“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 ESV
Sometimes it’s instructive to think in reverse. It’s an exercise that shows the absurdity of sin/lies that are too often hidden from us due to our fallen nature. In that light, let’s tour Paul’s first letter to Timothy, his beloved disciple, and show how to get KO’d by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Since Paul’s instruction is so pastoral, it can only bless us if we see the opposite of what he instructs.
1. Don’t fight false teachers and challenge false doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3). “The stewardship from God that is by faith” is to be guarded. A sign of our times is how little we will fight false doctrine but go to war over less important issues.
2. Be a legalist who hammers the law but not grace (1 Timothy 1:8). Many of us would put a Scarlet Letter on others rather than preach the gospel to them. The proper use of the law is to bring the message of repentance. Absent this, we’re destructive legalists who disobey the law of faith.
3. We can be antinomian (1Timothy 1:8-11)…that is, we can disregard the clear call for moral purity and believe erroneously that we may continue in sin that grace may abound. Sin is to be turned from in faith, not indulged.
4. Don’t pray for all people (1 Timothy 2:1). A chronic self-absorption is contrary to the goal of missions. And again, all people! Left, right, gay, straight, Muslim…your mother-in-law, even the dude who just cut you off in traffic and caused you to miss the light.
5. Let other things be more important than sound doctrine and prayer (1 Timothy 2:8-15). Church growth is fine. So are nice things. So is a better job for more pay. But when any of these types of things encroach upon our devotion to sound doctrine and intimate prayer, we have a problem.
6. Choose deacons and elders willy-nilly; let it be a popularity contest or about money, influence, or anything other than the clear biblical guidelines of Godly character and consistency at home, work, and church (1 Timothy 3:1-16). Or ignore God’s clear commandments that church leaders are to be men of biblical character, forged by their faith, tested by life’s storms, and able to serve.
Culture today is a battlefield against men on every front. From militant feminism, to porn and the hook up culture, Satan has sought to turn men into self-indulgent and overgrown children.
7. Be an ascetic! It’s popular these days to be a vegan or other such things in contradiction to the Scripture (1 Timothy 4:1-5). There’s nothing wrong with avoiding meat or restricting one’s diet or appetites, but if we call those things from which we abstain evil, we’re rejecting the plain meaning of Scripture. Evil resides in the hearts of men, not in food, sex, or drink.
8. Don’t treat your soul as if it’s in training (1 Timothy 4:6-10). We’re to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, not to sit back and like Rocky Balboa in the first part of Rocky 3. The Christian life is one of discipleship to bring about the obedience of faith.
9. Reject bold preachers (1 Timothy 4:11-16) who give us black coffee theology of sin, repentance, grace, and faith. The preference for the Joel Osteens’ of this world and all their false assurances that sin is no big deal and God isn’t absolutely righteous is the hallmark of false preachers.
10. Don’t maintain appropriate relationship boundaries and, especially, respect for elders (1 Timothy 5:1-2). In our culture we worship youth. Nuff said, right?
11. Ignore the needy within the church (1 Timothy 5:3-7). Ignoring truly needy widows who have no means of material support due to no sin of their own is absolutely contrary to Scripture. Also, embrace the state’s role as family and church contrary to Scripture. In years past, the so-called “social safety net” was always family first, church second. Today, though, Marxist theology abounds…even within the church. The state is God’s avenger, punishing crime (Romans 13) and not, repeat not, the provider for “widows and orphans.” This false view of the state leads many into idolatry and sin.
12. Reject or diminish the centrality of the family structure (1 Timothy 5:8). God places us in the family unit and each person’s responsibilities begin at home. No true believer can be anti-biblical family. God has ordained that there are three primary authority structures: the family, the church, and the state. It’s God who has thus ordered reality and we cause untold misery when we reject this.
13. To tolerate or be a meddler, gossip, or busybody (1 Timothy 5:13-14) is an easy way to cause damage to one’s soul and others. Whereas many men have the sinful tendency toward authoritarianism or a contentious spirit (arguing about myths, being too combative over doctrinal issues rather than patient and kind, etc.), women, when pulled away from their central calling, often become gossips. The wagging tongue of the busybody must not be tolerated as it’s utterly contrary to the faith.
14. Don’t pay your pastor enough (1 Timothy 5:17-18). While the excessive wealth of some pastors is an easy target for criticism, more often than that a hard-working pastor labors without financial support. If a pastor can’t afford to support his family the church is violating the commandments of 1 Timothy 3.
15. Ignore the guidelines for church discipline (1Timothy 5:19). No charge should ever be brought against an elder/pastor unless there are witnesses. In fact, much grief is avoided if Christians adhere to the Lord’s pattern of correction and restoration outlined in Matthew 18. No Christian is legally authorized by God in the church age to bring a charge against another Christian outside the standards the Lord put forth. If we see a brother or sister sin (especially if it’s against us), we are commanded to go to that person, show them the sin from Scripture, and call them to repentance. If they won’t hear us, we’re commanded (!) to bring other witnesses to the same end. If they still won’t repent, they must be brought before the elders. This process protects the Lord’s church and people from unrest, slander, and poor witness before the world.
See 1 Corinthians 5-6 for a more full explanation of discipline and legality in the church age. The neglect of biblical handling of disputes is to our shame (1 Corinthians 6:5),
16. Refuse to exercise church discipline when biblically necessary (1 Timothy 5:20-22). If a person refuses to repent for clear sin after being confronted in the biblical manner detailed above, they must be excommunicated (1 Corinthians 5:13). The Lord Himself detailed the legal process of dealing with personal offenses, sins, and so on in Matthew 18:15-18. A major reason for the world’s antipathy to the gospel is because we’re unfaithful to this clear guideline and refuse to be under authority and wield it faithfully.
17. Encourage or tacitly allow bad work ethic and/or grumbling against bosses (1 Timothy 6:1-2). Marxist ideology is popular, the true opiate of the masses, precisely because the basic sin is self-worship. In cases of frustration with our circumstances, it’s an easy thing to blame others and grumble against those who are in charge of us at work. The Bible clearly and unequivocally forbids this behavior. If you’re having a problem at work with nine people remember that the Lord has a problem with all ten. Not adhering to the very clear meaning of this verse is a great sin of the Christian church right now. Inflated self-worth encouraged by the narcissistic American culture, impatience, and Marxist philosophy must be rejected. A grumbler is fighting the bad fight.
18. Want to kill a church? Tolerate “different doctrine” (1 Timothy 6:3-5) that diminishes the necessity of the repentance of sin and, therefore, the glory of salvation by faith alone. As I write this a nearby church, First Baptist of Greenville, South Carolina, plans to have a Pride Fest where they “celebrate the freedom of love.” This is obviously a perversion of the what Scripture calls love. Consider:
“the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,” 1 Timothy 1:10 ESV
19. Love money and wealth (1 Timothy 6:8-10). A preoccupation with status, wealth, or leisure is an obvious problem. Covetousness is such a dangerous sin. It’s like carbon monoxide poisoning, killing us slowly. The alarm against it is Christian contentment. So, want to fight the bad fight? All we have to do is start gauging our life by our wealth rather than our trust in the Lord. Materialism can often be spotted by our anxiety levels (Luke 12:22-34). A trust in things rather than God will cause us lots of stress and is, therefore, a sure sign that we have a problem. And remember, you don’t have to be rich (compared to others, that is) to have a real problem here. I’d go so far as to say that we all struggle with this in one way or another.
20. Forego the fight of faith over against evil (1 Timothy 6:11-14). Again, like with the training discipline of our sanctification, we’re in an active hot-war against the evil powers of the world. This war is fought with the weapons of faith, prayer, fellowship, worship, and devotion to the word – and above all, love.
21. Forget that Christ is Judge of all and that judgment is His alone (1 Timothy 6:15-16). Losing sight of this can lead to lethargy, depression, or self-righteousness.
22. Don’t tell the rich and powerful to be humble (1 Timothy 6:17-19). It’s a loving thing to do because pride is a killer…especially when things are going well externally. Material wealth has the tendency to produce self-reliance (Luke 12:13-21).
So, that’s it. If we want to fight the good fight, as Paul says, we have certain rules and guidelines. Ignoring them is like a boxer dropping his hands and leading with his chin. We aren’t saved in order to continue to live a life according to the principles of the flesh but are debtors to God (Romans 8:12-16). But if we want to get mauled by the Enemy, ignore these rules. Remember:
“But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.”
Matthew 22:29 ESV
The key to the good life is to know the Scriptures and obey them in loving faith.
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