Message

---

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT

1 Timothy 1:1-6:21

Key Verse: 6:12

“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.”

Thank God for blessing our study of 1 Timothy to the end. We want to overview this epistle with the title, “Fight the good fight.” We can say that human history is the history of fighting. In Revelation 17:9-10, seven kingdoms of the world are depicted in implication before the kingdom of Christ is completed on this earth: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece which had come and gone, and Rome which was present that time and would influence the world until the last kingdom, the kingdom of the beast, the final Antichrist, which is still to come. We can also say that the Old Testament is the history of the fight of the Israelites, which God chose for his purpose. In the New Testament. there is no more visible physical fighting, but a spiritual, till the Armageddon battle which Christ engages in when he returns. The spiritual battle began when Jesus came and proclaimed the good news of God, “The time has come, the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” The idea of spiritual battle is all over the New Testament books. However, the specific command, “Fight the good fight” is uniquely written in1 Timothy. In 1:8 Paul said, “Timothy, my son…fight the good fight” and in chapter 6:12, “You, a man of God…fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12). We know that this world is a battle ground. This battle is between God and Satan. The church is the assembly of the people who were called out of the world to God. The people of God and Christ fight the battle individually and collectively. Our Lord Christ Jesus really fought the good fight until he said on the cross, “It is finished” and then gave up his spirit, meaning his death (Jn 19:31). Paul also said as his last word, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). In this overview of 1 Timothy, let’s think about the characteristics of this battle and how we can fight the good fight.

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, saying, “To Timothy my true son in the faith.” So in a broad sense, this epistle is written to the true children of God. At the beginning of this letter, Paul enjoins Timothy to deal with those who teach false/different/other/strange doctrines that promote controversies rather than God’s work/plan which is by faith. False teachers wander from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith, and are interested in teaching the law, not knowing the true function of the law, which condemns sinners and leads them to the gospel of salvation. The false doctrines lie in contrast to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.

Seeing the situation of the church in Ephesus, Paul could hear the voice of the Spirit, who clearly says that in the later times people will follows deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Doctrines of demons are spread through human agents of hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. Many people wonder why there are so many religions. We are to know that all false religious systems are under the influence of demons beyond the human level. All human teachings to keep rules and regulations and rituals cannot lead humanity to God. Such human efforts of externalism are a shadow of the things that were to come, waiting for God’s work to bring the reality found in Christ Jesus.

False doctrines do not agree to the sound instruction/words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus clearly said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). The instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ can refer to the holy Scriptures, which are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:15). And false doctrines do not agree to godly teaching, not resulting in godliness.

To fight the good fight, we should really discern false doctrines. It is not through studying all human teachings and religions, but through knowing the gospel very clearly, as the way to detect fake dollar bills is by intently looking at and carefully examining real ones. From chapter 1, Paul presented the gospel: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” This is a precise description of the gospel. It is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. All human beings, nonexistent, were born into the world as sinners. But Christ Jesus preexisted in eternity dwelling in the glorious heavenly kingdom, and came into the world as the innocent Son of God. He associated himself with sinners as their friend to lead them to repentance for the salvation of their souls. Finally, he died on the cross in obedience to the will of God, because God’s salvation for sinners requited the death of the innocent Son of God as the penalty of the sins of men. Paul wrote how this gospel had worked in him. Paul confessed that he was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man. But the gospel of Christ Jesus changed him into a servant of Christ bringing forgiveness and salvation of the soul. I was a cowardly and unbelieving sinner belonging to the first group of people on the list of those to be thrown in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Re 21:8). I feared people and was unbelieving in indecisiveness and legalism and became fatalistic about my life with many inferiority complexes. I thought that life was a cursed one. But when the word of God came to me, I realized that life is a blessed one in Christ Jesus who died for all our sins. Through faith in Christ Jesus, my sins were forgiven, and I began to live a life of faith with a changed view of life. I have become a servant of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Ro 1:16).

Paul further described the gospel in 2:5, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” This is a marvelous description of the gospel. There is one God, and he is the Creator. He sent his One and Only Son into the world. Christ Jesus the Son of God gave himself as a ransom for all. No one gave his life for us, but Christ Jesus, the only mediator and Saviour. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6). He is outstanding in human history. He is established as the chief among the mountains, and he is above all. He is the Lily of the Valley. His death on the cross was the ransom price to redeem us and purchase us and make us his treasured possession. Through his ransom payment of death, our status has been eternally changed as those who belong to him, the children of God.

This is the mystery of the gospel, the mystery of Christ, which had been hidden for long ages past and then revealed through the preaching of the gospel. Paul had to write further concerning this mystery of Christ in 3:16, “He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” This can be the full description of the gospel, from his incarnation, humble birth, coming in flesh, through his righteous life by the Spirit onto the obedience to God, his atoning triumphant death on the cross and powerful resurrection and to the glorious ascension with the promise of his coming again. No person in history could be depicted int this way, but Christ Jesus. Amen.

We see the wonderful presentation of the gospel in 1 Timothy. We are to keep this gospel and confirm this gospel in our lives through living by the gospel. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” No one truly loved us but the Son of God. He evidenced his love by giving his life to us. The relationship between the Son of God and me is the most precious one in the world. Being forever thankful in this grace, we are to live by faith in the Son of God, living in him and for him, no more for ourselves, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” He also said in Romans 6:11 says, “Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” We are to be alive to God, to serve him and seek his kingdom first, being dead to our sin and my own kingdom-seeking. We should continue to count ourselves in this way. He also said in Philippians 3:10,11, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” And here is the amazing promise: “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Col 3:4). How can we fathom our life in Christ and with Christ! The gospel is to be proved and confirmed in our lives, which is godliness. So Paul says that great is the mystery of godliness. The source of this godliness is Christ, who is the mystery, the mystery of God.

In godliness, we are to know that the church is the assembly of the living God and the pillar and foundation of the truth. The truth is the gospel and Christ himself. As the church called out of the world to God, we are to keep the truth of the gospel, obey it, defend it, live it, and proclaim it.

In chapter 4, Paul says to Timothy that to be a good minister of Christ Jesus one should be able to point out errors in any doctrine and be brought continually in the truths of faith and good doctrine. And then he says, “Train yourself to be godly” or “Exercise yourself unto godliness”. It is definitely connected to fighting a good fight. For this we need a positive struggle to train ourselves to be godly, to grow in godliness. It is through sanctification. Even Jesus sanctified himself to obey the will of God so that his disciple might be truly sanctified. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Last week, Andrew Agard was circumcised. An infant baby went through a painful surgery. I believe that God wants him to go through many sufferings in life so that he may indeed be raised as a man of obedience that comes from faith in our time. During the days of his life on earth, Jesus offered prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to God, would save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

Paul knew the importance of mind-control. He said in Romans 8:6, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” He also said in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” And he said in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Again, we should remember that God gave daily bread training to the Israelites in the desert for forty years so they might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Dt 8:3). We are to really practice daily bread training, for God is willing to rain down spiritual to bread to those who come to him each morning. We know how important daily or weekly physical exercise, even a little exercise, is in building up our health. Do not ignore a little continual exercise. It is also the same with our spiritual exercise: one wholehearted worship service, one testimony writing, one daily bread eating and prayer. Remember that physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

We also learned that those who labour and work in preaching and teaching are worthy of double honour. How precious and honourble the lives of those who devote themselves to such a noble task of preaching teaching the mystery of the gospel and the words of God reveled to us. This is the reason Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs” (Jn 21:15). Jesus’ last command promise just before his ascension is, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Ac 1:8).

In the last chapter, chapter 6, Paul said, “But you, man of God, flee from all these, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…” A man of God fights a good fight, knowing what to flee from, particularly the love of money. It is true that our culture seems to be immersed in money-loving more than any other time. Money rules in every area. Even many Christians are so enticed to a prosperous and successful and rich life in this world. In so doing they neglect and even lose God and the kingdom of God. We again remember the words, “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Lovers of money fall into temptation and a trap and are hurt and harmed and pierced by foolish and harmful desires that plunge the into ruin and destruction. What a terrible life of the lovers of money! We should really watch out whether the love of money is germinating in our hearts. We should remember Jesus’ words, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13), and “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt 6:21; Lk 12:34). We should learn the secret of contentment in any and every situation, believing that when we put God first, he will meet all our needs according to this glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

And Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee the evil desires of youth.” Also 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.” And Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with is passions and desires.” In this battle, we need to hold to the cross of Jesus, who was nailed to the cross and died for all our sins.

In order to fight the good fight, we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. We are to examine our hearts whether we keep a right relationship with God in Christ and Jesus and do what is right before God. As we thought of, the mystery of godliness is great and godliness with contentment is great gain. How precious faith is, more precious than refined gold! Jesus said, “Have faith in God.” God wants us to do impossible things with faith. God is love and he wants us to live a life of love following our Lord Christ Jesus, for the life of faith and the life of love are to go together. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:3, “Endure hardship with me like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Endurance is one of the characteristics of the saint (Rev 13:10; 14:12). We should not give up but endure any difficulty in serving the Lord, for we will reap a harvest at the proper time (Gal 6:9). Gentleness is related to meekness and humbleness.

Bu pursuing all these beautiful virtues we are to fight the good fight, the good fight of the faith, different from human fights. We do fight alone, but with God and for God. So it is the good fight of the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3). This good fight of faith is for ourselves, for our families and for our church and for our nation. It is against false teachers who spread doctrine of demons, more fundamentally against the devil, Satan, who is the father of lies. If we do not fight, we become losers in life defeated by Satan, and can make the people under our care also losers. Life is a battle. We are to fight the good fight of the faith day by day. More positively this good fight includes raising disciples of Jesus and men of God. After his resurrection Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28:20). Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” Yes, our fight is to raise disciples of Jesus and Bible teachers and establish them as men of God, certainly each of us growing as a man of God. May God raise up a man of God, Timothy, one after another in our time. In this, we may fight the good fight of the faith.

Fighting the good fight of the faith is closely related to taking hold of the eternal life. Again, the eternal life cannot be obtained even by all the riches of the word, all the fame of the world or all the power of the world, but freely given to those who believe by the very cost of the life of God’s Son Christ Jesus. God really wants us to take hold of the eternal life by setting our hearts and minds on things above, not on earthly things, with the eternal perspective of life. Paul says as a conclusion in verse 20, “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care” meaning “guard the truth.”

We cannot finish this message without mentioning again the doxologies written in 1 Timothy, great doxologies in the Bible: in 1:17, “Now to the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen” and in 6:15, “God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever Amen.” We fight with this immortal, eternal, sovereign God and for God and the kingdom of God and of Christ, which will come true at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank God for the gospel. May we fight the good fight of the faith, for the gospel and the kingdom of God. May God help us to fight the good fight of the faith to the end, as Paul confessed, “I have fought the good fight” and our Lord Jesus, “It is finished.”

---

Attachment

• 1Timothy7_Msg_Overview_2307.docx