The faithful Lord calls those who will demonstrate their faithfulness to Him (1 Thess. 5:24). The called is commissioned by the Lord to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and live in obedience to His will. We are all spiritually dead, but God initiates by calling certain individuals to be made alive to Him and surrender to His will. During Jesus’ ministry, power and authority to heal diseases and cast out demons were only given to the twelve disciples exclusively. But the Lord equips today’s disciples with spiritual gifts to carry out His will and purpose. In addition, there is no apostolic authority or apostolic-quality gifts and miracle-working abilities (1 Cor. 13:8; 2 Cor. 12:12), but rather God works miracles through the power of prayer.

Jesus, in His earthly ministry, revealed the Father’s will in everything He did with the disciples. The end game and purpose of His ministry was leading up to the cross and His resurrection. Today, God works miracles in bringing salvation to souls by proclaiming the cross and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the ultimate healing power. The disciples during Jesus’ ministry were limited to physical healing; however, the gospel has the power to heal both soul and body. It is no wonder C.H. Spurgeon stated that “the greatest of all miracles is the salvation of a soul”.

The Spirit inside you is better than Jesus beside you. Every believer possesses the Holy Spirit. This is the amazing reality of a Christian’s position in comparison to the twelve disciples. As the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer after their conversion, they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Spirit is “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… praising God and having favor with all the people” (Acts 2:42).

Do you believe that Jesus calls and sends you to obey His Great Commission? Christians are to have confidence in who the sender is; that is, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

• The Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God who clearly and loudly claimed His deity.
• The Lord Jesus Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).
• The Lord Jesus Christ preached about the kingdom of God.

Given the truths of who Jesus Christ is and His submission to the Father’s will, Christians can confidently likewise obey God’s will as a way of imitating Christ. And knowing believers are kingdom people who are in submission to the King Jesus, they are to live and preach the things concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus sent the twelve disciples to essentially preach the kingdom of God (i.e., the gospel). It is no different today. The Lord Jesus sends His kingdom people today to preach the gospel (Rom. 5:8).

Another transforming reality for believers is possessing the power of the Spirit to resist going against God’s ways. Everyone is born a sinner and thereby rebellious in nature. That is why the gospel message calls all sinners to repentance. As believers personally experience the power of repentance and circumcision of their hearts, they have great confidence in the Sender and the gospel’s impact, and passionately share with others.

The essence of the gospel is Jesus’ death and resurrection. The gospel always brings God’s compassion. And the believer’s deeper understanding of the gospel allows them to be more aware of God’s compassion. Therefore, it all begins with His calling, as He equips, and sends those whom He calls that will be able to fulfill the Great Commission and works of God.

Every current believer has benefitted from another believer being obedient to the Great Commission. Because someone shared the gospel with you, you believed and are saved. The Great Commission charges all of us to share the gospel and to make disciples. Sadly, in America, this primary command has been forgotten. Less than 10% of people in the American church know what the Great Commission is. The church has lost its priority.

James 2:26 warns that those who fail to obey Jesus’ commission (Matthew 28:19-20) do not have true faith. Our Lord commands us to be fishers of men by going out into the world to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Triune God, and teaching them His word.

In Luke 9:1-2 Jesus gives a similar commission directly to the twelve disciples. Their situation is both different and similar to ours. We must not take too much from these verses and understand the difference while also applying properly certain principles which are relevant to us.

Differences:

• We are not the twelve. Jesus specifically called these twelve for a specific purpose.
• Their purpose was specifically to deal with the apostasy that was happening in the nearby cities due to the false teaching of the Jewish religion.
• These apostles are the foundation of the New Testament church and this part of their training.
• Their signs and wonders were just like Jesus. Some so-called “miracle workers” try to replicate what the apostles did but they are nothing like what Jesus did. The miracles of the Bible were instant and completely effective. Also, as God’s word was continually being revealed in the New Testament age, the miracles were performed less and less.
• The disciples were the authors of the New Testament. So it was a special era of the church, where certain signs were given to prove that what the Apostles said and wrote was the truth of God

So in these ways, we cannot replicate what happened in Luke 9:1-6. But Luke does write about this so that we might know the truth and apply it to our lives. (Luke 1:3-4) So we look at the similarities and draw our application.

Similarities:

• The disciples were saved by faith through grace. They have the same salvation as we do (John 1:11-13)
• Their call to discipleship is the same (Matthew 16:24). We are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus
• We are messengers just like the Apostles. They were called to be fishers of men (Mark 1:17) We are called to preach the gospel (Romans 10:14). Everyone is called to be a messenger of God’s good news. Paul Snider labored tirelessly for 10 years in Korowai through countless hardships to preach the gospel and plant churches. May we all realize our calling as he did.

Obeying the Great Commission is not easy. When Jesus sent the disciples, it was a dangerous and unfavorable proposition. The people did not like Jesus or his message (Luke 4:29). It was a difficult time to send the disciples. Jesus was about to turn his attention from Galilee to Judea. He wanted the disciples to practice what He had been showing them for the past 18 months. Some of the disciples were married and had families and homes. Yet this was now the time for disciples to step out and experience ministry on their own.

The first thing we must note is that Jesus called them. Nothing will happen unless God first calls you. God does not call everyone. The unbeliever is never called. Also, God doesn’t call you based on your skills or powers (Deut 7:7-8). God calls according to His will. Without God’s call, no matter what you do, no one can be saved.

Another important point about being called is who does the calling. There are many who call us to obedience but none are Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God (Mt 16:15-16). He is God incarnate (Col 2:9). Jesus is perfect divinity in bodily form. He must be obeyed. Remember what happened in Luke 8:54-55 before Jesus called the disciples. He called Lazarus out of the tomb. Not even sin and death have the power to resist Jesus’ words. He has all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18, Dan 7:13-14).

Later on in Luke 10, Jesus will send 70 disciples. In Luke 9 Jesus only sends the twelve. From this, we can see that no one is exempt from the Great Commission. Jesus was the first to pursue and obey the Great Commission (Luke 4:43). Then the twelve, then the seventy. Finally, all Christians are called to proclaim the gospel. However, the modern church thinks that only the super Christians or those who have the title of Pastor or Missionary are called to make disciples. It is a gross misunderstanding that the average believer thinks that it is not their job. This is wrong. Everyone has been commissioned to make disciples wherever they are.

Another wrong understanding of the Great Commission is that it only applies to those who were alive and present during Jesus’ life. Some try to argue that Matthew 28:18 only applies to the people who were actually there. However, Apostle Paul was not part of the original twelve and was not a believer during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Yet he was filled with the Holy Spirit and began proclaiming the gospel to all parts of the known world ( Acts 9:11,19-20). Many, like Hudson Taylor, have understood the gospel and realized that he was called to go and share the very gospel by which he had been saved.

How do you know you are called by God? You have the Holy Spirit. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is better than being called by Jesus while he was on earth. Jesus could not physically be with all his disciples all over the world. Yet the Holy Spirit is with all of us in every place (John 14:18, 26). The Holy Spirit calls us (Acts 13:2) and leads up to Jesus Christ. So we must walk in the Holy Spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The church is called by Jesus to fulfill the Great Commission. Remember you are called. Our calling is the source and power of obedience. It is our guarantee if we are called, then God will fulfill His purpose without fail. Therefore, those who are called spread the gospel through all the earth (Romans 10:18). Listen to the voice of your Shepherd and follow Him (John 10:27). We are not called to be rich or famous but we are called to be fishers of men. It truly is the greater honor and blessing.

Today’s message concludes the 8-part series on The Man of God. The Apostle Paul gives two commands to Timothy – “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” (1 Tim. 6:12). In other words, eternal life is the engine that moves the Christian’s life to fight the good fight of faith. It is not enough to know that Christians have eternal life but to hold onto that truth in managing their daily lives.

Why did the Apostle Paul command Timothy to “take hold of the eternal life…” when he was already saved? First, eternal life needs to be defined based on what the Bible says. Eternal life is often thought of as having no end or living forever. Everyone has eternal life as man’s soul will go to heaven or hell for eternity. But in today’s text, eternal life is best understood by focusing on the quality of God’s life. In addition, eternal life is to know the only true God (Jn. 17:3). Knowing what eternal life is, everyone must strive to know God personally and thereby seek His kingdom and righteousness.

Is eternal life a reality in the present only or does it apply to the future as well? Eternal life applies to both the present and future realities for the Christian. Concerning the believer’s present reality, eternal life is given the moment they believe in Jesus Christ (Jn. 5:24). Regarding the believer’s future reality, understanding eternal life gives the Christian hope and strength to continue in the present fight. Moreover, the believer is freed from sin and enslaved to God, their benefit is resulting in sanctification that results in eternal life both in the present and future (Rom. 6:22).

Who wants to take hold of eternal life? All Christians are called to take hold of the eternal life to which they are called. One of the marks of taking hold of eternal life is suffering as the Lord Jesus Christ also suffered. The believer also considers eternal life as the treasure choice in comparison to anything this world can offer. “Peter said, ‘I do not possess silver or gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!’” (Acts 3:6).

The Apostle Paul does not fail to mention that all believers are called by God (v 12). The Lord calls his elect to fight the good fight of faith and to take hold of eternal life. Remember Christian, God does not owe anyone eternal life. But by his grace and mercy, the Lord sovereignly calls each believer and thereby enables them to appropriate the reality of possessing eternal life through Jesus Christ. And this calling is affirmed by the “good confession in the presence of many witnesses” in baptism and partaking in the Lord’s Supper through true saving faith.

God is always with those that possess eternal life as he dwells within their heart. Therefore, the Christian’s eternal life must be presented in all sufferings and joy. This is how the man of God is called to live.

Every believer is a man of God, saved by Jesus, called by Jesus, and carries the message of Jesus Christ. Therefore they have certain characteristics. They flee from the things of the world, the love of money. They pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. These qualities are necessary because every man of God is in a fight. They are fighters in a good fight and these qualities are how the fight is fought.

Timothy was not a natural fighter. Many of us are not natural fighters. That’s why Apostle Paul commands us to fight. It’s an imperative otherwise we wouldn’t. We must fight continuously against the world and sin. Since Adam and Eve disobeyed in the Garden of Eden, sin has dominated the world, causing brother to murder brother. We are like Christian in Pilgrim’s Progress, facing many difficulties (Acts 4:12). We cannot surrender to the battle but fight.

We must fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12). Not the fights for things of this world and not in a dishonest way. The wrong fight will only end in destruction (Matthew 16:26). The good fight means both the means and the goal is good. The good fight is good if it is for the Lord because God is good.

So we flee and fight against the love of money. The love and pursuit of money is a deadly thing and has plagued the modern church. The world accuses the church of being greedy and wealthy instead of modest and compassionate. We also fight against false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:18-20). We take heed of the failures of Hymenaeus and Alexander. We fight like Apostle Paul who suffered the loss of all things to know Christ. We hope that at the end we can joyfully say we have fought the good fight until the end. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Our good fight is not a physical fight but a spiritual fight. We fight against sin, old nature, the world, and the devil. (1 John 2:16, Colossians 3:12-13, Ephesians 6:13). We fight not to repay evil with evil but with good. We respond to attacks against us with the gospel which can save them. We fight against the lies of the world that call evil as good and good as evil. Lies such as gender identity, preferred pronouns, homosexual love and marriage, and transgenderism. These are wicked behaviors that are being touted as truths and to go against them is labeled as a crime. So we must fight the lies with the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We also fight for God’s glory in all circumstances. If we are honest, we are slow to give God glory, to give thanks to Him, and to recognize Him. Giving glory to God is a war. The Westminster Shorter Catechism rightly answers that the chief end of man is to give glory to God and to enjoy Him forever. Giving glory to God is not natural for us. We must fight to do so. Mercifully as redeemed children of God, we are able to give glory to God in all the things we do and we can trust that no matter the circumstance, God causes it for good. (1 Cor 6:20,10:31, Romans 8:28). This is such a wonderful blessing. Therefore we must desire and pursue the glory of God. It is foolish to pursue lesser glories that result in destruction. To steal God’s glory is very dangerous. But to fight for God’s glory is a good fight.

The purpose of the good fight is faith. We fight the good fight we remain faithful. Everyone has their own struggles. We all face our own fight for faith. Timothy knew the consequences of fighting the good fight and was faithful. Hebrews 13:23 shows that Timothy went to prison for the sake of Christ. Legend has it that Timothy was eventually martyred.

How do you know you are fighting the good fight? Remember Daniel who remained faithful during the training process, he refused to eat the meat. Eventually, he became one of the close advisors of King Darius. The others, out of jealousy, plotted against Daniel, by trapping Daniel in a plot to forbid any sort of prayer except prayers to King Darius. Even though the punishment was being thrown into the lion’s den, Daniel prayed as usual. (Daniel 6:10). So Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den which was a certain horrible death. Yet Daniel went through this dangerous trial without a single injury (Daniel 6:23). Daniel trusted in God and fought the good fight of faith.

The good fight is long and difficult. We grow weary and tired. We lose heart and are unable to praise. The early church shows us how to keep up the good fight. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer (Acts 2:42). First is a devotion to God’s word. By the word of God, we know who God is. We can always know more about God, deeper, wider, and fuller. We have fellowship. We should not waste our fellowship at church. Fellowship is a part of worship. We are fellow Christians with Christ in common with one another. We must share who God is and what He is doing in our life. As iron sharpens iron, we fellowship. It might seem awkward and forced but we pursue true fellowship out of obedience to God and love toward one another.

The early church also was faithful to the Lord’s supper. The Lord’s supper is not just a memory. We remember what Jesus did, but it is more than just memorizing a theory. It is the ordinance of God where the Spirit works in our hearts to strengthen the gospel and its effect on our lives.

Finally, the early church prayed. Faith and prayer always go together. Prayer is so powerful. Prayer can change a man. Jacob’s name was changed to Israel because he prayed. Prayer makes faith active. We fight the good fight as we pray.

In conclusion, our fight is not done. We continue to struggle, to pursue, and to fight. However, we are not alone in our fight. God is with us. The outcome of our fight is guaranteed in victory.

God is faithful and will always be faithful. Faithfulness means “trust” in the Hebrew root word. The same root word is used in Scripture when Jesus says “truly, truly” or “amen”. God is perfectly loyal and consistent to His name. “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). In other words, if God does not remain faithful, He is no longer God. God manifests His faithfulness in a myriad of ways, and Pastor Paul will navigate through various texts in Scripture for today’s message.

God’s faithfulness is shown as He is not like man. God cannot lie as man does (Num. 23:19). God is pre-existent and infinite while man is finite. Even in man’s lowest moment of faithlessness, God cannot deny Himself and never abandons His own.

God’s faithfulness is demonstrated through Jesus Christ. Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus’ faithfulness to the Father shows complete trust in His own nature. Jesus’ faithfulness is verified and affirmed by the Father as Christ was highly exalted (Phil. 2:9-11).

God’s faithfulness will continue in the new year as He always has (Ps. 119:90). “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17). One of God’s continual faithfulness is proven by His forgiveness of sin to those that confess in history, present time, or in the future (1 Jn. 1:9). God also shows His love to the church as He continues to forgive sin until her glorification.

As the new year is here, Christians are encouraged to be resolved to the following in light of the knowledge of God’s faithfulness.

• The Christian is to be faithful unto Him. As the new year is here, the believer is commanded to be loyal and committed to the Lord by living through faith. “Faith looks at God. Faith is interested in God only, and it talks about God, and it praises God and it extols the virtues of God. The measure of the strength of a man’s faith, always, is ultimately the measure of his knowledge of God. He knows God so well that he can rest on the knowledge. And it is the prayers of such a man that are answered” (Martyn Lloyd Jones).
• The Christian must be faithful to God’s Word. If salvation comes from hearing the word of God, what other good things would come from continued reading and hearing of God’s Word? God’s Word never fails.
• The Christian must be faithful to one another. Faithfulness to the brethren is demonstrated through loving and laboring for the building up of one another. One of the sure spiritual gifts the Spirit gives to all believers is love. Love can be shown through grace and pure character.
• The Christian must be faithful to the world. Whether it is family, work, or other worldly matters, the believer is to glorify God and gospel-centered. The believers’ intention in all circumstances must be to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• The Christian must be faithful to their biblical identities. In the different roles the believer is called upon such as being a spouse and parent, one must act in the Lord. When the Christian is not faithful to the Lord in their God-given roles, anything can become an idol.

As God has proven to be faithful, the Christian’s response to this reality is to trust in Him and know that He will bring victory in the end. “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply” (Hudson Taylor).

We continue our study of the man of God. Every believer is called a man of God. The final two traits that a man of God should pursue are perseverance and gentleness. These two traits are most wonderfully embodied in Jesus Christ. Overall, 1 Timothy 6:11 is like a spiritual boot camp. Because verse 12 explains that Christians are in a spiritual fight. We are in conflict with the world and sin. So we must be well trained in the attributes listed in verse 11 so we can be warriors which fight the good fight.

Perseverance. The perseverance here is not the ‘perseverance of the saints’ which means ‘once saved always saved’. Perseverance is related to patience. Patience is self-restraint. Someone who is quickly angered is impatient. God was patient with the complaining Israelites in the wilderness. He restrained His righteous anger. Similarly, perseverance is the remaining steadfast under pressure. Perseverance is not merely staying calm but also trying to make things work. The persevering man not only endures but presses forward despite the circumstances (Genesis 47:8-9).

It is the Christian’s fate to pursue perseverance. The Christian has chosen the narrow door, not the wide door. We take up our cross. We follow God’s will. Our Lord Jesus entered that narrow gate first. Though He had nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58), He pursued the cross with perseverance. That perseverance eventually resulted in the resurrection.

Perseverance is a hallmark of true Christianity. The nominal Christian will not pursue perseverance. It is the good soil that bears fruit with perseverance (Luke 8:15). Starting is easy but finishing well is hard. We know so many who claimed to be Christians but abandoned the faith. Even the seasoned Christian has to be aware and alert to persevere. We must persevere. Many will hate us because of Jesus (Mark 13:13). Additionally, suffering is everywhere. We don’t know what we may face but by perseverance, we enter the kingdom of Heaven (Acts 14:22). We do not persevere by our own strength. The love of God has been poured out on us through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:35). This is our strength and source of perseverance.

Self-denial is the key to perseverance. Jesus said if you want to come after me you must deny yourself. This must be done first. Self-denial is saying no to our own will and saying yes to God’s. Mary was in danger of shame and exile for having a baby out of wedlock (Luke 1:38). Yet she persevered through the social dangers by submitting to God’s will. We also are commissioned as workers for God. We should not forget that we do not serve an earthly master but God himself. We are sent by God to make disciples. It’s not just the missionaries or pastors, but all of us have been commissioned by God. Remember the seriousness of our task and persevere. To help with your perseverance, remember that this is not our final home but we are pilgrims, heading toward the city of Zion. Romans 8:18

Gentleness. Gentleness might come naturally with age. It could also be associated with humility. Biblical humility acknowledges moral indebtedness to God. Humility abandons confidence in self but places faith in God.

Gentleness is different from humility. It is meekness. Meekness is not a weakness. Meekness is inner strength with outer boldness. Gentleness/meekness is having the ability but choosing not to do it. It is power under control. Think about Jesus Christ who was always being challenged by the people wherever he went and suffering at their hands. Think about his trials before going to the cross. He is the Messiah and the King of Kings (Mt 26:64, John 18:37). Yet He was beaten, flogged, and mocked. He didn’t exercise His authority but simply acknowledged what they said.

Today’s society is plagued by suicide. So many people cannot accept hard truths or circumstances. So they look for an escape. They cannot endure the hardships in life because they lack meekness. So they tragically end their own lives. Others lash out due to criticisms or injustices. They take their revenge in anger, hatred, and violence (Romans 12:19) because they lack gentleness.

The Christian has the source of meekness, the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We have the promise but we must pursue it to manifest it in our lives. The Holy Spirit is God and He is with us, leading us and guiding us, helping us, and comforting us. It is truly wonderful to walk with the Holy Spirit through His word. As we understand that God has caused our circumstances, then we can trust in the Lord and His gentleness. Though our situation might seem harsh and unfair, if we know that the Lord is ultimately behind it, then we can bear it in gentleness (2 Samuel 16:7,11)

Beloved, you are not weak. As a child of God, you have the Holy Spirit. You are able to persevere and act in gentleness. Pursue these things as a man of God.

In today’s message, Pastor Paul covers the fourth command in what a man of God pursues. The Lord commands the righteous, godly and faithful Christian to pursue specifically the love of God. In Scripture, the two most common Greek forms of love are agape and philia. Agape love is selfless. It is this agape love that the Apostle Paul uses in this verse. An example of this agape love is stated in John 3:16 – “For God so loved (agape) the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Agape love is not learned but is given by God. And without knowing the love of God, people cannot love others. Therefore, only Christians, who know the love of God, are able to love others. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this truth once persecuting the church and at enmity with God met the risen Lord and believed. His transformation by the Holy Spirit led him to pen the well-known passage describing the love of God in 1 Corinthians 13.

If Christians are commanded to pursue the love of God, He comes first. This must be evident in the Christian life. Love for God cannot be divided nor be substituted with the love of anything else. Evidence of a God-fearing life demonstrates the Christian’s love for the Lord. Obedience also hinges on wholehearted love for God. The obedient believer deeply understands the Lord’s personal love He has for them.

The Apostle Paul also couples faith and love (v 11). Faith expresses itself through love. As the Christian loves God first (vertical relationship), their faith is demonstrated in their love for others (horizontal relationships). In the church, believers can practice their love for each other through edification. In the Christian fellowship, the best way to build up one another is to speak about Jesus and encourage them to become more like Him.

Fellowship and edification are to be practiced despite the infirmities seen in each other. Christian love covers each other’s sins and shortcomings. The duty of the believer is to love one another as Christ loved the church. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Moreover, loving others include a love toward unbelievers. God saved us so that we would love those that are unsaved by sharing and declaring the love of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. “If you have lived to bring one sinner to Christ, you have not lived in vain” (C.H. Spurgeon).

If we love God the most, we are able to love others best.

There is a tragic trend happening in our country. Many Americans are no longer associating themselves with Christianity. Although the United States is not a Christian nation, it had a majority that aligned with Christian values. If the trend continues, even those who claim to be Christians will be the minority. While society is forsaking faith and religion, this has no actual bearing on God’s plan for the elect (Matthew 24:22).

We have been learning about the true man of God. The man of God belongs to God and flees from ‘these things’, which is the love of money. The man of God pursues righteousness relentlessly. They also pursue godliness, which means they fear the Lord, worship Him and live according to His will.

Today, we will see that the man of God pursues faith.

Let’s make a clarification. Faith can mean saving faith or practical faith in daily living. Saving faith is the root and foundation of practical faith (John 1:11, Romans 3:22). We all need saving faith in Jesus to be forgiven. Faith by itself does not save. Jesus is the one who saves but it is through faith we receive that salvation.

While listening to Paul’s urging, we might think Timothy was a weak and struggling Christian. Timothy was actually a strong Christian whom Paul depended on. He was a hard-working servant of God that risked his life for the gospel. So when Apostle Paul tells Timothy to pursue faith it is not because Timothy is not a Christian or in sin and in need of rebuke. It is not saving faith that Paul is referring to.

What is faith then? Hebrews 11:1 says faith is the assurance of things not seen. It is confidence and hope in something we have not yet obtained. It is knowing without a doubt that we will get it. When you buy something new, you don’t really need faith that it will work, since it’s new. “Faith describes a firm persuasion, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, reality or faithfulness. Faith is not just a mental assent but a firm conviction, a surrender to that truth, and a conduct emanating from or in accord with one’s surrender. In sum, faith shows itself genuine by a changed life. .” Acting like it will become what they are assured and convinced” – Anonymous

Biblical faith is more than just a blind trust that something will happen in the future. Biblical faith is different because of who and what that faith is put in.

Biblical faith is in God’s word. They were charged to read and outreach the word of God diligently with the goal of that teaching being a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5;4:14). Therefore a strong faith rests in the word of God. There are many difficult situations and times where we struggle but we must cling to the Bible because it is reliable and sufficient. “[Biblical] infallibility means unable to mislead or fail in accomplishing the divinely intended purpose.” – John Macarthur

Biblical faith also places its faith in Jesus (Galatians 2:20). It realizes the love of Jesus and trusts in the life of Jesus. Without Jesus we cannot have faith or grow it since Jesus is the author and perfecter of it (Hebrews 12:2). Our faith and its pursuit depend on Jesus. We must be like the woman in Mark 5:28 who thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.” May we seek Christ desperately for a touch.

Faith trusts in God’s promises. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass (Joshua 21:45). Those who know God’s promises can rely on God for He will surely fulfill them. In summary, “Faith is believing that Christ is what He is said to be and that He will do what He has promised to do, and then to expect this of Him.” – Charles Spurgeon.

Characteristics of pursuing faith

• When things happen, you respond with faith first. If you respond with your emotions or man-made ideas then it’s too late. A biblical faith reacts by faith. “Faith is a refusal to panic” – Martyn Lloyd Jones. Remember the disciples in the storm. They tried to survive on their own and only when they were about to die did they cry out to Jesus. So Jesus rebuked them for a lack of faith. He was with them, they merely had to turn to Him.
• Biblical faith is faithful in any circumstance. There are those who try to sell faith calling it ‘seed faith’. They say by giving money in faith, God would reward you multiple times over. This is deceitful and false. Biblical faith rests in the word of God alone. It remains steadfast despite how the situation turns out and it endures to the end (2 Timothy 4:7-8)
• Biblical faith is a growing faith. Faith is like a muscle, if you don’t exercise it, it will grow weak. But if you keep using it then it will grow stronger. Exercising faith understands that God loves us and turns to Him in our time of need. Even though Jesus experienced such suffering and pain, alone on the cross, He turned to the Father. Not only do we have the Father, but also the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16-18). The Spirit is with us and we walk with Him. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit but repent.

How do you grow your faith? A growing faith is a faith that bears fruit. To grow your faith, examine your love for God. Love God more and more, think about God and meet Him in the Word and prayer. Also, ask yourself, “Do you love your brothers?” True faith loves both God and man (1 John 4:20).

Another sign of growing faith is a willingness to forgive others. The disciples asked for more faith after Jesus told them to forgive (Luke 17:4-5). To forgive is to be like Christ. Christ forgives us and we in turn forgive others. To not forgive is to forget the gospel, to ignore the salvation that we claim.

Without faith, we cannot receive any blessing from God. Without faith, the kingdom of God doesn’t advance and the church does not grow. Without faith, everything is sin. However, by faith, we can please God. What an amazing blessing, that through faith, we can actually please the holy God. Faith turns our rags into radiance. By faith, we are God’s elect and we show the world how great He is to us. Faith is not so we can have a better life. We pursue faith because we pursue Jesus Christ and we might obtain Him.

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. 

During the season of Thanksgiving, most of us tend to focus on giving thanks. However, when we only focus on giving thanks for the good things in and of themselves, that becomes idolatry. Rather, we must give thanks to the giver of all good things – the LORD. This attitude leads to enjoying giving thanks biblically.

Christians are to give thanks to the LORD because he is good. The LORD is good because he is above all and full of glory; therefore, deserves all our glory, honor, and praise. God is also good as the giver of all good things. “The goodness of God is that which dispose Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of goodwill toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick symphony, and his unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature, He is inclined to bestow blessedness and he takes total pleasure in the happiness of His people” (A.W. Tozer). And the epitome of God’s goodness and love was demonstrated on the cross when Christ died for us while we were still sinners (Rom 5:8).

In God’s goodness, he gives many gifts. He gifts Christians direct and immediate access to himself. As his own children, the Spirit himself intercedes on our behalf. God also gives us ultimate purpose because he loves us, and we love him (Rom 8:28). Lastly, we are able to die well. History shows most people do not die well. Spurgeon once said, “Sudden death leads to sudden glory”. It is indeed far more precious to be with him in glory! This reality produces bold character for those that have tasted God’s goodness personally.

Christians are to give thanks to the LORD also for his everlasting lovingkindness. Lovingkindness is explained quite well by D.A. Carson: “Lovingkindness is a word found in older, more traditional versions of the English Bible, such as the King James and the New American Standard. The Hebrew word most often translated as ‘lovingkindness’ is checked, which literally means ‘covenant loyalty.’ Most newer English translations of the Bible substitute more common English words such as faithfulness, unfailing love, mercy, or good favor. All of these are viable substitutions, but, as with many Hebrew words, checked has no exact match in English.” God is lovingkindness.

God’s lovingkindness is what makes salvation possible and available for the sinner. God’s lovingkindness is active and responsive toward us (Ps 25:10). The Lord is most active in his communication through the reading of his Word. And it is by his lovingkindness we are able to pray according to his will with boldness and faith.

When God’s lovingkindness is working and active in one’s life, it is evident in unceasingly talking about the Lord Jesus Christ to others. Therefore, as we personally experience the Lord’s faithful love toward us, we are ready to share and cannot be silent. The psalmist sings of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever (Ps 89:1) and the Apostle Paul believed; therefore, he spoke (2 Cor 4:13). In the same manner, Christians today are called to repent of idolatry and acknowledge the giver of goodness and lovingkindness. As a result, Christians can faithfully live out their faith under all circumstances.