1 Timothy 6:11-16 New American Standard Bible 1995
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, [a]perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [c]bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of [d]kings and Lord of [e]lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
When God made the world He created humanity, and first created a man He named Adam.
Then He made a woman that Adam named Eve.
God intended for men and women to be different, and to play different roles in the world.
After the fall, men and women both became capable of sin, and both had to strive to be more righteous, as God intended before sin entered the world.
A man who pursues that righteousness, and strives to live for the Lord, is sometimes called a man of God.
It can be difficult to define what that kind of man looks like, but the Bible provides insights into how a man can conform to the image of God, and help others identify them.
Some of the traits of a man of God include faith, a consistent relationship with God, patience, and temperance, among other things. (Galatians 5:19-23)
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: [a]immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, [b]factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
What Is a “Man of God”?
A man of God is not one stereotype of a man.
It is not a scholar who has memorized all the Scriptures.
It is not a man who can lift very heavy objects and fight back any enemy at the gate-more powerful than a locomotive, with no effort able to leap tall buildings.
Instead, it is a consistent public and private display of his character which the Bible highlights, attempting to avoid the above mentioned temptation and sin.
A man of God values the things of Heaven over the things of the flesh.
He will not be perfect until he is with the Lord in heaven above, but he makes his personal relationship with the Savior the very first priority in his life.
He loves justice, wisdom, and discretion.
He is also not a hypocrite like the Pharisees who, “clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence” (Matthew 23:27b). He does not just exhibit good behavior, surrenders himself before God and pursues a clean conscience, pursuing a real relationship with Jesus Christ.
Psalm 139:23-24 New American Standard Bible 1995
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [a]hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.
In many ways, a man of God is someone who strives to live by the following verses from Proverbs 3:5-8,
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your [a]body
And refreshment to your bones.
Bible Verses about Being a Man of God
There are many verses that outline the character traits that God wants both men and women – as well as just men – to possess or strive to exhibit.
These verses include:
1 Timothy 6:11 “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Psalm 2:2-4 “‘I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’”
Ephesians 5:25-28 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
Who Were Some Men of God in the Bible?
It becomes clear through a diligent study of the Bible that an important part of what it means to be a man of God is pursuing righteousness, being familiar with God’s Word, being kind to others, knowing when, how to exert one’s strength, and being willing to worship God and sacrifice the same way the Lord Jesus did.
There are many examples of godly men in the Scriptures.
Men identified as men of God include:
King David: Literally called a man after God’s own heart.
He trusted the Lord as a shepherd, as a man fleeing a king’s wrath, and as a king himself. He was not close to perfect, and succumbed to lust with Bathsheba, but repented (Psalm 51). He loved God, wrote many Psalms about that relationship.
Abraham: The father of the Jewish nation, his faith in God was so great he was willing to obey God’s command to sacrifice his son, believing that God could bring Isaac back from the dead. He followed God from his homeland to another.
There were points in his life where his faith definitely lapsed and he acted out of fear, but he always tried to put his relationship with God above all else. He also advocated for his relatives with God, and humbly asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of just a few righteous, willing to see mercy extended.
Nehemiah: A Hebrew in exile who had high authority in Babylon, and he trusted God to leave the comfort of his post and go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall.
He rebuilt the walls, defended the borders of his city while maintaining a godly character that served to testify to God’s truest glory to the people around him.
He demonstrated leadership, sacrifice, wisdom, tactical skills, and wisdom.
Boaz: Certain men played roles in God’s plan that foreshadowed the role Christ would play for all of humanity.
Boaz served as a kinsman redeemer for Ruth, redeeming her and her deceased husband’s family from poverty.
Despite having a Gentile mother, he was known as a godly man who deeply loved the Lord. He was sacrificial, kind to people who were of lesser status than him in society, loved one woman, and displayed great generosity.
Noah – the only righteous man – steadfast and immovable, obedient to God,
Moses – the great leader, intercessor, law giver,
Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9, 24:15)
Job – Prayed for his children everyday. Refused to Curse God even when his whole world quite literally, quite suddenly, unexpected, collapsed around him.
Jesus: Called the Last Adam, Jesus lived the life intended for Adam, but without sin. The Lord came in the body of a man, clothing His divine nature in flesh.
He obeyed his earthly parents, worked hard as a carpenter, learned the Scriptures, and perfectly sacrificed, submitted self to the will of the Father.
In many ways, He is a model for manhood.
He displayed perfect righteousness, something every man should strive for, even if they fail.
How Can I Grow into More of a Man of God?
Becoming more of a man of God involves becoming Christ-like in character.
It is not something that can happen by force of will, but by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is the first step to growing into the person God intended.
Studying the Gospels and modelling Christ is also important.
Learning from the men of God in the Bible, from their successes and failures, is also a part of that journey.
Another way men grow in their character and their faith is through fellowship, being discipled and discipling one another.
Studying verses about good character and asking God to help grow those is another way.
The fruits of the Spirit are foundational to building a character like the Lord has;
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Ultimately, it will require a daily walk with the Lord and getting to know Him personally to experience the lifetime journey toward becoming a Man of God.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, [a]perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Paul is giving this encouragement to Timothy about what he should pursue.
Six things: Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
That’s a lot to think about.
In fact, these in themselves can truly keep one busy. But I can’t help but think that is the purpose.
To keep ourselves focused on Him.
Then verse 12 seems to stick out even more.
He said, “Fight the good fight of faith.” “Take hold of the eternal life.”
We’ve all heard people say “This is the life.” when referencing something
they are truly enjoying. Meaning, they are truly taking hold of that moment.
The true question is, are we doing that with the eternal life He has given us?
Take some time today and reflect on your everyday life.
Are you pursuing these things given to us?
Are you fighting the good fight?
Are you taking hold of the life He has given us?
Let this be a focus in your time of meditation throughout the day.
Until next time, Shalom.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Holy Father,
Thank you for the life you have given me. As the Bible says, “you formed me in my mother’s womb,” making me the man I am today. Thank you for loving me enough to die for me on the cross, and that I will share in Your resurrection. I pray that you will take my life and use it for Your glory, for the expansion of Your Kingdom, and as the man You created me to be. Lord, take my life and guide it. Help me to pursue You sincerely and fully. You gave me life and salvation, so help me use that life to make a difference for eternity. Whether that is as a husband or a single man, as a father or a mentor, however You want to use me, I pray that my life will only glorify Your name.
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night.
8 I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 