CHASING AND PURSUING

Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus Are called “The Pastoral Epistles. Paul writes to these two Mentorees ( Disciples) not only about Pastoral and Local Church matters, he majors on the need of their continued growing in their relationship with the Lord.  I was challenged by his words to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:11,

PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS,  GODLINESS,FAITH, LOVE,PATIENCE, GENTLENESS NKJV

AIM AT AND PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS (RIGHT STANDING BEFORE GOD) AND TRUE GODLINESS (WHICH IS THE LOVING FEAR OF GOD AND BEING CHRISTLIKE) FAITH, LOVE, STEADFASTNESS (PATIENCE) AND GENTLENESS OF HEART AMP.

PURSUE A RIGHTEOUS LIFE-A LIFE OF WONDER, FAITH, LOVE, STEADFASTNESS, COURTESY.

These are not just words to people to Ministers and Pastors but to every believer. I decided to check my Dictionary to see how the word pursue is defined.

TO CHASE AFTER SOMETHING AND NOT STOP CHASING.

I see two challenges here, one to start chasing, and the other to continue chasing as we are so often diverted by other things and take our eye off the goal.

PAUL LISTS SIX THINGS WE MUST CHASE AFTER:

Righteousness

Godliness

Faith

Love

Patience

Gentleness

Let us look at these six things that Paul Considers so important.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Bible declares that we have been declared righteous, that we now have God’s DNA in us, this is our new POSITION in Christ, Paul tells we must now make this EXPERIENTIAL.

GODLINESS

This could easily be translated Holiness. There is the old saying, “we become like the people we live with” spend regular time with ungodly people and you can be polluted by their sinfulness, but spend quality time with God every day, we are changed more and more into His likeness, we experientially know His righteousness developing in us.

FAITH

We pursue faith, by spending quality time in the Word of God EVERY DAY, and letting the Logos become a Rhema (personal) Word to us, Rom. 10:17.

LOVE

This is the Greek word Agape, that Paul tells us is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Rom.5:5. when we are born again. As New Covenant Believers we are able to love God, love our fellow believers, and  even love our enemies.  But it is only as we learn to live the surrendered life can we experience God’s love flowing through us. We know from experience that it is not always easy to love God’s people, and we can actually feel hatred in our hearts for our enemies at times. Our sinful nature will want to rise up and we will find it extremely hard to love, our attitudes can dam up the love of God, and stop God’s love flowing through us, but as we pray “not my will, but Thine be done, we surrender afresh to you” this releases the love of God to continue to flow through us.

PATIENCE

This could be translated “cheerful endurance”. Life can throw many “curved balls” at us, and it is easy to react, the reality is, “bad things do happen to good people” but we must put our trust in the Sovereignty of God, as “all things are working together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose

GENTLENESS

This can be translated meekness or humility. We know sadly, the deception of the human heart, and that pride caused Lucifer to fall, and that God hates the proud, but exults the humble, so it is to recognise this “bias” in our nature, and let the life and nature of Jesus shine through, as we learn to continually surrender our mind emotions and will to God.

It is interesting that in the two previous verses  (I Tim 6:9-10) Paul talks about riches and the love of money, and that we must flee (run away) from letting money rule our lives, and remind ourselves regularly Our God “will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

So we are to run away from certain things, and run after these six things that Paul has outlined.

HOW DO WE DO IT?

Sadly, most of us don’t have that desperation within us, BUT, I love James’ words,

WE DON’T HAVE BECAUSE WE DON’T ASK

And the words of Jesus.

ASK AND KEEP ON ASKING, SEEK AND KEEP ON SEEKING, KNOCK AND KEEP ON KNOCKING UNTIL THE DOOR IS OPENED UNTO YOU.

If ever there was a prayer that Jesus wants to answer, this is definitely one, I don’t know about you, but I want to move to a new level of relationship and victory and purity.

LET US DO SOME RUNNING AND PURSUING AMEN