6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
1 Timothy 4:6–10 (ESV)
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
V6&7 emphasizes the importance of knowing the Word of God in order that you can discern between good and bad teaching, between sound doctrine and “irreverent, silly myths.” This was demonstrated for us in the account of Jesus’ temptations in the desert. Satan tried to use Scripture to attack Jesus, the living Word. Each time Satan asserted, “it is written.” Each time Jesus answers his misuse of Scripture with properly applied Scripture. It also shows us that we better know the Word because Satan does!
for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Timothy 4:8
Paul often used the example of athletic training to illustrate the need for spiritual training. (1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2; 5:7; 2 Timothy 4:7) “Training” emphasizes the point that spiritual development does not happen by chance, it is an intentional effort. An athlete is focused and committed, constantly training, refusing to let up, always striving. Believers must have the same focus and commitment, refusing to be sidetracked by wrong teaching that could take them out of the race or disqualify them.
Paul was urging Timothy to have a spiritual training plan so he wouldn’t be deceived and drawn into “false teaching.” The culture of Ephesus was a worldly mixture of Roman, Greek, and Persian given to excesses and sensuality. Paul argues that the freedom we have as followers of Christ does not give us a license to live any way we want. Rather, it frees us from futile attempts to earn God’s approval by effort and to instead embrace obedience to the discipline as a response to Christ’s great gifts of love. Some reject this as legalism but that leaves them spiritually malnourished, unprepared for battle, and open to deception.
For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
1 Tim 4:10
V10 The toil and striving are not to earn salvation or God’s favor. It is a response to the salvation that Christ has already assured us of and the eternity that He is calling us into. So we toil not for salvation, but because of it. We do not toil for eternity, but because of it. Our salvation and eternity with God is not just a hope for a possible occurrence, it is a hope set on the certainty of the resurrection of Christ and His promises. Our hope is set firmly on the living God, the risen Savior, not some philosophy of man, some charismatic leader, or some statement of beliefs.
Few athletes enjoy the drudgery of training and the pain that follow taxing exertion, or the loneliness of preparation that the adoring crowds seldom see. But the thrill of competing, challenging yourself to be your best, and of course, winning the race.
Again, Jesus is our example: “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). None of us deserve or earn the privilege of running the race but membership on Christ’s team is a free gift. Once on we are challenged to train diligently and run our race with everything we’ve got!
… let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” – This is The Way
Hebrews 12:1b (ESV)
APPLICATION – QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
- What comfort, hope, or confidence has come to you from God’s Word and the revealing work of the Holy Spirit? What is that confidence enabled you to do? Where is your next big step in trusting God and His promises?
- What questions, anxiety, doubt do you have concerning your relationship with the Father? Where would you look for those assurances in God’s Word? Who could help you? What are you going to do about it?
- What do you need to add to your spiritual training routine? If you don’t have one (other than going to church most Sundays), what will you do to start? When?
PRAY
Wrap up this section of the devotional by combining the Scriptures that we’ve focused on the last two days and your answers to the questions into a prayer. I’m pretty confident that He has been talking to you already so pray it back to Him – what you learned, what you decided, what you committed to, what you need his help with. Then, when you are done, make sure you wait silently, patiently, expectantly for God to speak to you. You might want to have a pad and pen handy to jot notes.
0 Comments