Godliness with contentment is great gain. Yet, some seek to deceive the saints by teaching that financial gain is a means of godliness. This false doctrine is also known as the prosperity gospel. The fondness of money is a root of all wrong, and those who follow after it will stray from the faith in their greed, 1 Timothy 6:3-10. Therefore, we are to put away the fondness of money and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and objectivity of mind, 1 Timothy 6:11, for in doing so, we will take hold of eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:12. Those who are rich in this present age are not to be high minded, trusting in uncertain riches; rather, they are to do good works, being rich in proper works, generous, fellowshipping, so that they store up for themselves a proper foundation for the time to come, taking hold of eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, for those who determine to be wealthy fall into temptation and a snare, leading them into many harmful and foolish desires, 1 Timothy 6:5.
A person who continues a lifestyle of sin after being saved is not taking hold of eternal life. We are to lay aside the things of the old man and put on the new, Colossians 3:9-10, while abstaining from fleshly desires that war against our soul (emotions), 1 Peter 2:11. Although sin does not take away the salvation of the one who is saved, for nothing can separate us from the love of God, Romans 8:39, it still needs to be dealt with. One who is clean only needs to wash his feet, John 13:10. Unfortunately, many saints walk around with filthy feet because they continue to walk in the darkness, not doing the truth. A saint who maintains a lifestyle of sin is shortsighted, forgetting he has been washed from his old sins, 2 Peter 2:9, and has no fellowship with God, for the one who walks in the darkness does not share anything in common with Him, 1 John 1:5-6.
Laying hold of eternal life involves using what God has given to us in salvation to live out the life we now have in Christ. When a person believes that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, the Holy Spirit washes and regenerates him, Titus 3:5, immerses him into the body of the Christ, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Christ indwells him, Colossians 1:27, and God the Father gives him all things pertaining to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3. Therefore, laying hold of eternal life is not seeking to gain it, for in Christ we already have it, 1 John 5:12. When a Christian lives a lifestyle of a lush, he is not walking in the truth. The truth is the doctrine by which we have victory over our sin nature (Romans 6:4-6, 11,13), for drunkenness is a work of the flesh, Galatians 5:21. The Christian who curses all the time does not recognize he is under attack from demons, for rotten communication comes from Satan, nor does he understand the proper use of the armor from God, Ephesians 6:10-18. The Christian who follows after the latest fads of the world system does not realize that he has been crucified in Christ to the world, Galatians 6:14. The love of the Father is not in the world for its desires are the lust of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of biological life, 1 John 2:16. Rather, he is allowing the world system to rock him to sleep, 1 John5:19. This type of person has not taken hold of eternal life. God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness; let us lay aside the things of the old man, fight the good fight, and take hold of eternal life, 1 Timothy 6:12.
