In opening the subject, I wish to challenge our hearts as to how we have behaved in this spiritual combat which God puts before us as being the true life of the Christian. In 1 Tim. 6:11Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. (1 Timothy 6:1), the Apostle Paul addresses Timothy as, "thou ... man of God." It is an expression which recurs several times in his letters to Timothy, his beloved son in the faith.
What does this phrase, "Man of God," mean'? It is an expression which is used several times in the Old Testament, particularly when God raised up the prophets. This title is bestowed upon Elijah and Elisha, who had this testimony as being men of God doing God's work. The thought which is connected with it is this: they were not only those whom God was pleased to bless and raise up to be His witnesses, but they were those who were in such a state of soul that God could use them at any moment. Like Haggai, they were the Lord's messengers with the Lord's message. (Hag. 1:1313Then spake Haggai the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord. (Haggai 1:13).) They were so in touch with God, their Lord and Master, that He could use them.
In the case of Timothy, he was one in whom the Apostle had confidence. He was walking by faith and not by sight, and was in communion with the Lord Jesus ready to be used by Him at the moment He might require. The Lord is like a very skillful workman who has before Him all the tools for His work. He wants either to begin a work in a soul, to deepen the work in some soul, or to put the finishing touch upon another soul. He needs an instrument which will be suitable for the operation. God has given us different gifts and when we are content to be in His hands, God can use us for His purpose. If that instrument is out of place, if it is dull and pointless, or if it is not ready to His hand, then He will use something else. It is so with us.
We must remember that God has brought us to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, not merely that we should enjoy the blessings that He has to bestow through Christ individually, but He wants to use us as channels of blessing to others. He wants us to be available for His use. He wants us to be so in communion with His mind that each of us is characterized by this, that we are "men of God," and that we are men and women who are in touch with God. For this we must remember that it is not necessary to know a great deal. It is not necessary to have a very profound acquaintance with the whole of Scripture, but it is necessary that each of us should be "clay in the hands of the Potter" so that He can mold us to whatever form He chooses in connection with His work. Then we can be ambassadors for Christ and useful to Him when the time comes.
Paul says to Timothy, "Flee these things." He had been speaking of certain things which hinder the soul of the Christian from entering into God's mind and would prevent us from being used in testimony for our Lord. "Cease to do evil; learn to do well." Isa. 1:16, 1716Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16‑17). Paul speaks of things which are very attractive to the human heart and with which their minds are occupied-love of money and all the present things of this world. He says, "Flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." These six Christian virtues, fruit of the Spirit, do not come by human effort, or by seeking after them, but they come by being occupied with Christ. When we have the Lord Jesus Christ before us as the object of our hearts, then we know something of what it is practically to have Christ as our life. (Col. 3:1-41If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1‑4).)
The thing that Paul had especially on his mind at that time was: "Fight the good fight of faith." 1 Tim. 6:1212Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12). We must always be as those who have on all the Christian armor, the whole armor of God. It is a never-ending combat. Night and day we should never lay aside this armor which God has provided. The pieces of armor are enumerated for us in Eph. 6 where we find that everything has been provided by God Himself. We need not provide one single thing for the combat. It is not an offensive one on our part but defensive. It is resisting the devil, resisting the calls of the flesh, resisting the world. He has annulled the power of Satan and it is for us to enter into the fruits of His victory. God has provided these different parts of our armor which enable us to "fight the good fight of faith.”
The fight has two aspects. In Ephesians it is the heavenly character of the combat and of resistance, In First Timothy, it is more the character of the earthly side of our pilgrimage. In any case, we must remember that we can never settle down to rest. This is not the place of our rest, and as long as we are in the place of our pilgrimage, the Lord would give us to know that the good fight of faith is a ceaseless fight. It is a fight in which, when things come to try us or to turn us aside, our security is to bring Christ into the circumstances. Our security is to know that He has overcome all these things and that He Himself is all that we need: "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30). We are to lay aside every weight to be unencumbered for the good fight and to lay aside the sin that doth so easily beset us," that we may "run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith." Heb. 12:1, 21Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1‑2). This is the negative side.
Then comes the positive side of the Christian career, the entering into the portion which is ours. which Paul speaks of as "laying hold on eternal life.” This is a very important subject which, perhaps, we have neglected. The Lord says in the 17th of John, “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." The practical side of eternal life is the entering into the portion which is ours, and daily enjoying, by faith and the operation of God's Spirit, all the blessed truths He has revealed to us. As we read the Word, and realize that our "fife is hid with Christ in God," we do not look at it as something which is preserved carefully in a glass case, as a specimen of what has been attained to by one or two Christians, but it is in the Word for us to know and enjoy.
The wonderful thing about Christianity is that in the midst of the humblest duties, you and I may lay hold of this eternal life. It relates to the circumstances in which our lot is cast, the smallest associations of life. It is that which gives us power practically to enter into the portion which will so shortly be ours when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. It requires the energy of faith on our part. It will not come to us by our merely going on from day to day without any exercise saying, "Well, our sins are forgiven us," and knowing nothing more. The Apostle says, "Lay hold on eternal life." Of course we shall know it in all its fullness when the Lord comes, when we have the unhindered power of the Holy Spirit to lead us into communion with God our Father and with the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the Lord wants us, according to our measure, to be entering into this now. He wants us to know practically that Christ is our life.
What a challenging thing that is! How much have we really been animated this day by the Spirit of Christ in us and by the fact that we know that what we are doing is in direct communion with the Father and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Doing things in His name is having the consciousness in our souls before God that we are a savor of Christ to God, and epistles of Christ to the world. If the world sees Christ, they see Him in the Christian until God opens their eyes to the revelation in the Word. If we are entering into the power of this wonderful life which is ours, Christ being manifested in us and practically living in the joy of that blessed liberty wherewith Christ has set us free, we shall be a living testimony to those who are around us. "Your life is hid with Christ in God." Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3). Things of time and sense do not occupy our hearts as they once did, for now we have that which fully satisfies.
From the first thing in the morning to the last thing at night we have this blessed One as our life. It enables us to enter into those heavenly blessings of which He is the center, where our spirit can rise in a moment, and where we shall be, body, soul and spirit when the Lord comes.
This we must lay hold of It does not come without real exercise and living in the power of an ungrieved Spirit. Then while in the midst of domestic troubles and business worries and cares, we are able to rise above them. What a relief to be able to turn from all that and look up into our Father's face and to know there is One in heaven who is living for us. It sets our hearts free in the joy of His presence.
The Apostle says Timothy was called to lay hold on eternal life. (1 Tim. 6:1212Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12).) God has not called us simply to have forgiveness of sins down here, though it is the basic fact of our calling. God has called us to entire sanctification. This is separation to God, spirit, soul and body. This is being "men of God," and "laying hold" practically on eternal life. He says. "Thou... hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." Some of us may remember when these things were brighter to our souls. Well, if we have grown cold, He is able to renew the desire and to give us anew the wonderful blessedness of being renewed in the spirit of our mind, that we may know "what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Rom. 1:2:2. F. Lavington