Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace… – 2 Timothy 2:22
The steeplechase is an obstacle course that was initially established for riders to race horses from one church property to another, hence the “steeples.“ They raced to cross streams, jump fences, or otherwise avoid or overcome obstacles. Horseless athletic steeplechase races have been part of the modern Olympics since their inception, with a more recent introduction of the obstacle race for women. The official 3,000-meter steeplechase has 28 barriers and seven water jumps.
Such an obstacle race is a tremendous metaphor for the entire human life, although it is not supposed to be a competition. For the Christian, there may be even more barriers and deeper waters. The beginning of today’s verse directs the believer to flee youthful passions, with the idea being not only to turn away but to run away from them. However, you cannot run from something without running toward something else—and in this case, it is toward righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
What, then, is that righteousness you should chase after? Jesus Christ is your righteousness, according to 1 Corinthians 1:30. As you know Him, abide in Him, and follow Him, He will lead you in the paths of righteousness. The Holy Spirit works in your life, sanctifying you, to make you righteous in practice. As you continue to grow in relationship with the Lord, you become more like Him. Your pursuit of righteousness is evidence of the reality of your salvation.
As you rely on the Holy Spirit to help you over the barriers and deep waters of life, intercede for believers in each of the branches of government to let their pursuit of righteousness shine like a beacon to others around them.
Today’s Verse: 2 Timothy 2:22
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
