Today's Message:
The Good Fight of Faith
1 Timothy 6: 11But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession before many witnesses. 13I charge you in the presence God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who made the good confession in His testimony before Pontius Pilate:
Once we are baptized, the Christian has a continuous fight on his hands against the world, flesh, and the Devil. Each of these represents an obstacle to true spiritual growth and overcoming. These strong and crafty enemies determined to keep us from the Kingdom of God by stopping entirely any Spiritual growth with God.
These ever-present obstacles hinder progress toward the Kingdom of God is the flesh-human nature-that remains following baptism. It is the major component of the cross we must bear while following Christ (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23).
In Romans 8:7, Paul states, "The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be." It is always with us, yet we must fight it to overcome its constant retardant drag on progress toward conforming to the image of Jesus Christ.
Paul describes the attitude in which we must fight it. He tells us that the flesh must be "crucified" and "put to death." Our attitude is to be like that of a soldier under orders to take no prisoners.
Did not God order the Israelites to do similarly when invading the Promised Land? They were to rid it completely of its original inhabitants, a command that they, of course, did not obey. Just as God predicted, as the Israelites became comfortable living among the land's original inhabitants, they became attracted to their gods and practices, snares that drew them into sin.
We will examine Israel's responsibility to God as the people left Mount Sinai after agreeing to the Old Covenant and subsequent happenings as they proceeded through the wilderness. Their patterns and examples support the idea that God's way of life under the New Covenant involves the struggles of which Paul wrote.
Examples, Good and Evil
Israel's example under the Old Covenant contains sober instruction for us, yet we must begin in the New Testament with Romans 15:3-4:
For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.' For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Israel's experiences in the wilderness are primary examples for our learning.
Jesus says, "I always do those things that please Him" (John 8:29). He did not please Himself by serving Himself but by serving His Father and others. Certainly, Israel did not do this, yet this is what a Christian soldier must do. A soldier in an army faithfully serves to "please him who enlisted him" in the cause (2 Timothy 2:4).
Paul often drew on Old Testament examples:
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. . . . Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11)
The Old Testament contains many patterns, examples, and types that instruct us about how human nature acts and reacts, as well as how God acts and reacts. In the New Testament, however, Jesus Christ's example is above all.
Jesus was completely innocent, yet He suffered in His fight more than any of us ever will. Strangely, spiritual innocence like Christ's only intensifies persecution, which is one theater of the Christian's warfare.
However, we must expect it, for as we grow, the tests of faithfulness become more difficult.
Suffering is part of a soldier's lot (2 Timothy 2:3), and for a Christian soldier, it occurs mainly because of the sacrifices involved in obeying God.
We know that, as a whole, the Israelites did not have God's Spirit, thus they were denied the enablement (Holy Spirit) that we possess to achieve what God requires.
But the Old Testament history God has preserved provides us with clear instruction on human nature's proclivities, so we should be better prepared for what it throws at us.
Paul charges Timothy and thus us, "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" (1 Timothy 6:12).
"Fight the good fight of faith" and "lay hold on eternal life" are strong admonitions. We must seize our opportunity while it is near.
We must do likewise in following God's instruction on the Christian fight and begin by avoiding Israel's sad example.
God says in Exodus 23:20-23:
Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.
These are the original instructions given to the Israelites as they prepared to leave Mount Sinai. They begin with a promise of guidance, a warning to obey, and an assurance that He will cut off their enemies in the land.
Exodus 23: 24-26 provide specific instruction regarding the most important of all sins-idolatry-and includes four clear promises as enticement to obedience:
You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
Exodus 23: 27-31 continue the promises:
I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.
Closing:
These outstanding promises tell them how He will work to enable them to take over the land. He shows that progress will be incremental for practical reasons, that is, lest they get into a circumstance greater than they can handle. After giving them a general picture of how large their inheritance will be, He finishes with a second warning against idolatry (Exodus 23: 32-33).
32"You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33"They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11)
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