#177 – A Crucial Message to the Man of God

Yesterday we looked at a simple phrase in the Word of God – What Have I Done? I hope you can answer the questions we asked in that meditation.

Today on The Morning Mediation:

A CRUCIAL MESSAGE TO THE MAN OF GOD

1 Tim. 6:10-12 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

There are four things in this passage that stand out as either a warning or an exhortation to the man of God. One of the most complimentary titles that a preacher can have is the term Paul uses here, i.e., “But thou, O man of God.” That gives him something to live up to. What is a man of God? First, he is a saved man. Second, he is a man who is controlled by God, i.e., the Lordship of Christ. Third, he is a man chosen of God to represent Him in the ministry of the Word. There are a lot of preachers that you would have to put you tongue in your cheek if you called them men of God. Which proves that a man of God is not one by declaration. He is one in dedication, commitment and obedience. We usually give that title to one who faithfully declares the Word of God in the Spirit of Christ and walks his message out in his own shoe leather. Let’s look at the four things that Paul tells Timothy here.

FIRST, HE TELLS HIM WHAT TO FLEE

The word “flee” translates “pheugo” and means, “to flee away, seek safety by flight, to be saved by flight, to escape safely out of danger.” It is a present active imperative verb. This means that the man of God needs to continually flee away, to seek safety by flight, and to escape out of the danger of these things. Paul addresses himself by inspiration of God in the continuous present. The imperative mood is a command expressing urgency. Someone has said, “Salvation is a return to the authority of the throne.” Timothy had returned to the authority of the throne in two ways. First, in salvation. He had submitted to the authoritative call to repentance and had been directed to faith in Christ. Second, he had submitted to God’s authority in his call to the ministry. The man of God to be right with God must be under the direct authority of God’s Word.

The words “these things” identify what to flee from. “These things” takes us back to the things mentioned in this chapter up to this point. The “thing” that stands out more than any of the rest is “the love of money.” Paul says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” The words “love of money” is the translation of one word, “philarguria.” The root word from which this word comes is made up of two words. One of the words means “fondness” and the other is the word for “silver.” It speaks of an addictive fondness for money that is described in the Bible as covetousness. Paul says in Colossians 3:5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” In other words Paul says one must deal with his attitude toward money. He uses the strong word “idolatry” to explain the seriousness of covetousness. Covetousness can be more than a greed for money. The Covetous literally means, “a lust for more.” But a lover of money does have a lust for more. So it is idolatry. A man can’t be a man of God and at the same time be an idolater.

It is very difficult to avoid this attitude in an affluent society. It is as natural as snow at the north pole for the preacher to want his family to have as much as all the other folks he pastors. And I have never seen a church that took good care of their pastor that God didn’t bless. But the man of God must not be a person who is a lover of money.