The Man of God – 1 Timothy 6:11

As Paul refers to Timothy as a “man of God,” every genuine and healthy Christian owns this blessed title. According to Paul’s letter to Timothy, the man of God has certain hallmarks. He flees from worldliness and the love of money while pursuing the character of Jesus Christ. As an introduction to Paul’s instruction to Timothy, we will delve further into the nature of the man of God’s pursuit of Jesus. 

What does it mean to pursue?

To pursue is to desire and follow after something with zeal and intention. Our pursuit of Jesus is to be relentless and focused. 

Why is it important to pursue Christ?

• The act of pursuing is a sign of life. Before we met Christ, we were dead in sin. We pursued everything but Christ. But since we were born again by a supernatural act of God, we began to pursue the living God. (Ps 42:1-2)
• Pursuing Christ is how we experience the kingdom of God. Living in the kingdom of God is embodied by our pursuits. Jesus never denied that we need material things, but He taught that all our priorities are to be second to Himself. 

Why are we not joyfully pursuing Christ?

• We may be spiritually blind. As soon as a person sees Jesus spiritually, he pursues Him in godliness and worship. 
• We may be spiritually lazy. Laziness is a deadly sin. We live in a country that is abundantly blessed in physical wealth, but this may hinder us from diligently pursuing Jesus. We must guard against being physically successful while being spiritually impoverished. Spiritual laziness is evidenced by a lack of excitement for worship, a lack of diligence in seeking God’s wisdom in His Word, a lack of prayer, and a relentless focus on worldly things.
• We may be spiritually unhealthy. If you fail to prioritize the Bible, you are guaranteed to become weak. Those who are spiritually healthy remain strong and active by the Word of God that strengthens them. Contrary to what many people might believe, the Bible is not too difficult to understand (context provides insight to the text), the Bible is not meant only for pastors to handle, and church attendance can not replace personal reading and study of the Bible. Every believer needs God’s Word as much as physical nourishment. Without the Bible, it is impossible to be transformed to think theologically. 
• We may be ignorant of the Holy Spirit. Every believer is a temple of God. We must work with the Holy Spirit every day to pursue Christ and grow in Him. You can not honor the Holy Spirit unless you love the Word of God because He is the author of the Bible and He uses the Bible to speak to us. Understand how vital it is to have the Holy Spirit dwell within you. He is the source of life in our spiritual lives. 

Christians ought not to be restful until they pursue Christ. As we continue this sermon series in Paul’s letter, we will learn how the man of God is to pursue the character of Jesus Christ.