Thursday – January 14, 2016
It is time for our Thursday intake of God’s Word, oh, how the time flies. Today we are reminded to pray for the seven pillars, or mountains, of society. Today I have highlighted the Religion Pillar. If any pillar needs prayer it is certainly this one.
Proverbs 9:1, 6 (YLT)
1 Wisdom hath builded her house, She hath hewn out her pillars–seven. 6 Forsake ye, the simple, and live, And be happy in the way of understanding.
I will now continue with our study of Spiritual Warfare picking back up with our text from 1 Timothy 6.
1 Timothy 6:10 (KJV)
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 with many sorrows.
The thought in this verse is carrying forward from the ninth when Paul was talking about those who would become rich and the lusts that may ensnare them in that pursuit. Now we come to perhaps one of the most misunderstood and mangled verses in the Bible. The Greek word for love here we could also translate as avarice (greed, materialism, covetousness, desire). It seems that as I study the phrase “root of all evil” that it is saying that the avarice for money is a root character flaw or the root character flaw. When money is the main goal we are witness to a root character flaw in the person or ourselves. Being of service to others whether that be in goods or services should center on the provision of that good or service in excellence to enhance the life of the other person in some way. When money and not people are our focus we will be tempted to do all sorts of unGodly things. Love of money is to covet (one of the big ten) money and will lead to deviating (erring) from our faith in God. The result of getting off God’s Word, His plan, is not good. I don’t like the sound of being pierced, especially doing it to myself, through with many sorrows. Paul goes on to say, run for it boy (or girl).
1 Timothy 6:11 (KJV)
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
Prior to these verses were others referring to our relationship with employers, and instruction to avoid the proud and the perverse. We are to flee these situations, these persons, these character flaws in ourselves and others. Do not hang around wickedness! The Apostle Paul then lists things that we are to follow after or have as character traits in our lives starting with righteousness. Righteousness is not only having right standing with God through salvation but doing things Gods way. Righteous people have attributes of God like love, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control.
Godliness is to act like God. We are made in His image and likeness and we like little children are to emulate our Father. We are to act like Jesus, our prime example. Faith, believing God, believing His Word to the extent of leaning all of ourselves on that Word with full confidence in the good outcome. The word love in this verse is Bible love (agape), it is selfless, cognizant of Blood Covenant, and obedient to the Word of God and the Word of God only. Patience is a cheerful endurance and constancy in our walk with God. Meekness is not just a gentleness but a lack of pride and always willing to listen and be open to learning, increasing in Godly wisdom. I think that we can quickly see that the descriptors following the word ‘righteousness’ are descriptors of righteousness itself. We could think of it as expanding our understanding of what it means to be righteous, it means to be like God in our attitudes, thoughts, words, and actions. This now brings us back to our central text in our analysis of Spiritual Warfare.
1 Timothy 6:12-14 (KJV)
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:
When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate He did not change His story to get released, but He said what had been written of Him already. In verse thirteen the word ‘confession’ is that word homologia again meaning to say the same thing, the same thing as what, the Scripture. The Apostle Paul then admonishes his spiritual son Timothy and us to keep this commandment without any variance until Jesus comes. What commandment? The commandment to “Fight the good fight of faith”. It is a good fight because we win, and if we do not allow our faith, the pure Word of God, to be contaminated, to be corrupted, we win every time. Tomorrow we will move on in our study of Spiritual Warfare.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV)
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
By Pastor David R. Wood
