Exercising Godliness

1 Timothy 4:6-11 (KJV)

6 If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself ratherunto godliness.

8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

11 These things command and teach.

Have you ever had a word in the Bible just bug you? You couldn't quite grasp what it meant. Or at least how it applied to us today?

I have been struggling with a word like that recently. Bro. Albert Schaper used this text in his challenge to the ministers at the pastoral meeting at camp, and this phrase in verse 7 has been going over and over in my mind ever since. So I have tried to do a thorough or at least as thorough as I can get, study of what this word means and what it means in this context.

The word: "godliness" and what does he mean when he says, "exercise godliness."

1 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;

1 Timothy 4:7 (NET1)

7 But reject those myths[8] fit only for the godless and gullible,[9] and train yourself for godliness.

1 Timothy 4:7 (NASB)

7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

1 Timothy 4:6-7 (NLT)

6 If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

1 Timothy 4:7 (AMP)

7 But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit].

1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

1 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

1 Timothy 4:7 (MSG)

7 Stay clear of silly stories that get dressed up as religion. Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please!

It's no wonder that Paul wrote 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Tim. 3:16 KJV)

The term "godliness" is found fifteen times in the New Testament. 13 of those times are in this sections of Paul's Pastoral Letters and Titus. Nine times this word is found in 1 Timothy alone.

These pastoral letters of the aged apostle Paul were no doubt charged with final urgency.

Most will define the word "godliness" as 'piety' or 'reverence'

Kent Hughes defines godliness this way, "For Paul godliness is no static, stained-glass word. It is active—kinetic obedience that springs from a reverent awe of God. It is the Isaiah-like action that has a man, awestruck by God, rise from his face saying, "Here am I. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8). Awe—then action! Godliness is not piety as we generally think of it—upturned eyes and folded hands. Godliness cannot be cloistered. The godly among us are those people whose reverent worship of God flows into obedience throughout the week. Only God-struck doers of the Word can rightly be termed godly.

Furthermore, true godliness is rooted in the mystery of Christ. The last verse of 1 Tim. 3 sings about this:

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Tim. 3:16 KJV)

R. Kent Hughes and Bryan Chapell, Preaching the Word – 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: To Guard the Post, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: "Chapter 12. Pursuing Godliness".

These scriptures tell us quite a bit about godliness

It seems that godliness comes by praying. - Not necessarily praying to be godly - but by praying listen to this 1 Timothy 2:1-2 1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Can be shown or lacking in our style or dress and clothing - 1 Timothy 2:9-10 (KJV)

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

However looking godly does not make one godly - 2 Tim. 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Godliness is not displayed or exhibited in what we own or have KJV 1 Tim. 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1 Tim. 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. One can obviously grow or expand in godliness - Our text says to exercise godliness and 1 Tim. 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

2 Pet. 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

KJV 2 Pet. 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

Godliness comes from being connected to the power source - 2 Pet. 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Paul tells Timothy in this letter, to avoid these silly notions and heresy. And he says, " On the other hand" or instead exercise godliness.

This term exercise is an active word. We derive our word gymnasium from the Greek root word. In the secular Greek it literally referred to an athlete exercising naked. All restraint was removed in order to give freedom of movement and to maximize the opportunity of attaining one's goal. It is used in a metaphoric sense here as he contrasts the little profit of the bodily exercise with the godly exercise in verse 8.

It is possible that Paul used more rugged, physical terms imagery usually used for masculine activities in their culture contrasted with the "fables fit only for old women."

So my question to us tonight is "If this is godliness, all that I have tried to explain thus far, how do I exercise myself in godliness?"

Well Paul has already warned us previously of the dangers of using restriction of diet and marital relations and intimacy to appear or determine whether or not one is godly, so it cannot be those things.

How do I exercise godliness?

Well I may be over simplifying it, but I think it is practicing daily, in all that we do, in all that we say, in all that we think that which pleases God. Loving God with all of our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves, bringing about an obedience to the rest of the commandments of God.

I think Henry Slaughter and Gloria Gaither said it well in their song from the 70's

To Be Like Jesus

He lifted up the fallen man, He gave the world a helping hand,

His heart was touched each time He saw a soul in need;

Displaying kindness everywhere, Mercy and love was His to share,

And like this Man of Galilee I want to be.

chorus

To be like Jesus, To be like Jesus, All I ask to be like Him.

All thro' life's journey from earth to Glory, All I ask to be like Him.

His look of love went everywhere, And lives were changed when He was there,

Hungry eyes and hungry souls felt His embrace.

He stooped to mend each crippled child, His healing touch was strong but mild,

and like this Man of Galilee I want to be.

1st verse & music by Henry Slaughter

2nd verse by Gloria Gaither

Copy right 1971 by Harvest Time Publishers

From <http://www.namethathymn.com/hymn-lyrics-detective-forum/index.php?a=vtopic&t=9379>