March 16, 2014 · 1 Timothy 4:7–8

Train Yourself to Be Godly

Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

“We've seen so many televangelists stealing money from people in the church. What we're hearing here is: don't get scammed. Keep your eyes open. Make sure you use your head as well as your heart. Don't be taken for a ride as you try to live out your faith. I want to throw this out here to you. Don't trust what I'm saying just because of me saying it. I hope that we can honour our leaders and trust them. You learn to trust them because you compare what they're saying to the Word of God. You start examining it for yourself, and you go, okay — this is true. But always be testing the word. Always be ready to look out for people taking advantage of others. … "Rather, train yourself to be godly." Another way of interpreting this — I love this translation: "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness." Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. Paul is saying he's not ultimately responsible for your spiritual vitality. Yes, he'll be judged harsher than everyone else. (James 3:1) He has to make sure he teaches the truth. But, in the end, you're going to decide for yourself whether you're growing in the faith. He can try to equip you. We can try to give you sermons, and give you times to worship, help you with small groups. But, in the end, you must train yourself for the purpose of godliness. … You become more godly the more work you put in. I'll unpack that. I want to be careful. It doesn't mean that your work, or your spiritual discipline, saves you. You're saved no matter what, if you put faith in Jesus Christ. You're given that gift.”