Book Summary
Christ is portrayed as our example here . Christ was the fullness of God in bodily form, revealing to us exactly who the Father is. He is our example but we don’t just imitate Him but He indwells us, thus leading us every step of the way. Only with the indwelling Christ do we have the resource to walk in purity. Paul emphasized that this conduct was based on doctrine because it is by doctrine that you are able to distinguish what to do and by doing the doctrine we can distinguish whether it is from God. (John 7:17) It is the way we think that will determine the person we will become – “as a man thinks so he is” (proverbs 23:7) That is the best argument for the Christian life, when there is inward reformation through the power of His Spirit.Paul says in his letters to Timothy not to neglect the gift given to him by God. What God has given to us we should use for His glory, we should take the opportunities to step out in faith and use them. In the second letter to Timothy, Paul says the result of stepping out in faith with the gifts given by us – “fan into flame the gift of God.”
Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against wicked spiritual powers. We can fight effectively with a life lived “godly in Christ.” Our weapon is the Word of God and prayer. With it we can fight the good fight of faith. The way we fight is from victory, from the finished work of Christ.