1 Timothy 6:19 – Three Minute Bible

A father embraces his son on the road home (Grok)

…so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Summary: The difference between life and life that is “truly life” is stark, but we can only see it if we look at life the way Jesus sees it.

One of the things about the Bible that I find fascinating is the depth of meaning behind the words. When Paul writes “the life that is truly life,” he is referring to something that is either blindingly obvious or stunningly opaque. Whether you see it or not depends entirely on your relationship with God.

Adam and Eve faced the same conundrum. They had the “life” that was “truly life,” but didn’t appreciate it (the same was true for ancient Israel). Jesus explains what Paul means in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).

In the parable, a man has two sons. One demands his inheritance early, before his father even dies, and takes off for the Big City. He squanders his money and becomes destitute. The father, meanwhile, is mourning the loss of his son. From his perspective, the son is “dead” (vs 24, 32).

Do you see the conundrum? The son is still “alive,” but he is separated from the father. To the father, the son is “dead.”

When the son realizes that he is facing death, he decides to return home, not as a son but as a servant. He apparently realizes that he has given up any claim to sonship. He starts for home, but before he even arrives, his father sees him and meets him on the road (v 20). At this point, the father announces that the son who was dead is now alive (v 24).

The son who was “dead” was never really “dead” in the story. Yet, until he returned to a relationship with his father, he was considered dead.

We are no different from the prodigal son in the story.

If we do not acknowledge our Father in heaven, we are “dead” to him. If we do, we become “alive” with the life that is “truly life.”

God knows that we cannot make it back to him on our own, so he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to meet us on the road. If you haven’t already, get to know Jesus. He will change your life from one that is “dead” to one that is ‘truly alive.’

Application: True life is found in Jesus.

Food for Thought: How do we know if we have taken hold of “true life” or not?

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Picture of an old house on a stone foundation. (Pixabay)

In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age…

Summary: Paul’s comment about treasure in heaven invites us to think about what heaven will be like.

In his discussion about the faith of Abraham, the writer of Hebrews notes that he was obedient to God and faithful because “…he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).

A city built by God. That sounds amazing!

The concept of a “foundation” can apply to more than buildings. Ideas have “foundations,” too.

The “idea” Paul is referring to has to do with our life when we are with Jesus in heaven. What will that be like? Does what we do in this life affect our life in heaven?

First, before we begin to ponder this, it helps to remember Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

”For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, KJV)

When we talk about heaven, we are talking about things we can’t know until we get there.

Bummer!

However, there are things we can know. For example, we can “lay up treasure” for ourselves. Jesus himself tells us to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21).

I guess that makes sense. Maybe it is like saving for retirement?

When we save for our retirement, we set aside “treasure” for later use. How much treasure and the kind of treasure determine what we can do in retirement, not whether or not we retire. The money we save is a “foundation” for retirement, not the retirement itself.

Just like planning for our earthly retirement, what we do in this life appears to matter for our spiritual life, too. Jesus says:

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12)

Notice that Jesus does not say, “I will give to each person according to how much money they have saved up.” He specifically points to “what they have done.”

Is Jesus saying that we are “saved” by what we have done?

No. Absolutely not. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith…” (Ephesians 2:8). Yet, faith and deeds are connected (James 2:14-18). We cannot separate them, nor should we try.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

Application: Jesus sees us in everything we do.

Food for Thought: What happens to our faith when people try to separate what we believe from what we do?

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Tag: 1 Timothy 6:19

1 Timothy 6:19b – True Life

1 Timothy 6:19a – A Firm Foundation