ETERNAL LOVE
Opening Prayer
Tell God how much you love him.
Read 1 Timothy 6:11–16
Final Charge to Timothy
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 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. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5).Just as at the start of the letter, so at the end, Paul gives Timothy a solemn command in the presence of God (13). This is not just a “job” for Timothy, just a step on the career ladder. His role as leader of the Ephesian church is to give everything he has. Like an Olympic athlete, his whole life must be ordered for this goal, to lead the church away from falsehood and into the freedom of the Gospel (11,12). Why such intensity of focus? Most importantly, it is because Jesus is coming back (14) to judge the living and the dead (2 Tim. 4:1). But also because we humans are weak, Timothy has to actively choose to flee from sin (11).
How can such focus and passion be maintained? The strength Timothy must draw on is found in the knowledge that one day he will see the One to whom all worship is due face to face (15,16). So live in the light and knowledge that eternal life is yours; “take hold of it.” You can’t lose it through failure because you never received it by success—God called you to it (12; c.f. John 15:16).
Apply
What about you? Is the glory of Jesus your focus? Is there sin you need to flee from? Do you need to remember again that eternal life is yours through Jesus’ finished work on the cross?
Closing prayer
Recommit to follow Christ wholeheartedly today.
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