O man of God, flee these things
1 Timothy 6:11."But you, O man of God, flee these things. But strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, meekness of mind. „But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. What does it mean: "Man of God“?Man of God are people who know God, people who have the divine nature.That is possible only through a new creation in us. Jesus speaks in John 3: 5 "to be born of the new" to be born of the new is to be born of God. We were born of God. We are those people. We have become a new creation in Christ.Man of God are people who live within the divine nature.They live in the midst of a hostile unbelieving world. People who live for God. People who diligently seek to know the will of the Lord and to do it.We read in Hebrew. 5:13 +14Because anyone who still enjoys milk, real speech is ignorant, because he is an immature person; but the solid food is for adults, who, as a result of habituation, have practiced senses for the distinction between good and evil.Here we read the term "practiced senses". These are capable of responding to the thoughts of God. Most of the children of God fail to respond to the thoughts of God. I say that to our shame. Here's a problem, although many believers want to be able to do it. This is because for many years and decades, one has heard the word of God without being changed by the word of the Lord. Therefore, one could not respond to the thoughts of God. Because it is difficult for us to accept the mind of Christ, the change is missing and there is still much of the spirit of this world in our hearts. If we do not pay attention to the word of God, it will not change us either. A change in the heart needs the personal overcoming of our will. And youalso need the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.The two letters to Timothy show us that even the people of God can err and stray. Error is at the expense of the truth. Every rescued human being who does not walk enough in the truth, orients himself according to the model of others.The truth mentioned here is Jesus Himself we are dealing with. This Timothy lived in a very happy position. He has the apostle Paul as his father in Christ. He has someone who instructed him in the word of the Lord and did not reproach him. Because Paul led Timothy to the Lord, he refers to Timothy as his true child in the faith.certain people and sound doctrine3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; At the beginning of the first epistle, the apostle Paul reminds Timothy the way of "certain people". At the end of this letter he brings the opposite: "But you, O man of God ...". Those certain people (some) are compared to the man of God. The comparison refers to their practical life with Christ.This comparison does not refer to the fact that these people are children of God.We want to deal with these "certain people" today. This term "quite a few" or "certain people" or „some“ appears more often in this letter.In 1 Timothy 1: 3 it says, charge some that they teach no other doctrine, „no other doctrines“ ?Here the Scriptures speak of the "sound doctrine".The healthy doctrine of which the word of God speaks is neglected among the people of God. The vast majority of believers in the church of Jesus worldwide do not know at all what the teaching of the New Testament is. As people saved by Jesus Christ, they do not know what the sound doctrine is. Thus, some unholy children of God think that the word of God is always uplifting or emotional. I have spoken of certain unholy people, they are also in our time. It is that healthy doctrine the foundation of spiritual growth.if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. But speak thou the things which are the sound doctrine: Next follows 1.Tim.1,5-6. At this point is spoken by the unfeigned faith, "of which (literally) many have strayed". We must ask the question, what causes a saved sinner to deviate from faith? This is an absurdity, but it is possible, then and now. In such a process, only sin alone can confuse the hearts of the children of God. The old man in us - the flesh - wants to be more than what he is in the eyes of God. The consequence of this is an underestimation of the new human being in us and an overestimation of the old man.Only times of trials and distress make it obvious whether our faith is genuine or hypocritical.If circumstances were to occur in our country - by God's permission - similar to what happened in the Soviet Union under communism, then I could predict the following: then in our church a certain part would no longer be in here. But, then others would come who we have never known and would fill their seats. Hypocritical faith and genuine faith can be seen alone in faithfulness and nowhere else. I am grateful to the Lord when unfaithful believers leave.Heb.11,1 Faith, however, is a realization of what we hope, a conviction of things we doesn’t see.Here is stated: what we realize is true faith.1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of thingsnot seen.Did we understand? Only what we realize in our life of faith is true faith, everything else is false faith.Only by faith do we recognize and obey the claims of God. Outside of this belief no one, according to Scripture, can please God.With that we come to a conclusion that many of God's children do not even know what faith is. They have their beliefs, yes. This is often something completely different from what the Scriptures teach. We have not realized all spiritual knowledge through faith. That's true. And not every spiritual knowledge we have is from the Lord and His Word. That's true. Faith is a realization. Faith becomes action. Acts of true faith can be seenHere we come to the next statement of the New Testament in 1.Tim.1,19.the good conscience.Do you have a good conscience before God? But you must not even persuade yourself if it is seen differently before God. Which some pushed off. They have, as far as the faith is concerned, shipwrecked. The Bible speaks here in the language of the sailors, "shipwrecked" and connects this term with the faith.How often have we met people who have been rescued, but they are like a wreck on the beach. The New Testament teaches how to make such wrecks seaworthy again. It does not work with theological knowledge and certainly not with human wisdom. What hopes were once set on one or the other wreck. There were hopes for the gospel until the shipwreck came. We have to ask, what happened? They had not paid attention to the fact that the conscience of which the text of the Bible speaks does not remain subtle and tender in dealing with the Holy Spirit.This dampened the Holy Spirit. 1 Thess. 5, 19 Quench not the Spirit. Eph 4 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
The motivations that come from such a believer, then no longer louder. But the result is, as we know: Shipwreck! But what if the conscience is no longer sensitive? Well, we can say that it is dull. The Holy Spirit is very sensitive. If we ignore HIM in our self-will, if we do not pay attention to the fineness of that communion with the Spirit of the Lord, then it is steadily subdued. But God does not always like that. The preacher says, "Everything has its time". The suppression of the Holy Spirit is also a matter that God only tolerates for some time. The Lord tolerates no unfairness in the long run, either it comes to repentance or shipwreck. These are the two possibilities that are possible in our current text word of 1.Tim.1,19. That is the exact statement and that applies to all without exception.1.Tim.4,1.This brings us to 1.Tim.4,1. This word at this point tells us that in the later times, some will fall away from the faith by paying attention to the fraudulent spirits and teachings of demons. It is significant in the next verse 2 that the lying speech in hypocrisy is addressed. The hardening of one's conscience forbids marrying and orders abstaining from food. These are symptoms of believers in the last few days. Once the rescued people, the children of God, have started the persistent lie-talk, it goes downhill. The debt is amassed. Then it goes to the shipwreck. If the ear and the conscience are no longer susceptible to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, then these ears open themselves up to deceitful spirits.These are the lessons of abstaining from food or not marrying. But we do not say that someone who is not married is subject to a fraudulent mind. Not like that.Here, God's Word speaks of false teachings that look like biblical teaching.The superior talk of a child of God, a person who has the Holy Spirit, is not a guarantee of the truth of Scripture. Quite apart from the talk of the human intellect, which sounds spirited, but it is not affected by the Spirit of God. Because we know exactly what is meant. Human or Divine. Many of the children of God have denied what he once confessed1 Tim.5: 1.Now, in the word of 1 Timothy 5:15, the same apostle, as it is literally said, says of many who have turned away to Satan. We see, that goes deeper and deeper. If we examine this passage here in 1 Timothy 5:15, that this satanic community of many believers, as it is called there, is due to talkativeness and eloquent talk of those. Then, from a human point of view, we are afraid and anxious. This harmless after-talk brings Satan's community, here after the statement of the word. How much evil has already emerged from loose chatter, destroyed spiritual life, brought heartache to the people of God. Entire communities have been destroyed by these things. Why? Because the babblers do not know that they are talking on behalf of Satan. Ignorance. At this point, we have here, the Holy Spirit gives the sisters a very special serious warning of the sad way of entering Satan’s way. That's written here. I can not read anything other than what is written. It is certainly noteworthy that the enemy succeeded in bringing the first dissatisfaction into the church of the apostles in connection with the widows. It started from the sisters. I do not want to turn the word of God into the opposite, I do not dare. The same danger still threatens us today. It is interesting that there are always certain sisters taking a special position in such things in the church of Jesus. The Bible confirms this, from the first two humans in the Garden of Eden to the present day. Let us all be wary of the snares of the devil.1.Tim.6,10Therefore we read in the next passage in 1.Tim.6,10, where it saysthe love of money is a root of all evil, which, after a while, some have strayed from faith and pierced themselves with many pains.10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through many sorrows.Then the Lord Jesus says in Mt 6:24, "You can not serve God and mammon". But the problem is where the believer is lied to and does not recognize the limits of the service to the money. That's the problem. The enemy blurs the goals set by the Word of God and promptly causes believers to cross those borders. Many hearts have become hard and icy cold by the ease of money.Beloved, I can say that because my former employer was a hundredfold millionaire. We had a quarter of a billion in a balance sheet, but not all of his assets were recorded. He could be cold. He could be so hard that the staff shook their heads. They could not understand that the rich man wanted to slaughter the little man's sheep. The little sheep that did not belong to him. We know the story very well with David and the Prophet Nathan.As the Scriptures say, love of money is a root, here it says: "all evil." But what if there are many such roots among us? You see that. You have to take a sharp knife and try to cut it out at the other one? No, no, let's keep your hands off it. Then you have to pray for that, because everyone has to cut these things out and not others, that is none of their business, unless the problems are brought to the sanctuary. This is our way for our neighbor. Only in this way and in this direction we have to behave. Only under the guidance and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and never otherwise than the Bible says, are we in love for Christ and also in love for one another.Then in verse 21 these are also called "some", of which we have heard a lot today. They had missed the goal of faith through the so-called false knowledge. They were foolish virgins. The foolish five virgins were also believers. They went in firm faith to the bridegroom. In firm faith, they decorated their lamps. In the footnote, we find a clear indication of how they missed the goal of faith.In contrast to all these "some", the Apostle Paul writes and says: "But you, O man of God, flee these things!" So we have a contrast here. These "some" who behave differently than the community. These "some" have deviated, they are in their sin. These are things that anyone who is connected to God may recognize.So even this Timothy was in danger of being thrown off the straight path. He was in that danger, otherwise Paul would not have written it so clearly. That is why his father in Christ places the emphasis on "but you".Timothy should be different from the "certain people". In principle and in essence. How do we differentiate ourselves? Are we fleeing these things? If we do not flee these things, then our whole life of faith is awry and out of the will of God. The Bible speaks so clearly.Because God does not have two kinds of children. He has no stepchildren. Children of God have only one mind and therefore can not be tolerated two things.Who is among the people of God who does not want to seek justice, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness of spirit? Who does not want that?But in vain and dear ones, I would like to emphasize that very much, in vain we do not get these precious qualities. God does not do that. The lack of fight is the reason that these features do not automatically belong to usJustice, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentlenessHence, in the next verse, verse 12:"Fight!"We should be fighters.For what?"Fight the good fight of faith“!We have a passage in this 1 Timothy Letter, I omitted this passage for temporal reasons, in chapter 5,24 of some,1.Tim.5,24Of certain people, the sins are obvious before and go ahead to the court, but some follow it too. Likewise, good works are before manifest, and those who are different can not remain hidden.24 Some men's sins are out of hand, going before to judgment; and follow them.Now my dear brother, my dear sister, now comes the practice. We have now heard what was in the heart of Paul, what he tells Timothy, what he has to say to us, do you realize that it matters to you personally? For you should be firmly grounded in the word of truth. But you, brother and sister, live in the love of the Spirit described here. But you act and act as if it depended solely on you, that the church was alive and fresh. The dedication of the individual is necessary, today more than ever. In the activity of the Kingdom of God is still the word of the Lord, which reads: "Giving is more blessed than taking."As a man of God you do not become rich, but you are made rich.You do not have to wait for this wealth. Wealth has been given to you since your conversionWe are made rich in Christ in all things, all of us in all things.So then you give, you submit from the abundance (not your) of his glory, the glory of his word, which has been opened to you as man of God by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.I'm just asking, do you want to belong to these "certain people"?Then test your heart and come back, if you somehow recognize by the Holy Spirit to have strayed and gone astray. Grace is enough, it is infinitely great, the grace of our Lord Jesus. It is also enough for your restoration.Do you know what recovery is? This is a state as perfect as any new creation in Christ. It's like you've never strayed. This is how Jesus sees us after forgiveness, after the riches of His forgiveness in the blood of the Lamb.Do not stay discouraged and disappointed by the way. Become a man of God.A person who is there for Christ in this world.If we are not recognized as God's people, our live with God is not good and the faith for this life with God is not great.Tell me, brother and sister, do you really love your Savior? Do you love Jesus, who has saved you for eternity? And if someone in our midst is not yet saved, do you know that he wants to save you? How much do you love him? Or is our faith just a way of speaking?The Lord wants to give us all the necessary light.That we may walk worthily as men of God.Amen.