1 Timothy 6:13-16  The Example of the Saviour  Message 33

We have learned that the pastor is to practice and to preach that believer’s will –

      a.  Be careful in fellowship. “…any man…” including Religious teachers, withdraw themselves from evil and give themselves to listen and obey ‘wholesome words’.

      b.  Be content in material pursuits.  1 Timothy 6:6-11

      c.  Be contending for the faith.  1 Timothy 6:12-16

We have been warned of the dangers of accumulating money as a method of setting ourselves above others through the possession of material goods, power, prestige, submitting to our pride and the love of money. Many fight for these things, not contending for the faith, but contending for foolish things that will all be left behind at death.

We are to fight for that good thing, faith.  We saw in verse 12 three things that will help us to walk in the way of the Lord.

The exhortation to contend for the faith.

The encouragement to lay hold on eternal life.

The example of the Saviour.

We began with –

        1).  The Exhortation to contend for the faith

          a).  Contending                 Paul’s exhortation –

                ‘Fight the good fight’. 

          b).  Courage to fight  We must know God’s Word and have the –

          c).  Conviction of what to fight for.

We were reminded that life is full of fights –

            (1).  good ones, the fight for THE FAITH, holding forth the truth of God.

            (2).  Meaningless fights: to fight for the things of this world which are so soon to be worthless to anyone.  And there are –

            (3).  Foolish fights:  to fight against God or to fight against His people which are to be rejected –

We have the exhortation to fight the good fight of faith.  We also have

Then we learned what it means to “…lay hold onto eternal life…”

        2).  The Embracing of your eternal life.

It is yours, posses it, occupy it, own it, God has given it to you!  Declare that it is yours and begin now, not waiting until you die!

Today, being Easter, we will look at the –

        3).  The Example of the Saviour 1 Timothy 6:13-16

1 Timothy 6:13-16  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: 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.

This is especially a blessed day to look to the Saviour as Paul exalts Him in this letter to Timothy.  I did not plan out the preaching schedule of this book for these verses to be preached on this day, but how appropriate they are and how blessed we are to fight the good fight of faith. 

          a).  The witnesses of our faith. 

1 Timothy 6:13  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;

             (1).  The reason for fighting the good fight   “…God…and before Christ Jesus…”

We fight the good fight because God loves us –

John 15:9-12  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

            (2).  The results of fighting the good fight 

1 Timothy 6:14  That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:

We fight the good fight because the world needs to see the light of God in us and hear the Word of God from us –

2 Corinthians 4:1-10  Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

          b).  The witnesses of the Lord’s faith.  “…who before Pontius Pilate…”

1 Timothy 6:13-14a  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,

We must take a moment and be reminded of –

            (1).  His plan

Luke 18:31-33  Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Mark 14:61-62  But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

            (2).  His position.

Matthew 27:11  And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.

John 18:37  Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Mark 15:12-14  And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.

John 19:19  And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

            (3).  His power

John 19:2-12  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

          c).  The witnesses in faith, looking for the Lord’s return.

Paul wrote these words –

1 Timothy 6:14b-16   “…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.”

In the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ –

1 Corinthians 15:3-6  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

And in accord with the testimony of the angels at the Lord’s ascension –

Acts 1:8-11  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

We should fight the good fight of faith because we are in the eternal court of God, living in His presence for His glory.

We should fight the good fight of faith because we are in combat for the souls of men, that they might hear the gospel, turn to God in faith through His Son Jesus, and be everlastingly saved.

We should fight the good fight of faith because Jesus, as He went into Heaven, is coming again and we need to be prepared for His coming –

“…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.”

Are you ready to meet Him?  Are you excited to see Him?