But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. (12) Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (13) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, (14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing. (15) which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, (16);who alone has immortality, dwelling unapproachable llght, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

The first letter to Timothy was written by the apostle Paul. Paul was in prison in Rome facing the end of his life and Timothy was in Ephesus preparing to take over for Paul. Timothy is in a difficulty situation and Paul is telling him how to go the distance. He had a timid personality and he had to confront false teachers, teach the gospel – Paul tells him to flee worldliness, pursue godliness, fight for the faith and take hold of eternal life. Paul knew there are times when the way to victory is to flee not fight. To flee immorality, idolatry, love of money and false doctrine. Paul tells Timothy we have to actively pursue character qualities: diligence, righteousness, determination – all based on the atoning sacrifice of the Son.

A godly person lives with an awareness of God’s holy presence in diligent discipline, relying on God in integrity above reproach. If we waffle under pressure people notice and it hurts our credibility and witness. It dilutes the gospel in front of others. Timothy was feeling pressure to compromise as he was timid and peace loving by nature but Paul gives a solemn charge to Timothy to maintain his integrity under fire – to guard what has been entrusted to him. We are to have an awareness of God’s presence, Christ’s coming and God’s sovereign supremacy. Integrity under fire is our charge

In the past 6 months I have suffered a stroke, a broken hip, operations and 4 weeks in rehab – Flooding in my home and the cat ran away. This sudden change in my life reminds me of c.s. Lewis after he became a Christian. “imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage : but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.