Sunday 18 July, 2021

11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 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. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 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.

Perhaps the biggest question in all that we do, all that we say, and all that we teach is “why”. Not how, not where, not when, and not even what, but why.

Paul’s letter to Timothy has a lot of great teaching. Even in this short passage, Paul urges Timothy to run away from all these evil things like false teachings, and the pursuit of money. Instead pursue righteousness, live a godly life, fight the good fight, and let no one find fault with you.

But at some point, most, if not all of us, ask ourselves the simple but key question “why?” because there will be times when we wonder if it is worth the effort, to go in a different direction to the world, and we must settle the “why” in our hearts firmly.

As Paul closes out this letter, he reminds Timothy, and all of us who read this letter, the answer to this big question of why. And this is it: “At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords”.

Although it is currently hidden from the world, (not really) and the world really doesn’t want to know it, Christ is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Christ is the one we follow, the one we submit to, the one we serve. And at just the right time this will be revealed, according to his plan and purpose. It will happen.

Paul believed this was important to make them his last words to Timothy, they are important for as well.

Lord Jesus, help us to not lose sight of this important truth as well.

Written by Andrew Martin