TIMOTHY’S CHARGE

1 Timothy 6:13 (KJV)

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

Year’s ago a family started attending the church where I pastored, who was coming from a different church in town. To be honest, I thought they should change churches:

• The one they were in was compromising
• The pastor they had was more compromising than the church and
• They were not practicing scriptural baptism

But when this family started attending the husband complained to me that he had grown tired of hearing this other pastor repeat over and over in his messages the phrase, “I challenge you…”

I remember thinking to myself that I probably have some similar phrase that will drive him crazy too, once he has a reason to be upset with me.

I am reminded of that whenever I read First and Second Timothy because Paul uses the word charge repeatedly through these two letters.

Notice:

1 Timothy 1:3

As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine

1 Timothy 5:7

And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.

1 Timothy 6:17

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

Paul wants Timothy: 

• to urge, 
• to challenge 
• to press 

upon his congregation their: 

• Duties 
• Doctrines and 
• Practice of faith

Notice also:

1 Timothy 1:18

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;

1 Timothy 5:21

I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

1 Timothy 6:13 (KJV)

I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

If you will, Paul charges Timothy to charge his church congregation.

Timothy’s charge is answerable to:

*I. PAUL

A. Who expresses it to him

Paul is the instrument or tool that God used not only to get the message to Timothy but to you and to me.

B. Who also has kept his charge…

Can you imagine what would not have happened if Paul had not kept his own charge from the Lord?

I understand that none of us will pen a new part of eternally preserved Scripture, but our own failure to step to the plate and do what God has called us to do will very likely have consequences that are equally eternal.

It may be that we will not negatively impact millions of people if we drop the ball spiritually

But what if we negatively impact our: 

• Kids
• Grandkids or
• Great grandkids

What if my failure to keep the charge God has for me is the one key that prevents a soul from going to heaven?

God is sovereign and His plan will go forward with or without our obedience.

But He has chosen to make us cogs in the wheel that works out His will.

What if, because you don’t keep your charge, your “Timothy” doesn’t keep his, so his “congregation” doesn’t keep theirs?

Timothy’s charge is answerable secondly to,

*II. GOD

who quickeneth all things

There is both a challenge and an encouragement in this phrase:

A. God is the one who holds Timothy’s life

God has a right to charge Timothy to “keep this commandment because God is the one who gave Timothy 

• life and 
• breath and 
• the capacity to live

B. God is the one who empowers Timothy’s work

This is encouraging because Timothy is only responsible for his obedience and not the results of his obedience.

There are some things we can do that actions directly cause an effect.

If I grab a wrench and turn a bolt my action is going to directly cause the bolt to either be tightened or loosened.

I know exactly what will be the results of my action.

That isn’t true with Christian obedience.

• I can give the gospel to a soul, but I cannot know whether that soul will trust Christ and be saved or not.
• I can raise my children in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord but I cannot know that they will respond and follow the Lord.
• I can pray for God to heal a friend who has terminal cancer right now but I cannot know whether God will heal him or not.

Sometimes we get discouraged by that. We start wondering if it is our fault that the results are not what we wished them to be.

The Bible assures Timothy and us that it is God who quickens all things.

• He is the One who animates our work
• He is the One who take responsibility for the results  

Timothy’s charge is answerable finally to,

*III. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Who “witnessed a good profession” before Pontius Pilate.

Here is the point; Christ was “…in all points tempted like as we are…”

• He is our example
• He blazed the trail for us

Our Lord Jesus Christ was also given a charge.

And He faithfully executed that charge.

In what had to have been the most challenging moments a man has ever faced, Jesus Christ set His face like a flint and went to the Cross for you and for me.

You haven’t faced anything that tough.

Keep your charge.