1 Timothy PT4 – Remain Faithful

Thus far in our walk through 1 Timothy we’ve seen how love is our motive for ministry, that the law is essential and must be used rightly, and that Jesus’ grace makes ministers from the worst of sinners. In this final section of chapter one (v.18-20) Paul, commissioned by Jesus to be a minister of the Gospel, writes,

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

It’s a weighty task that Timothy is undertaking, and Paul’s exhortation to faithfulness is no small thing. Timothy is called to wage war in order to stay aligned with the Gospel he has been called to proclaim. This kind of faithfulness is, I believe, something that we very much need to be reminded of in our present age where thousands of people set out to carry Christs’ name only to fall away when struggle comes

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My prayer for every one of the young men and women who are involved in Threshingfloor is that they would come to know Christ in such a way that sustains them in faithfulness for a lifetime. To this end I want to draw five means of remaining faithful from Paul’s charge to Timothy in these verses.

1. Receive correction

The whole of 1 and 2 Timothy are the Apostle Paul writing to Timothy reminding him to stay the course. Of course Timothy knew that he needed to stay faithful to the Gospel. If he hadn’t been aware of the need for faithfulness there’s no way Paul would have left him in charge, yes Paul reminds him one again.
Our tendency is to get offended when someone reminds us of something we already know. Instead of feeling insulted when someone reminds us of truth we as young leaders need to eagerly receive correction and reminder from those who are older and more experienced than us. Rather than feeling like someone is insulting us when they remind us of the obvious Gospel truths, we ought to be grateful that they care about us remaining faithful. Reminders of truth, no matter how obvious, are blessings and should be received with rejoicing. We need our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us stay the course.

2. Remember your identity

Remind yourself daily who you are in Christ. For Timothy this included prophecies made about him. We need to be constantly recalling who we are and who we are called to be. Whether or not you’ve been prophesied over in the way that Timothy was, there are core truths in scripture that we must hammer into our souls if we are to remain faithful to the end.
Several months ago, after the first session of Passion 2013, Louie Giglio had everyone who was present take a moment of silence and ask God if there was anything he wanted to say to them. I asked and, for the first time in my life, felt as if God clearly spoke to me and said two things – You are free. You are empowered for ministry. Regardless of what you believe about prophecy or spiritual gifts along those lines, those two phrases have stayed with me since Passion and have done much to strengthen my resolve in the battle against sin and my faithlessness in ministry.
The ultimate means of faithfulness is remembrance. Remind yourself who Christ has created and called you to be.

3. Wage War

By remembering the prophecies and truths about himself in Christ, Timothy is to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and good conscience.” We are fighting a battle, and becoming an excellent warrior takes discipline. Faithfulness in ministry is not floating peaceful upon a golden sea. It is a pressing charge against seemingly overwhelming odds. Wake up in the morning as a soldier and expect the enemy’s attacks. Take up the armor of God and stand firm. Wage the good warfare and remain faithful to the Gospel.

4. Don’t ignore your conscience

Hymenaeus and Alexander rejected “faith and a good conscience,” shipwrecking their souls. Don’t be like them. Instead, attend to the Holy Spirit’s pricking of your conscience. If we are truly the Lord’s children he won’t let us move into sin without our conscience alerting us. If you are out of step with the Spirit don’t ignore it! Repent and return. By ignoring our conscience we deaden our spiritual compass, which will inevitably lead us into the shipwreck that Hymenaues and Alexander found themselves in.

5. Attend to discipline

Thanks to the Lord’s glorious grace it’s not to late even for those who have strayed into shipwreck. Paul turned Hymenaues and Alexander over to Satan in order that they might learn. That’s an amazing encouragement. God can use even Satan to teach his people.
Learn from the Lord’s discipline when you stray from faithfulness. As hebrews says, “the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he recieves.” In the same way that we need to hear correction and reminder we must also be willing to submit to discipline in order to remain in line with the Gospel we have been called to proclaim.
The Lord has given each of his people a charge. Whether you are called to work full time, be a parent, take up a ministry vocation, be a student, or farm soy beans in Oklahoma, we are commanded to be followers of Christ and ministers of reconciliation. Be faithful in your calling and the Lord will do glorious things through you!