“so flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” [2 timothy 2:22]
flee youthful passions! yesterday we talked about fleeing and the visual being that terrified little boy pounding up the stairs away from the deep darkness of the basement without lights on. today i want to focus our hearts on the next piece here, the piece of pursuit. pursuing righteousness.
pursuit and fleeing go hand in hand in scripture, as right here we’re called to flee darkness and pursue Christ. both are actions, neither are things that just passively “happen.” they both require action and the first step to both is spending time in God’s presence, alone with the king, seeking him above all else. and it’s from these times, from this time right now, as we let his word handle our hearts that we begin to pursue these things and flee from sin.
paul lists four things for us to pursue, to chase after, to strive for with every fiber of our being. so i encourage you to right now, take some time and use these scripture to meditate on these attributes and be still in the presence of God. let your heart be molded and shaped, handled by the word of God. ask him to grow the desire for righteousness, faith, love and peace in your heart.
pursue righteousness:
“for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 corinthians 5:21
“blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”matthew 5:6
“but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” matthew 6:33
pursue faith:
“for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘the righteous shall live by faith.’” romans 1:17
“now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” hebrews 11:1
“your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. resist him, firm in your faith,” 1 peter 5:8-9
“for by grace you have been saved through faith. and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,” ephesians 2:8
pursue love:
“but I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,” luke 6:27
“a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. by this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” john 12:34
“be watchful, stand firm in the faith… be strong. let all that you do be done in love.” 1 corinthians 16:12
“for the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” galatians 5:14
pursue peace:
“peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. not as the world gives do I give to you. let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” john 14:26
“therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” romans 5:1
“turn away from evil and do good… seek peace and pursue it.” 1 peter 3:11
“and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. and be thankful.” colossians 3:15
my prayer is that as you spend time meditating on these scriptures and dwelling in the presence of God. you would allow his word to shape your heart and to define the pursuit of righteousness, the pursuit of faith, of love and of peace in your heart, today and every day.
-josiah bridges