1 Timothy 6:11 – The Freedom to Flee
But you, O man of God, flee these things… 1 Timothy 6:11, New King James Version
Pastor Matthew Sink was examining Jonah's repentant prayer in the second chapter of the prophet's book. He observes that we don't like to call sin what it is because we cling to it as part of our identity. It isn't, on a deeper examination, a behavior problem. Recalcitrance toward repentance is a vision problem. We cannot see ourselves on the other side of a sin which has begun to be one of our distinctives.
Thus, in the middle of sober parting exhortations, Paul refers to Timothy in the beginning of 1 Timothy 6:11 as man of God. He knows that Timothy is surrounded by materialism and its fruits. It readily sticks to him like summer humidity in the southern United States. If he is to see to the other side of it, this culturally besetting sin, he needs to constantly retreat to whom he is in Christ, before during and after the battle.
A mentor memorably put it this way to David Wilkerson, who, in turn, painted the picture in The Cross and Switchblade. The mentor said, if you want a dog to give up a bone, offer him a pork chop. The flagrant sinner up to his neck in this world's lures needs the Gospel that Christ in and through a man is the greater Treasure. A faithful pastor with a call on his life from previous generations needs the Gospel that Christ in and through man is the greater Treasure. When that becomes yesterday's memory, yesterday's dated valuation, we, from the pauper, to the pastor, to the prince, are actively shopping for better offers – and our eyes are as easily full as our hearts are distracted.
There is the hope, however, of scandalously preemptive grace. It is by this that the prophet can plead in Isaiah 31:6-7, "Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves." Note the order, similar to Paul's in 1 Timothy 6:11. AS we discover Christ's worth, and are worth only through him, the silver and the gold to which and for which we might otherwise auction our souls, they lose their luster.
So often, we desperately need to hear His yes and amen before we can even whisper no to the cheap shortcut that satisfied us yesterday. When we know who we are in Him, then we have somewhere to flee by faith. As we draw on His worth that does not tarnish, we can let go of alternatives.
Pastor Matthew Sink was examining Jonah's repentant prayer in the second chapter of the prophet's book. He observes that we don't like to call sin what it is because we cling to it as part of our identity. It isn't, on a deeper examination, a behavior problem. Recalcitrance toward repentance is a vision problem. We cannot see ourselves on the other side of a sin which has begun to be one of our distinctives.
Thus, in the middle of sober parting exhortations, Paul refers to Timothy in the beginning of 1 Timothy 6:11 as man of God. He knows that Timothy is surrounded by materialism and its fruits. It readily sticks to him like summer humidity in the southern United States. If he is to see to the other side of it, this culturally besetting sin, he needs to constantly retreat to whom he is in Christ, before during and after the battle.
A mentor memorably put it this way to David Wilkerson, who, in turn, painted the picture in The Cross and Switchblade. The mentor said, if you want a dog to give up a bone, offer him a pork chop. The flagrant sinner up to his neck in this world's lures needs the Gospel that Christ in and through a man is the greater Treasure. A faithful pastor with a call on his life from previous generations needs the Gospel that Christ in and through man is the greater Treasure. When that becomes yesterday's memory, yesterday's dated valuation, we, from the pauper, to the pastor, to the prince, are actively shopping for better offers – and our eyes are as easily full as our hearts are distracted.
There is the hope, however, of scandalously preemptive grace. It is by this that the prophet can plead in Isaiah 31:6-7, "Return to Him against whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted. 7 For in that day every man shall throw away his idols of silver and his idols of gold—sin, which your own hands have made for yourselves." Note the order, similar to Paul's in 1 Timothy 6:11. AS we discover Christ's worth, and are worth only through him, the silver and the gold to which and for which we might otherwise auction our souls, they lose their luster.
So often, we desperately need to hear His yes and amen before we can even whisper no to the cheap shortcut that satisfied us yesterday. When we know who we are in Him, then we have somewhere to flee by faith. As we draw on His worth that does not tarnish, we can let go of alternatives.
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