Laying Hold of Eternal Life
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.
Fight (ἀγωνίζομαι)
In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul encourages Timothy to fight the good fight of the faith. Fight (ἀγωνίζομαι) is a word that describes the struggle that an athlete has in striving to be the best in competition, 1 Corinthians 9:25. Unlike in a battle with Satan where we parlay (πάλη) against him by putting on the armor of God and standing firm, this struggle has to do with laying hold of eternal life; therefore, it involves the exercising of our senses to discern what is proper from what is wrong, Hebrews 5:14.
While Jesus was going through the cities and villages teaching on His way to Jerusalem, one of the disciples questioned Him concerning the number that would be saved, Luke 13:21. Jesus tells them that they are to struggle to enter through the narrow gate, not the way many will seek to enter, for those who do not enter through the narrow gate will not be able to find their way into the Kingdom of God, Luke 13:24. He then speaks of a time coming when the Master of the house will shut the door. All who are outside will not be permitted in, even though they claim to have eaten and drank in His presence while He taught. Jesus is the only way, and all those who seek salvation through other means will not find it, John 14:6.
Near the end of Paul’s life, while giving instructions to Timothy regarding the duties of a Pastor, he writes that he has struggled the proper struggle, for he guarded the faith, 2 Timothy 4:7. The faith Paul refers to is the doctrine concerning the good news of the Christ. Through Christ’s death for our sins, burial, and resurrection on the third day, according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, we have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness, 2 Peter 1:3. When we cease from sin, we will struggle because of the suffering that comes upon us, for the world system rejects such a wholesome lifestyle, 1 Peter 4:1. Everyone who struggles is self-controlled in all things. Those who are unbelievers struggle to receive that which is perishable, but we struggle the good fight to receive a victor’s wreath that does not perish. We do not fight as those who beat the air, but through self-control and discipline, we seek to live a life that shows forth our salvation in Christ so that we are not disqualified before all, 1 Corinthians 9:25-26. Therefore, we are to fight the good fight, being diligent to add to our faith virtue, and to our virtue, knowledge, and to our knowledge self-control, and to our self-control patience, and to our patience godliness, and to our godliness brotherly kindness, and to our brotherly kindness love. When these things exist, we will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the full experiential knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 Peter 1:5-8. We are not to be among those who are shortsighted and forget they have been cleansed from their old sins; rather, we are to be diligent in doing our firm calling even election so that we do not stumble, 2 Peter 1:9-10, and can say at the end of our lives that we have fought the good struggle and laid hold of the eternal life we have in Christ.
1 Peter Resisting Satan by the Faith
Be sober minded, keep watch, your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking to swallow up, whom you resist steadfast by the faith, intuitively knowing the same sufferings are being accomplished in the world by your brethren.
The Gospel of John The Dwelling Places in the Heavens
In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.