Daily Devotional Details

Date

In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus… I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 6:13, 14 (NIV)

The command Paul is talking about is back a couple of verses: “Flee from all this, 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…” (6:11-12).

  1. Pursue godly character
    “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (6:11). John Stott says endurance is patience in difficult circumstances. And gentleness is patience with difficult people.
  2. Fight the battle
    “Fight the good fight of the faith” (6:12). Remember, the world will always reject Christ, and so those who confess “Jesus Christ is Lord!” will always be in conflict with the unbelieving world.
  3. Take hold of eternal life
    “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (6:12).

Notice the language—pursue, fight, take hold of. The Christian life will be a struggle. Sometimes it is hard to keep going. There are too many disappointments, unanswered prayers, and failures. You feel run down and weary in the struggle. How do you find the strength to sustain the demands of this Christian life?

When Paul gives this charge, he adds: “in the sight of God, who gives life to everything” (6:13). He is saying, “God will give you the strength you need for this. He gives and sustains your life. He will give you strength for each day. He will quicken you by his Spirit.

Are you relying on God in the struggles you are facing now?