Healing And Deliverance Tools

Exercise Yourself Toward Godliness (Part 1)

• Dr. Gilbert Mwachia

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What if you discovered an exercise that has tremendous value in this present life and the life that is to come? Join me as we set the stage to rip out the meat loaded in the words of Paul to Timothy, "Exercise yourself towards godliness" found in 1Tim 4:7-8. How did Timothy understand this, and what does it translate to in our lives? As we set the stage for future discussions on the motivations behind this pursuit, prepare to be inspired and challenged on your path to spiritual growth and enrichment.

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Speaker 1:

Hello and thank you for joining us for this time of the word. Today we will be in 1 Timothy, chapter 4, in verse number 7 and 8. Hallelujah, this is what it says reject profane and old wives' fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things. Having promise of the life that is now, now is and of that which is to come, may the Lord bless his word. I want to share a few words on this heading Exercise Yourself Toward godliness. So that will be the subject of our message today that we exercise ourselves toward godliness, godliness, to exercise ourselves towards godliness. Now it's easy to understand. You know the issue of exercise.

Speaker 1:

But, paul, to get the context of what Paul is talking about here, paul is writing to this young man who he's sure to leave the mantle to, and it's an instructional book. It's one of the good books, like if you want to learn how to conduct yourself as a Christian. This is a good book Paul wrote to this young man. I love reading it from time to time. It really enriches. And in chapter four, paul is warning this young man concerning the last days. I'm sure the warning was more to us, but of course he had to write and he's warning about things that will be happening during the last days. If you go back you will see. He says in the last days, during the last days. If you go back you will see. It says in the last days some will depart from the faith and follow deceiving spirits or give heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. So it's a warning. That's the backdrop upon which we are coming to our verses. I'm giving that background that Paul is warning about some things that will be happening around Timothy as we head to the last days and, believe me or not, it is even more closer now to the coming of the Lord than it was almost 2,000 years ago. And it says that during the last days, the time of apostasy, is a time when people will depart. You know they become apostate. They were in the faith. You have to understand these were people in the faith and Paul says they will depart. The other word is fall away. There was a position that they were in and they fall away from that position, from the faith and the position in faith. They fall away from faith and follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.

Speaker 1:

Now the internet, the world and even in the church, it is awash these days with all kinds of deception. Many people are deceived. Remember, when it comes to deception, you actually feel like you are in the right, that you know the truth, that what you're following is the truth, while yet you are completely lost. People will start giving heed, that means they will listen. And Paul, somewhere, he says because people have itching ears, they look for teachers who will tell them what their itching ears want to hear. And we find this all over, even in the Christendom, unfortunately, that we have people who are coming to church and there is a particular kind of word they want. They are looking for a word. They are looking to be told what their hearts, their flesh desires. And so, because of that, the enemy knows these are prophesied days, and so he's putting in lying spirits, even in preachers. He has his own preachers who must quarrel as angels of light, but back behind their lives they are falling away. They are wicked people but still being used by the enemy. So that's the background behind which Paul is saying to understand the times that we are living in, to understand that we are living in times and seasons of deception. And so he comes now and he tells him now. But that's why we that now gives us the understanding of that verse seven there.

Speaker 1:

But he says but for you, of course he's talked about him following the doctrine which he has taught, but I have cut short because I don't want to go too far in. He says but I have cut short because I don't want to go too far in. He says but reject profane and old wives' fables and exercise yourself toward godliness. So he says there are some things you just have to reject and these are to do with the profanity. Profanity, these are philosophies.

Speaker 1:

He's talking about teachings that are out there, which are contrary to scriptures, which are contrary to the word of God, and he tells them you have to reject that. They are philosophies, they are theories, they are arguments out there and we are bombarded in the world that we are living in, beloved, we are bombarded with so many philosophies. We are bombarded with the arguments. People come to begin some theories, some fables. Fables are just stories, imaginations of the mind of men concerning God, especially concerning God, because that's our interest. There are different kinds of fables people have put out there, but we're not interested in that. We're interested in people rising up, coming up with some arguments against God, some fables, some things that deviate people from the truth of the word of God.

Speaker 1:

And so Paul tells Timothy, you got to reject that, you have to reject that, and this is for all of us. There are some things that you, there are some arguments you just reject. You don't get even involved in that because they will make you more ungodly. So you stay away from arguments against your faith, arguments against God, philosophies, theories, cautions. In other words, there are some things you have to sieve and know what are you listening to, what are you paying attention to? Then you reject old wife fable, old wife fable. And then on the other side, after you've done that, he says and exercise yourself toward godliness. That's where my main message is that we need to exercise ourselves toward godliness. So there are some things that want to draw us from God, but now we choose, once we have rejected that, we decide now to exercise ourselves toward godliness. What are we talking about here when we are saying we exercise ourselves toward godliness?

Speaker 1:

I want, in a few minutes, to kind of dig a little deeper. You know, on that word exercise. We know it, but it's good to understand it. You know, from the perspective of what Paul was writing. Now, the original word, the original Greek word. This was written in Greek. Now we have translation. The original Greek word which Paul is referring to here is the word gumnazo, gumnazo, g-u-m-n-a-z-o. I don't know how you pronounce it, I'm not a Greek scholar, but it is Gumnazo. You know Gumnazo, and it's a very loaded word.

Speaker 1:

It's easy for us if you imagine what the English word we get out of that gumnado or gymnasia. It's where we get our English word gymnasia, right. So that should be easy to understand. But what is the meaning of it? The original meaning it is to strip naked. It shows, it is a reference to how Greek athletes used to strip themselves and this is important to strip themselves to the bare minimum. It means naked, bare and clad or minimally clothed, and it's a descriptive of the common parties of males in the Greco-Roman gymnasium. So the athletes and we see this even when they go for the Olympics and any kinds of games that the athlete will strip themselves from all things that will be a hindrance for them to achieve their purpose of competing Any weight.

Speaker 1:

The Bible talks about us getting rid of all waits. It's not sin. Now, some things are not sinful, but they are waits. They are waits in our life. So that's in Hebrews, by the way. I'm quoting Hebrews, chapter 12, you know where you get rid of all kinds of wait and the sin that so easily encumbers us.

Speaker 1:

But what I'm talking about here is that word gymne. Gumnazo means to strip yourself, and so when Paul is writing to Timothy, he is letting Timothy to understand that when you are pursuing godliness, there are some things you got to do. You have to bring yourself to be like an athlete. The Christian life is compared to an athlete. There are very many pictures of the Christian life, but this is one of them and it brings out it really nice. You have to exercise. So what do athletes do? They are disciplined. So the word therefore will mean to discipline yourself, to exercise yourself. The other one is to train, to train yourself, to stretch yourself. I like the way Brother Kent is a brother who was a Bible commenter and I want to read for you here so that you can get that word. So he says this this is Kent Hughes.

Speaker 1:

Gymnasium means to exercise so as to discipline oneself in the moral or ethical gym, so to speak, or to exercise vigorously in any way, either the body or the mind. It conveys the picture of the rigorous, persevering, painstaking, diligent, strenuous, self-sacrificing training an athlete undergoes for a perishable crown and which the Christian athlete should be willing to undergo for an imperishable prize. Did you get that? Did you get the strength of that word? Gymnasium? You know, beloved, to exercise yourself towards goldenness. It's going to stretch us goldenness. It's going to stretch us the picture of an athlete who has removed everything that is a weight in his life, everything that will hinder him from achieving a prize, from winning the race, from getting what he wants to get in that race. And then there is that strenuous wants to get in that place. And then there is that strenuous. There is that strenuous. You see them stretching out, the agony in their face, the power that they put. It's a concentration to achieve a particular end. And that's what God is calling us, beloved.

Speaker 1:

If you and I are going to be godly, then it's going to take some sacrificial training. It's going to take some rigorous. It's going to take perseverance. It's painstaking, painstaking, rigorous, persevering, being diligent. It's a strenuous exercise, you know, and this is what I want to bring across, because we have to understand that we have been called as athletes, we have been called as soldiers, and as we enter, as we pursue this life of Christianity, there are some exercises God expects us to be doing, and so let's quickly mention I know you can, let's just mention a few here. I know you can mention a couple of exercises that you yourself can do. What are these exercises we can do towards godliness? You want to become a godly man? You want to become a godly woman? You want to become godly? What are these exercises? And let me mention some of these. I just put a few here.

Speaker 1:

But for sure, reading the word, reading and meditating on the word of God, that's a spiritual exercise. It will make you godly. I don't know if there's any other thing that will make you godly than reading the word of God. And the second one that I'll mention, which you already know even before I go there but the word, the word of God is what shapes us. The word of God is what transforms us. The word of God is we are changed from one degree of glory, from one point of godliness to another, by the word. God shapes us. Through his word, god transforms our minds. You know that's what Paul says in Romans, chapter 12, verse 2. Be ye transformed, be ye transformed in your mind. You know that transformation. You know, I beseech you, brethren, by the masses of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. That's Romans 12, verse 1. And then you go to verse 2. You know, be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your mind is renewed. It's the word of God, so I can't go much deeper than that, but you understand, it's the word.

Speaker 1:

What is the other one? It's prayer, prayer, prayer. That's an exercise. It's a strenuous exercise, right, and I don't need to belabor that. And then the other one is fasting. Hallelujah. That's an exercise.

Speaker 1:

Right now we are on our 21 days of prayer and fasting. The 21 days of prayer and fasting. Whichever way you want to choose this, you're jumping in, but you're fasting. It is denial, beloved, it's denial. It's not easy, it's strenuous. You know, I remember one of us was telling me yesterday oh man, yesterday was rough, today was a rough day. For me, today was a rough day, you know. And you wonder why are we doing that? Why are we doing? Why do we have to do? That? Is salvation by grace. Yes, salvation is by grace.

Speaker 1:

And Apostle Paul was the apostle of grace. He's the one God used to bring the grace. But here he is. He is showing us by an example, by words, by teachings, which Paul says you have learned from me. I have not read what he has read. He has told Timothy, you are learning from me. So these are things that Paul himself. So Paul is saying I'm fasting and he talks about all this.

Speaker 1:

You go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, you'll see that I think 1 Corinthians also in 2 Corinthians, chapter 6, he talks about how he is suffering for Christ, how he is training for the Lord and beloved. I don't want to forget this point because we have talked about gymnasium. We have talked about exercise, exercise, gymnastic, gym, going to the gym. I don't know whether you've ever gone to the gym and if you go there you will see people's training, but I want to mention this. I want to mention this, I want to mention this when we are talking about the Bible asking us to exercise ourselves toward godliness.

Speaker 1:

It's not easy. Your body rejects that, your flesh rejects that, my flesh rejects that. You know, if you ask any athlete, if you ask any athlete, anybody who has been training for something, the moment they wake up they want to go to gym. But the first thing the body says is not today, you can't make it today. Not today, no, no, you need a little rest. Or maybe it's hurting so much or you're killing yourself.

Speaker 1:

The body is always against exercise. It just wants laziness, it wants a slothful life, it wants to live lazy, lazy, lazy. No wonder we don't have the godliness that God desires of us, because the body rejects and we listen to the flesh. So when I want to fast, I want to fast, my body crings against it. It says no, you can't do that, you shouldn't do that. You know you're pressing yourself.

Speaker 1:

But we have just read here God says exercise yourself. It is strenuous, it is disciplined, it is hard for the body. What other words did we read? It is rigorous, it is persevering, it is painstaking. It is rigorous, it is persevering, it is painstaking, it is a self-sacrificial training. Self-sacrificial training. That's what God is calling us to.

Speaker 1:

So when we are praying, when we are fasting, why are we doing this? We are doing this because God's work depends on us. God uses us. If we don't agonize, if we don't strain ourselves, if we don't do that, souls are not going to come into the kingdom, people will not be saved. The presence of God is not going to be failed.

Speaker 1:

I like the words. I'm going to read this. I don't know, I didn't want to go there, but I'll read 1 Corinthians no Colossians. Colossians has no. First I said Colossians, chapter 1, chapter 1, verse 24.

Speaker 1:

Listen to what Paul says. Colossians, chapter 1. I have it easy to read. Okay, colossians 1, verse 24. Listen to what Paul says here. He says I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of his body, which is the church. I now rejoice in my suffering for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. What is Paul talking about here? Paul is saying Jesus has already suffered, jesus has already sacrificed, he paid the price for redemption of man, for salvation of man. But he says there are some things lacking. It doesn't mean Jesus' work was deficient, but he has left the work. And Paul says now I am suffering for the church. That is what is remaining. It's my part. I have to suffer, I have to straighten. He tells the Colossians I am filling up in my flesh and he says I rejoice, beloved, it's a joyful thing. That's the interesting things when we are serving God, people think, oh man, those guys are miserable fellows, those guys are suffering, those guys are in pain. But wow, if we know, oh, my goodness, he's such a joy. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church, for the sake of his body, which is the church. And Paul says I am straining. So this is what Christ has done. But there is work I need to do as a believer. So we want people to be saved, we have to pray, we have to cry the word of God.

Speaker 1:

Jesus says in Luke chapter 10, I don't want to go there again. Says in Luke chapter 10, I don't want to go there again. Luke chapter yeah, it's in Luke, chapter 10, where he says that the harvest is plenty. The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. When he says that, and then he says, pray, ye, pray now to the Lord of the harvest, lord of the harvest, that he may send in laborers into his harvest field. And you're like what Lord? You see, the harvest is plenty. You see, souls are ready to come into the kingdom. This is your harvest. This is what you died for. This is what you need people. You want people saved. You do not delight in the death of a sinner. Oh God, just go ahead and serve them.

Speaker 1:

No, jesus turns to his disciples. He says, yes, the harvest is plenty. Yes, everything is ripe to bring into the barn. And then he turns to those same disciples and he tells them pray. You now Tell them pray. You now Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send in laborers to bring in the harvest.

Speaker 1:

Oh God, lord, why do you want this? Why do you want us to do this? God will do nothing except you and I agonize, pray, seek God for the salvation of the Lord, salvation of the loved ones, salvation of those who are bound. We need to cry out to God and say Lord, bring them. So we are filling up in our body. What is lacking, what is remaining to accomplish the will of God? The will of God will not be done here on earth, as is already done in heaven, except that you and I ask God to do it. In other words, god will do nothing on this earth until somebody else prays. Why is the mystery of prayer? God has given the earth to man and man has to invite God into the working, into this world, to begin to work out. So we have to pray, we have to pray, we have to fast.

Speaker 1:

No, that's not the only spiritual exercise we are being called to, the only spiritual exercise we are being called to. There's another spiritual exercise that you and I have to do we have to praise God. Exercise yourself to godliness. If you want to be godly, be a praising person, be a worshiping person. Now, put songs of praise, put songs of worship, put songs in your heart. You know, it's amazing how I see some Christians. I don't know how they get time with the secular music and I'm not saying it's sinful, by the way, to listen to some secular, but some secular music is terrible, all right. So you have to. Don't take some junk that is going to make you really ungodly, all right. But if you want to be godly, there's some music that will inspire you. There's some music that you listen and, oh my God, you start dancing, you start praising God, you fill your heart and your spirit with godly things, you become godly. Listen to good music, listen, praise, worship.

Speaker 1:

That's an exercise and, trust me, your body will not want to do that why? It's because it's strenuous. Your body rejects anything towards godliness. That's why Paul brings this word train yourself, exercise yourself. In fact, if we have to transliterate that word, it should have been written in the English Bible. It should have been written gymnasticize yourself toward godliness. Gymnasticize yourself towards godliness. Oh, I hope you're getting the power of this. So that is praising God. That's one exercise you can do. What is that other exercise that you can do?

Speaker 1:

There are exercises listening and watching inspirational content. Listening and watching inspirational content right, there's some things you're watching on television. I don't know how they help, okay, I mean mean, it doesn't mean we shouldn't watch some stuff, but you know you have to choose. But if you, if you, if you take time and and delve into some inspirational, you're watching some good youtube stuff, it builds you. It the the idea is becoming godly beloved. The idea is becoming godly beloved. The idea is becoming godly, and you have to do that. So that's one exercise, all right. The other exercise is witnessing. All right.

Speaker 1:

Going out just telling people about Jesus. You are not the savior, I am not the savior. Mine is to tell them about Christ, about the love of God, that you can be saved, you can be right with God. You know Jesus is the one who saves, and some people say I want to know more about that. Oh, can you pray for me? You know that's good. So that's a spiritual exercise and, again, it's not easy. It's training us.

Speaker 1:

You have to strip yourself. When Paul says gymnasticize, the idea is strip yourself of all encumbrances, of all hindrances. Don't allow too many things of this world. Don't allow too many things of this world. If I had time, maybe I will do that next week when I will read it for us in the amplified version, what we have just read. I've run out of time, I have to stop, but I have a lot of good stuff here which I wanted to share. That is, that's just like introduction. So I have to carry on this message next week.

Speaker 1:

I want you to know, as I close in this session, that godliness is. If you want to be godly, it's going to stretch you out. If you want to be godly, it's going to cost you. Godliness is salvation, is free, salvation is by grace, but godliness is costly. Godliness is gymnasia is gymnasio. We got to exercise ourselves towards godliness. May the Lord bless you. May the Lord cement that word that you know that you are called as an athlete and there is a prize ahead of us. When we come back, we'll begin to look at why. What is the motivation? What is the motivation why we are doing this? We are doing? What is there ahead of us? God bless you. We'll see you in our next teaching, amen.