Training in Light of Eternity

For the most part, masses of professing Christians don’t think too highly, or think at all, about the command to be in constant training to live a God-centered live. In fact, modern Christianity projects an image of the Christian life like that of making a one-time decision for Jesus and then it’s like you’ve got your ticket punched for a clear sailing trip to heaven when you die.

An old hymn asks, “Must I be carried to the sky on flowery beds of ease while others have fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?” To which most Christians would answer, “Yes, that’s what I though I signed up for!”

Paul commands Timothy to be training for reigning with God; to be training for godliness; to be training in the light of eternity. He talks about training physically, which is good, but only temporary. In contrast spiritual training is both for now and forever.

What does spiritual training look like, and how do we get it? In the context of this letter, spiritual training includes: Reading the truth of God’s Word. Knowing the truth. Living the truth. But we could also add that spiritual training includes: Discerning truth from untruth. Training others to read, know, live, and discern the truth. Above all getting from truths for living to the One who is The Truth. Spiritual training assumes some things too. It assumes that: We’re not being passive in our spiritual development. We’re actively searching Scripture to find the truth. We’re scanning our lives for beliefs we need to change. We’re implementing these changes into our lives. Others are seeing the spiritual transformation in us and are being affected by it.

What does the standard for spiritual training in godliness look like?

1. There Must be a Deposit of Good Teaching – 4:6

“If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished (entrephō)in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”(NKJV). 

1Tim. 6:20,“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted (one word, “partithemi”)to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 

2Tim 1:14, “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”

Many of you probably know the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism:

What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.

But most of us probably don’t remember the second question:

What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him? Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.

In training for godliness there is no substitute for the daily, generous nourishment of the Word of God. Continual feeding on the truths of Scripture is essential to the spiritual health of all Christians (2Tim 3:16-17), but especially of spiritual leaders like Timothy. The "words of faith" and "good doctrine" become the staples in the daily diet of the one who would be a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why daily study of the Scriptures, with periods for reflection and meditation, are such an integral part of the life of the Christian. A day without intentional reflection on the Word of God is like a day without nourishment. Down through the centuries, believers attest to this universally. There simply is no substitute for the daily nourishment that we need from God. And the fast-food outlet approach is inadequate.

Years ago, a London book club posed a question in London newspapers, inquiring about public reading habits and which books of literature were the most popular. The question was, “If you were marooned on a desert island and could only have a single book with you, what would you choose?” G. K. Chesterton, who became renowned for his unique answers to such questions, startled everyone (as usual) with his penetrating answer. He said, “I would choose Thomas’ Practical Guide to Ship Building.”  Chesterton examined the real nature of the question, refused to overlook the desperate situation it posed, and answered accordingly. Everyone else took for granted the theoretical nature of the question and moved to the literary intent. If you were really trapped on a desert island, you would want a book that would help you get home, a book that would tell you how to be saved. Well, the truth about man is that we are all trapped in a situation far more desperate than being marooned on a desert island. We are trapped in the prison of our sins, and we desperately need to be saved. What book can help us with that problem? 

Only by reading the Word, studying it, meditating on it, and mastering its contents can a pastor, a life group leader, a disciple-maker fulfill their mandate (2Tim. 2:15). Timothy had been doing so since childhood (2Tim. 3:15), and Paul urged him to continue (cf. 1Tim. 4:16; 2Tim. 3:14). Words of faith is a general reference to Scripture, God's revealed truth. Good doctrine or good teaching indicates the theology that Scripture teaches. But all good teaching has the goal of getting us from the written word to the Living Word, from the menu, the Bible, to the Meal – Jesus, the Bread of Life.

Notice Paul’s instructions to Pastor Timothy in 1Tim. 4:13, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” Training for godliness will not succeed without the reading, explaining, and encouraging one another to obey the truth.

2. There Must be the Disciplines of Godly Training – 4:7-9

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself (gumnazō, “to practice naked”) for godliness; for while bodily training (gumnasia) 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. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.” 

Paul says we are to train or discipline ourselves for godliness. The figure of speech he uses comes from the physical training that Greek athletes went through. Paul also said, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (1 Corinthians 9:25). He said this was an attitude of his life, and one that each Christian should have (1 Corinthians 9:24–27). If an athlete disciplines himself to obtain a temporal prize, he said, how much more should we Christians discipline ourselves to obtain a crown that lasts forever. 

Many understand that Paul’s basic argument is that although physical exercise, or perhaps asceticism, has some value, godliness has more value. The main problem with this interpretation is that the text does not say that godliness has more value; it says that godliness has value forever (v 8b). The issue is not how much value exercise and godliness have, but how long they last.

The key word here is “godliness”. The word godliness" means reverence. It denotes the respect that the believer owes to God—what one scholar describes as "that mingled fear and love which together constitute the piety of man toward God." Such godliness comes from the awareness that all of life is lived before the face of God. Godliness comes from a God-centered life.

John Calvin called godliness "the beginning, middle and end of Christian living." The godly person places God at the center of every activity and endeavor. God is in the sleeping and the waking, the eating and the drinking, the coming and the going. The godly person walks with God at home, at work, at church, at school, and at play. Godliness includes godly thoughts, godly speech, and godly behavior. It is the attitude toward life that David expressed when he said, "I have set the LORD always before me" (Ps. 16:8).

In commenting on 4:6, Bishop N.T. Wirght said, “This verse is one of the clearest references to physical exercise in the New Testament. As in the previous passage, there are echoes of 1 Corinthians here, in this case of 9.24-27; there, Paul mentions athletics, wrestling, running races, and boxing, all familiar sports in his world. Whether Timothy was actively involved in that kind of thing we can't tell, since verse 8 may just be a powerful illustration rather than a comment on what he's actually doing, but the point is obvious: for genuine godliness, true piety, you need to go into training just as much as an athlete does. And this sort of training is even more worthwhile. The first will make you physically fit, able (at least in principle) to work harder and enjoy life more. The second will make you not just spiritually fit but he kind of person who reflects God's image, one who has taken him- or herself in hand, has seen the need to develop properly as a fully human being, and taken appropriate action.

“This is emphatically not what people today expect or want to hear. We expect and want to be told that 'spirituality' is simply the sense I have of being in God's presence, being surrounded with his love, sensing a transcendent dimension in the affairs of everyday life. It comes as a shock to be told that it's something you must work at, and something, moreover, which will take the same kind of hard work as going into training for athletics.”

As these verses indicate, training requires discipline. In fact, discipline is structured training. Webster’s Dictionary lists as one definition of discipline, “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.” This is what we must do if we pursue holiness: We must correct, mold, and train our moral character.

Discipline toward holiness begins with the Word of God. Paul said, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The last item he mentions is training or discipline in doing righteousness. This is what the Scriptures will do for us if we use them.  

3. There Must be a Devotion to the Global Task – 4:10

“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.”  Timothy is instructed not to pursue silly myths but rather to train for godliness because the message of godliness is the message of the living God, the message that God is the savior of all people. It is this God, this gospel, this goal that Timothy is to pursue.  

Spiritual training for godliness is not easy; we must “toil and strive” (1Tim.4:10). The word translated “strive” is an athletic word from which we get our English word agonize. It is the picture of an athlete straining and giving his best to win. A Christian who wants to excel must really work at it, by the grace of God and to the glory of God.

Paul and Timothy received this saving message for themselves when they set their hope on the living God (1 Tim. 4:10). Every believer has this same hope. We know that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and is seated at the right hand of God the Father. We know that God will save us on the day of judgment. Having this assurance, we make every possible effort to share that message with everyone else. We labor and strive to see men, women, and children receive eternal life. We should all have a burden for the global task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Evangelism lies at the heart of every truly Christian ministry. The church will not be permitted of God to rest until every last person on this planet has heard the good news of salvation from sin and deliverance from death in Jesus Christ, "who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:10).

This is the second time that Paul has described Jesus as the Savior of all men. The first instance came in the second chapter: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time" (1 Tim. 2:5-6). As we have seen, the context of those verses made it clear that Paul did not mean that Christ died for each and every human being who ever lived, but that he died for all sorts of people. In case there is any misunderstanding, however, Paul is careful to clarify what he means. To say that Jesus is the Savior of all men might imply that all men will be saved. But Paul was no universalist So here in chapter 4 he goes on to say that Jesus is the special Savior of those who believe. Salvation from sin thus comes by grace through faith.

The word "especially" does not mean there are two kinds of salvation: general and special. Recent scholarship demonstrates that the word "especially" (malista) means "to be precise," or "in other words." Thus the verse should read as follows: "God is the Savior of all men - that is to say, he is the Savior of those who believe." The apostle "is not saying that God saves believers more than he saves others; he is simply modifying his general statement that God is the Savior of all men by adding the limitation that you cannot be saved unless you believe." This is why, when Christians share the gospel, we insist on the absolute necessity of trusting in Jesus Christ for eternal life. If you do not believe in Jesus, then you are not saved; it is as simple as that. Jesus Christ is a Savior only for those who truly believe.

4. There Must be the Determination of Grace-based Triumph – 4:11-16

I am using the word “grace-based” to emphasize the truth that it is by grace alone, though faith alone, in Christ alone, by the power of the indwelling, infilling Holy Spirit that we are enabled to work out our salvation, to delightfully obey the commands of God and avoid any form of legalistic, works-based salvation. I use the term “triumph” to stress the imperativeness of finishing the race, of not being disqualified, or to change metaphors, to not make shipwreck of our faith.

This kind of determination in training for godliness is explained by Paul in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” 

But exercising ourselves in godly living is not only profitable for us; it is also profitable for others (1Tim. 4:11-12). It enables us to be good examples, so that we encourage others. Paul named several areas of life in which you and I should be examples.

“In word” (1Tim. 4:12) implies that our speech should always be honest and loving, “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

“In conduct” suggests that our lives are to be controlled by the Word of God. We must not be like the hypocrites Paul described to Titus (Titus 1:16): “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny Him.” The way you live doesn’t save you, but demonstrates that you are saved.

“In love” points to the motivation of our lives. We do not obey God to be applauded by men (Matt. 6:1), but because the God who is love has come to live in our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit, we love God and love God’s people.

“In faith” implies that we trust God and are faithful to Him. Faith and love often go together (1Ti_1:14; 1Ti_2:15; 1Ti_6:11; 2Ti_1:13; 2Ti_2:22). Faith always leads to faithfulness.

“In purity” is important as we live in this present evil world. Ephesus was a center for sexual impurity, and the young man Timothy was faced with temptations. He must have a chaste relationship to the women in the church (1Ti_5:2) and keep himself pure in mind, heart, and body.

We might capture the heart of Paul’s burden in 1 Timothy 4:6–16 with the words of verse 15: “Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” Let them see your progress, Timothy. Don’t grow discouraged. Don’t remain stuck. Instead, by God’s grace, gain ground. Hone your character. Develop your competency. Become more godly, more fruitful, more zealous, more skilled. Make progress — the kind of progress that others can see.

The story and film “Mutiny On the Bounty” is an amazing saga that has been retold with tremendous impact by books and by the press. The filmed account is based on a true story, but there is a revealing incident in the story which is usually overlooked by filmmakers and authors. When the mutineers sank their ship, they landed with their Polynesian woman on a lonely island named Pitcairn. The group was composed of nine British sailors, six Tahitian men, ten women, and a girl of fifteen. The entire group became debauched when one of the sailors introduced alcohol on the island. Drinking led to vice and shame. After some years, only one sailor, John Adams, remained. He discovered a Bible in an old chest taken from the ship, the Bounty, and he began to read the Bible and teach it to the woman and children among whom he lived. As a result, his life and the lives of those he taught became gloriously transformed. When the United States ship, The Topaz, visited the island in 1808, it discovered a wonderful community, without liquor, without crime, without a prison, without an insane asylum, and with astounding positive advantages. The Word of God had changed the entire community of people on the island. 

In Milan, Italy, in 374 A.D., a profligate man named Aurelius Augustine was floundering deeper and deeper into sin.  He was standing in a garden one day, when he heard a child’s voice beyond a hedge, saying firmly, “Take up and read!  Take up and read!  Take up and read!”  That random shout became a Divine arrow to Augustine’s heart. He hurried inside and found a Bible, opened it at random, read Romans 13:10-14, which says, “Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”  In that hour, the man who is perhaps the most influential theologian in the history of the Christian church was gloriously born of God. The reading of the Word of God has often produced similar results and is doing so throughout the world today.