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. 1 Timothy 6:11-12 (NIV)
Paul is telling Timothy, “You have made the confession that you are God’s man. You have embraced the calling to live as God’s man. Now, here is what you must do…”
A character to pursue
Paul talks about six things to pursue: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. In his commentary on 1 Timothy, John Stott says, “Endurance is patience in difficult circumstances. Gentleness is patience with difficult people.”
A battle to fight
Then Paul tells Timothy to “Fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12). The world will always reject Christ, and those who proclaim “Christ is Lord” will always be in conflict with the unbelieving world.
A life to gain
Lastly, Paul tells Timothy to: “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (6:12).
Notice the language—pursue, fight, take hold of… The Christian life will be a struggle. John Calvin says, in his commentary on 1 Timothy, that most Christians want to serve at ease, as if the Christian life were a pastime, but Christ calls his servants to warfare.
When Paul gives Timothy this charge, he says, “In the sight of God, who gives life to everything…” (6:13). He is saying, “God will give you the energy you need for this. He gives you life. He sustains your life. By His Spirit, He will give you strength for each day.”
Look again at 1 Timothy 6:11-12. Are you pursuing this kind of character? In which of these three areas do you need to trust God more and be less passive?
