Good day dear friends. We praise God for last night's Candlelight Service/Sendoff for our Mozambique team. It was a very moving service, guided by the Lord. Our thanks to Pastor Leslie for the fine sermon she shared with our group.
We continue to study what the marks of a disciple are, especially the starting one of commitment. In today's study guide we'll study a passage from Paul about what a disciple should be aiming for.
Here is the study guide:
Thursday: Read 1 Timothy 6:11-16. What is the charge from Paul to the reader? Where should we be “aiming” in our life? Use the checklist Paul has there as a checklist for your life. Where do you come up short? Where are changes needed?
Here is that passage in NRSV:
11 But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
It would be good for us to understand in the verses leading up to verse eleven, Paul was addressing the pursuits of some folks, especially those who want to be rich. It was in verse 10 immediately before our passage for today that we find the famous, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains." Money is not evil in and of itself, but it is the "love of money."
Paul holds up those eternal things that cannot be taken away from those who pursue them: righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. This is quite a checklist. Instead of finding the right product or opportunity to make you rich, be rich in righteousness. Instead of seeking gold, seek godliness. Want fame? How about faith? Need to be loved, start loving others. Feel like giving up? Pauls says, seek endurance. Tired of people getting the best of you? Paul says, try gentleness. (Read today's Upper Room devotional: www.upperroom.org/devotional).
The list continues as Pauls says we should hold on to eternal life. In other words live your life in a way that says you believe beyond what you can see; your faith is in He who gives life beyond this life. Again, our commitment should be with Jesus Christ who called us into discipleship.
PRAYER: Giver of life, give to us a newer and deeper understanding of all that is ours through faith. Help in our commitment to grow closer to You and to each other. Keep us mindful of that which we should be sharing with others. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day!
e.v.
