Scripture Daily

Context No. 3864 of 4322 · 1 Timothy

Context · Reflection

1 Timothy 6:11-16: in context

11But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. 13I command you before God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, 14that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which at the right time he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

Paul gives Timothy a charge that rings with urgency. But you, man of God, flee these things, he says, meaning the love of money and its snares, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. The Christian life has both a fleeing and a following: we run from what corrupts us and run after what is good.

And then a call to struggle: fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called. Two things stand out. The Christian life is active, not passive. There are things to flee and things to pursue, a good fight to be fought; faith is not drifting but a deliberate running toward God and away from what harms us. And it is anchored in a great vision of God: the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. Keeping our eyes on this glorious God gives us the reason and the strength to flee, to pursue, and to fight.

Am I actively fleeing what corrupts me and pursuing righteousness, fighting the good fight of faith, with my eyes fixed on the King of kings to whom I belong?

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