Getting a Grip

1 Timothy 6-Part 7
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.           1 Timothy 6:12


LET IT GLOW

During my junior high years, my summers were often spent riding my bicycle. It was an old bike that had belonged to my sister, who is 10 years older than I am. Dad put on a new seat, new tires, oiled the brakes, and added handle grips with streamers. He even painted it red for me. I thought I was riding in style as I rode up and down on my country road. Why, I got so good at riding that I'd stand up to pedal faster. However, sometimes my hands would slip on the handlebar grips and I lost control. Of course, you know I'd wreck. Another thing I practiced was riding without hands. The problem there was the road going in both directions from my house was on an incline, which made it a challenge to ride without hands. Eventually, I conquered the task, which boasted my confidence. Just as I got a grip on the handlebars, so Paul says to get a grip on something. What was it?

In verse 12, Paul tells Timothy to "lay hold" on eternal life. Timothy was already save and possessed eternal life. The idea here seems to be "get hold" of this eternal life that you have until "the things of earth grow strangely dim."  Let it grip you until you get into this race and wine the prize. Every believer has a "high calling" in life-sharing Jesus with others. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

Am I getting a grip on the reality that I have a heavenly home awaiting me? As I go through the day, where is my heart focused?

LET IT GROW

Look back with me in verse 11. I see a continuation of something in verse 12. A Christian is known by what they:

• flee from
• follow after
• fight for
• is faithful to.

Yesterday's lesson told us what to follow after, as does verse 11-rightiousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness.
Paul instructs us to "fight the good fight." The word fight, agonizmai, is an athletic term meaning " to engage in a contest." This contest is the whole life of the believer striving to win "the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:13).
In the phrase fight the good fight, the first fight means to contend, struggle with difficulties and dangers antoganistic to the gospel. The second  fight refers to any struggle with dangers standing in the way of faith, holiness, and a desire to spread the gospel. (Liberty Bible Commentary)

MacArthur's Bible Commentary says : The "good fight of faith" is the spiritual conflict with Satan's kingdom of darkness in which all men of God are necessarily involved.

Corrie ten Boom said, "I've learned that we must hold everyting loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me."

Am I fleeing from the love of money? Am I content with what I have? What am I following after? Is my faith growing? Am I fighting the good fight of faith? How do I hold things-tightly or loosely? These are some things to ponder.


LET IT GO

Am I gripping onto something too tightly, so it consumes my thoughts, time, money, heart?

What do I need to let go of so God can be first in my life?