Hot Pursuit

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (1Tim 6:11).

A police cruiser races down the interstate with siren blaring and blue lights flashing. A linebacker sprints toward the ballcarrier breaking down the field. A hungry cheetah flies across the savannah toward its prey. Each one of them totally focused. Each one undistracted. Each one in hot pursuit.

In this letter to the young pastor of the Ephesian church, Paul encourages Timothy to stop chasing stuff that tears you down and start chasing stuff that builds you up! “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (v11). Quit wasting your time with things that waste your life. Start chasing after things that really matter. Put the hammer down! Be in hot pursuit!

Getting the church of Ephesus back on track is priority one for Pastor Tim. A team of spiritual con artists weaseled their way into the congregation and done all sorts of damage (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). Paul did what he could to straighten things out at this once proud church, kicking two of the ringleaders to the curb (1Tim 1:20). Now on divine assignment up the road in Macedonia, he’s handed the keys to his protege Timothy (1Tim 1:3). A key to getting the church out of the ditch and back on the road is for Tim to be personally in hot pursuit of the things of God.

It’s at this point that Paul gets personal. “But as for you, O man of God” (v11). I’m talking to you, Tim. Yes, you. Not the entire church. Just you. Y. O. U. It’s as if the apostle wants his spiritual son to look him in right the eyes and pay full attention. By the way, the phrase “man of God” only appears twice in the entire New Testament. Both are by Paul and both are in his letters to Tim. In the sequel to this epistle, the apostle writes how God personally inspires Scripture so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (1Tim 3:16-17). There are times in our relationships when we need someone’s total attention. Are you listening? I mean REALLY listening? Get it. Got it. Good.

Step one is to stop doing stuff that does damage. “Flee these things” (v11). Paul uses a a Greek word (Gr. pheugo) which means to quickly escape danger, run away, or take flight to seek safety. An angel tipped off Jesus’ dad Joe that King Herod had put a hit on his Son and told the carpenter to “flee (Gr. pheugo) to Egypt until I tell you” (Mt 2:13). Remember when Christ chased the demons out two dudes living in the graveyard and puts them in a herd of pigs and how the pig farmers “fled (Gr. pheugo)” and beat feet for the village (Mt 8:33)? 

Just what exactly are “these things” we’re to escape? A quick review. “Conceit” and “an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth” (1Tim 6:4-5). It’s thinking that religion is a get-rich-quick scheme (1Tim 6:5). Specifically, it’s “the love of money” which causes all sorts of human root rot and can draw people further away from Jesus (1Tim 6:10).

A follower of Jesus makes sure to put all of this garbage in his rearview mirror. When folks in Corinth thought they could play fast and loose with their libidos, Paul told them, “Flee (Gr. pheugo) sexual immorality” (1Cor 6:18). Can we talk? We can’t simply manage our destructive desires. I can’t store my harmful habits in the closet, use them occasionally and expect to truly grow in Christ. I can’t play footsie with sin. I’ve got hate it, kill it, and run from it…as fast as my little tootsies will carry me! Take a lesson from Joseph. When his boss’ desperate housewife put the move on him, he hightailed it out of the house in his tighty whities (Gen 39:12). Now THAT’S what I call some serious fleeing!

Now that your sprinting from sin, you need a target. Don’t just run randomly away from what ruins you. “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness” (v11). Paul doesn’t tell Tim to swing by a few of these good things when he gets a chance. The apostle commands him to do it in a New York minute. He uses the Greek verb dioko, which paints a picture of someone press forward quickly, or running after something with great intensity. It’s a chase with the purpose of catching. The relentlessly hunt for an object. 

Writers of the NT actually use this word in a negative sense more often than not. As a matter of fact, it’s how the apostle formerly known as Saul described his search-and-destroy mission for the followers of Jesus. “I persecuted (Gr. dioko) this Way to death” (Acts 22:4). When the resurrected Jesus blindsided the man from Tarsus outside of Damascus, He wanted to know, “Saul, Saul, what are you persecuting (Gr. dioko) Me?” (Acts 22:7). Paul told King Agrippa he hunted down disciples anywhere and everywhere and “persecuted (Gr. dioko) them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:11). He was in hot pursuit of Christ’s disciples.

Instead, let’s relentlessly run after “righteousness, godliness, faith, steadfastness, gentleness” (v11). 

So the question is, am I pursuing the things of God with the same veracity and intensity as Saul hunted and hounded first century Christians? Am I willing to let nothing get in my way in order to obtain the stuff on this list? Like a defensive end rushing the passer on third and long, it’s time to pin your ears back. Don’t worry about a screen pass. Don’t concern yourself with the draw. Just get to the QB with great prejudice. Cut it loose. Nothing else matters. Or as Paul told his friends in Philippi, “I press on (Gr. dioko) toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14). Let’s be in hot pursuit of our Savior!

Let’s take a quick look at our targets. “Righteousness” (v11) is doing what is right to both God and people. It places an emphasis on action. Next up is “godliness” (v11), a word Paul uses a grand total of eight times in this little letter alone. It’s a compound word that literally means “good worship.” It describes our reverence for God expressed in our behavior. We’re to follow hard after “faith” (v11). This is placing total trust in Jesus alone as the source of salvation. He lived the perfect life I should have lived, died the death I should have died, and rose to new life I don’t deserve. It’s what Luther called “The Great Exchange.” Our rebellion and defiance for His perfection and obedience (2Cor 5:21).

Paul calls us to run hard after “love” (v11). This isn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling but actual sacrificial love-in-action. Remember, love is a verb. Let’s sprint hard toward “steadfastness” (v11). This is hanging tough when things get hard. When the going gets tough, the tough IN CHRIST get going. God gives us the power to stand strong in tough times. Last but certainly not least is “gentleness” (v11). This is more than simply not being a grouch. We’re to pursue  composure, a calm disposition, and a soothing manner. Ancient writers used this term to describe taming wild animals. As followers of Jesus, we’re not to throw gasoline on the fire. Instead, He calls us to be firehoses of His grace and peace.

Pretty simple actually. Step one, quit jacking around with the things that jack you up. Come on. You know what they are. Is it a TV show? A website? An app? A substance? A person? Lace up your sneakers and run like the wind out of there! Now make a beeline for best God has for you. Be rapidly intentional. This is certainly no trivial pursuit. Stop chasing stuff that tears you down and start chasing stuff that builds you up! Picture yourself as a cop on a high speed chase. A linebacker bearing down on a running back. A big cat about to pounce on its prey. Let’s be in hot pursuit!