In verses ten and twenty-one you read "some have strayed from the faith." Back in chapter one you were told of some who had "strayed," including two leaders in the church, Hymenaeus and Alexander, who "concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck." In chapter four Paul warned that "in the latter times some will depart from the faith..." In chapter five you were told that certain women in the church, young widows, had "already turned aside after Satan." Strayed... shipwrecked... departed... turned aside... These were not persevering in their Christian walk; they had profaned the faith of Jesus Christ.

Timothy had been raised with a knowledge of the Scriptures from a child. He had been converted to Christ, most likely as a result of the preaching of the great apostle Paul. He had been discipled by Paul and had traveled with him extensively. Paul referred to him as "my true son in the faith." He was a mature believer, serving as pastor over the church at Ephesus. And yet Paul felt it crucial to encourage him to persevere until the appearing of Jesus.

If it was crucial for Timothy to persevere, it is crucial for you and I as well. We'll see two things this morning: #1 An Earthly Perspective Encourages You To Profane, and #2 A Heavenly Perspective Encourages You To Persevere.

Some, perhaps and probably many, were not persevering in the faith. They were straying... suffering shipwreck... departing... turning aside. Why? Paul said it was because they were too earthly minded. Look at what he says to Timothy in verse fourteen:

1 Timothy 6:14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,

Timothy was to keep his eyes lifted heavenward and toward eternity, living in the expectancy of the Lord's imminent return. The whole tone of what Paul said to Timothy was to live with this eternal perspective.

In contrast, those who were straying and departing are described in this chapter as desiring to be rich in this world, as loving the currency of this world - of being too earthly minded. Their earthly perspective encouraged them to profane.

We normally think of "profanity" as the use of foul, vulgar language - a synonym for swearing or cursing. The word essentially means contempt or irreverence for things which are sacred. It is the perfect word to describe the activities of these who were straying and departing from the faith. They were profaning the name of God and the things of God - showing contempt and irreverence toward the faith.

1 Timothy 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,

Others were teaching otherwise; that was the problem in Ephesus! The words of Jesus, and the wholesome words of His apostles which were in agreement with the words of Jesus, were no longer authoritative to these individuals. They were deviating from orthodox doctrine.

1 Timothy 6:4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,

1 Timothy 6:5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.

Anyone who refuses to let God's words be final is "proud." He or she "knows nothing" in the sense of being an ignoramus! In practice, these people set themselves up as teachers of the word. But look at their methods: "disputes, arguments over words... useless wranglings..." And look, with the help of the Holy Spirit, at their motives: "envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions... corrupt minds and destitute of the truth."

An example will help, one I've used before. You are at the Harvest Crusade at Anaheim Stadium. Tens of thousands are hearing the gospel through music and a message; literally thousands are going forward, many genuinely responding to the work of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts. Outside the stadium are a small group of leaflet wielding nay-sayers whose arguments over words leads them to oppose evangelism unless certain of their criteria are adhered to. "From such withdraw yourself..."

Paul's commentary about these people was they supposed that "godliness" - being in the ministry - "was a means of gain," that is, financial, material gain. They were worldly, having an earthly perspective.

1 Timothy 6:6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Godliness - pursuing the disciplines of the Christian life as a disciple of Jesus - is a goal in and of itself. When accompanied with contentment, it is its own reward. "Contentment" is a word that indicates you live above your particular circumstances, with an inner resolve to trust in the Lord regardless your situation.

You started life with no material possessions; you can't take your accumulated wealth with you. Therefore, along the way you should be content if you have food and, literally, "shelter" - clothing to cover your body and a roof over your head. Paul reduces life on earth to its basic requirements to emphasize that this earth is not your home; you are just passing through. Why, then, get so attached to it? Why, then, have an earthly perspective?

1 Timothy 6:9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It is the "desire" for earthly wealth and the "love" of money that are to be avoided. The news is full of stories of people whose lusts for wealth have been their undoing. Paul says that it can be your spiritual undoing - causing you to "stray from the faith."

"Stray" and "depart" are serious words; "shipwrecked" and "turned aside after Satan" no less serious. There are people in churches who succumb to worldliness and leave the faith. Don't be one of them!

Timothy was encouraged to "pursue... lay hold on... keep... guard..." In light of the Lord's soon, sure coming, he was to persevere.

The perseverance of the saints is a great doctrine of the Bible. The Scriptures teach that all who are by faith united to Christ, who have been justified by God's grace and regenerated by His Spirit, who are truly born again, will never totally or finally fall away from the faith but will certainly persevere to the end. This biblical fact is indisputable.

Equally indisputable are the many and repeated biblical warnings to Christians for them to personally persevere - warnings like those in like those in our text. Christians are everywhere exhorted to obey, to remain faithful, and to exert every disciplined effort to maintain their Christian walk. So, which is it? Does God preserve you to the end? Or do you persevere to the end?

The answer is, "Yes!" God preserves you and you are to persevere to the end.

It is human nature to try to solve a mystery. In their attempts to solve the mystery of perseverance, theologians and Bible scholars and students tend to emphasize either God's preserving you or your perseverance:

Those who emphasize God preserving you see perseverance as a consequence of your salvation. They say that all who are truly born again will be kept by God's power and will therefore persevere until the end. This emphasis leads to complacency with respect to the warnings in God's Word.

Those who emphasize your perseverance see perseverance as a condition of your salvation. They say that only those who persevere until the end have been truly born again. This emphasis leads to confusion with respect to the assurances in God's Word.

Whether perseverance is a consequence or a condition will never be finally agreed upon. But what is agreed upon by all is that perseverance to the end is characteristic of all those who are truly born again. Thus your perseverance is a matter of utmost concern. When the Scriptures - the many, many Scriptures - exhort believers to "pursue... lay hold on... keep... guard..." they are to be taken soberly and seriously.

More than a sober and serious warning, Paul gave Timothy a strategy for persevering. He told him to flee, to follow, and to fight.

Flee as you persevere until the end:

1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things...

False teachers with their false teaching lead to rotten fruit in your life. Flee them! Not all unity is good; not all division is bad. You must make a biblical stand for truth against error.

Follow as you persevere until the end:

1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

You must be growing in your walk. If you're not moving forward, you're backsliding. "Righteousness" is your growing inwardly; "godliness" is your growth outwardly. One has to do with your character, the other your conduct. Your conduct should grow in "faith, love, patience, [and] gentleness." "Faith" is faithfulness; "love" is sacrificial love; "patience" is endurance; "gentleness" is meekness - power under control.

Fight as you persevere until the end:

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

"Keep on fighting" is the tense of this verb. It is the word where we get our English word agonize. It describes a soldier or an athlete straining and giving his or her best to win the battle or the prize. Perseverance requires the spiritual sweat of discipline.

Four things encourage you to spiritual discipline:

First: You have "eternal life," God working in your heart to empower your efforts...

Second: You are "called" by God, assured of victory...

Third: "Many witnesses," other believers, stand with you in your efforts...

The fourth encouragement to your spiritual discipline is in verse thirteen:

1 Timothy 6:13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

When things get tough, and you are tempted to stray or depart, you have the witness of Jesus Christ Who, though human like you and I, endured the examination of Pilate and suffered the Cross. He knew God was with Him and would raise Him from the dead.

Having mentioned Jesus and His victory over death, Paul looks forward in verses fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen:

1 Timothy 6:14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing,

1 Timothy 6:15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

1 Timothy 6:16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

These verses are intended to encourage Timothy to perseverance. Jesus is coming! Yet even now, God is Sovereign over all. We will not shrink back from following Him when we have a proper view of His majesty, glory, and power - both in this life and in the one to come.

As the letter draws to a close, Paul anticipates a reaction the readers might have, and he addresses it in verses seventeen through nineteen:

1 Timothy 6:17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

1 Timothy 6:18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,

1 Timothy 6:19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Some in Ephesus were already "rich in this present age." Having condemned the false teachers for wanting to be rich, Paul didn't want those already rich to come under any unnecessary condemnation. It's alright to be rich as long as you keep it in an eternal perspective. You can enjoy what God gives you if you employ what God gives you to further His kingdom on earth.

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge;

1 Timothy 6:21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

The letter ends with a final warning for Timothy to persevere and to thereby avoid the profanity that some had strayed into.

If it was crucial for Timothy to persevere, it is for you and I as well! Regardless your theology, perseverance is characteristic of the Christian life.

Conclusion

"Pursue... lay hold on... keep... guard..." These are the words of perseverance.

"Stray... suffer shipwreck... depart... turn aside..." These are the words of the profane.

Make sure yours is an eternal perspective as you persevere "until the Lord's appearing."