GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS
1 Timothy 4:7a-11
Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 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. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. These things command and teach.
Dr. Luther sings in his Reformation hymn, “Though devils all the world should fill, all eager to devour us.” That’s no if. Devils do fill “all the world” and they are “eager to devour us.” St. Peter tells us what to do about it. He writes, “Whom resist steadfast in the faith,” 1 Peter 5:9. But who is up to that? What chance do we have to put up battle against the devil, against a fallen angel, a principality and power? The answer is our faith, “trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all me, especially of those that believe.” We can’t make our way through life by ourselves, much as the world would have us believe otherwise.
The world might tell us to smile in the face of adversity, but it doesn’t give us much to smile about. A foolish joke or a silly story don’t do much for someone lying on a sickbed. The incessant clangor or an overhead TV does little to calm the human spirit. What we really need when we are down are the good words of faith, the wonderful promises of Scripture. Nothing can more readily bring a smile to our faces than the assurance that we have a Savior who died to take away our sins. Nothing can lighten our adversity and make us content in spite of it, as the promise of our Savior, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Hebrews 13:5. Nothing can still our trembling spirits when we wake up at night filled with worry and doubt as reading and reciting good doctrine, passages of Scripture that we once committed to memory.
The word, “doctrine,” frightens many people, because it seems to suggest a body of forbidding teachings. Some reformed churches speak of us as “Catechism Christians,” and boast of their religion as one of “deeds without creeds.” Actually, deeds are impossible without creeds; works are impossible without faith. There is no mystery about the word, “doctrine.” It is nothing more nor less than the good sound basis of our faith. Doctrine is the teaching about God and the world He created; it is the teaching about Jesus Christ who redeemed the world from sin; it is the teaching about the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit in creating and sustaining our faith. The firmer our doctrine, the stronger our faith and the better able we are to face the realities of this world until our Lord calls us home. The Apostle Paul underscored this need when he wrote to the Ephesians, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Ephesians 4:14. The emptiness of superficial Christianity, of a life that is not rooted in sound doctrine is reflected in the alarming suicide rate in our country and especially among our young men in the military. Figures recently released tell us that over 99 took their own lives in the year 2006 alone.
We can’t make it through life by ourselves. We can’t be what we want to be, no matter what the roadside posters tell us. The text addresses just one phase of human life in which people think they are in control, “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 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.”
Bodily exercise was a big concept in the ancient world. St. Paul alludes many times to the Olympic races that were run every two years in ancient Greece. In fact, in his first letter to the Corinthians, he alludes directly to boxing matches and gladiatorial conflict. He himself, on one occasion, according to the book of Acts, chose to abandon his companions aboard ship so that he could walk rather than sail some 20 miles to their next destination.
Bodily exercise is also a big word in our contemporary world. Exercise is a billion dollar industry that bombards us on all sides with the hype of a perfect physique, all the while ignoring the simple truth that we are not all created equal. The problem with the emphasis on bodily exercise in any generation, says our text, is that it profits only a little. Bodily exercise may help our heart condition or build up our muscles or cause us to lose weight, but it does precious little for our souls. Our physical bodies, no matter how well developed, have built-in corruption. They are like the grass and flowers, says the Apostle Peter, which soon fade and pass away. Only the word of God endures forever, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” 1 Peter 2:24, 25. Focusing our hearts only on bodily exercise to the neglect of the Word of God, finding jogging on a Sunday morning more important than learning the Word of God in church, is another delusion of the devil whereby he would divert us from our real goal, which is eternal life in heaven.
When the Apostle Paul wrote Timothy, “Exercise thyself rather unto godliness,” he was telling us that godliness should be our goal in our lives. Yet, we have much to learn from those who make exercise their goal. That sounds strange, doesn’t it?
One time, during His stay on this earth, our Savior said, “For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. “ Luke 16:8. Children of the world train hard for their earthly goals. Winning an Olympic medal, or surpassing in sports, requires concentration and intense physical discipline. Most of all, it means keeping your eyes fixed on your goal. Now when St. Paul wrote to young Timothy, “Exercise yourself,” he wanted him and us to know that Christian life involves exercise, discipline and training. St. Paul said this about himself. Using the picture of a runner or a boxer, he wrote, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27. This is strong language, but that is precisely what our sinful inner nature needs. A runner cannot win the race if he gives in to his lusts. He can’t win if he gives in to anything that would weaken his muscles or lessen his resistance. He has to train and train and train, and keep his body in the very best condition. And for what? A gold medal, a ring, a wreath, a plaque on the wall? What are these corruptible things worth?
Now, if an athlete is so intent on his corruptible goal, how much more should not we Christians be intent on our incorruptible goal! When St. Paul urges us to “Fight the good fight of faith,” 1 Timothy 6:12, he is reminding us that holding on to our precious faith involves a fight. We don’t fight to gain heaven; that is our’s already. We fight not to lose it. The tainted pleasures of the world can only destroy our inner peace, and undermine our faith. If St. Paul, a chosen apostle of God, tells us, that his fight with his old Adam was more than flailing air, that his whole lifetime was a constant battle with the evil within him, is it any different with you, and me? The good fight of faith is the fight against the lusts and desires that tug against our soul. It means saying “No” to sinful pleasures, even if it hurts. It means crushing our sinful pride that puts our feelings and our desires above the will of God. Lest we be tempted to give in, to feel that it is not worth it, the Apostle reminds us that it is a good fight, a fight that we can’t win by ourselves, but that our Savior has won for us and for what reason? “That henceforth we should not serve sin,” Romans 6 ;6, but find our strength in the promise of a heavenly bliss, which will never fade away, but will bring us endless joy and happiness in excess of anything that our sinful hearts can imagine here on earth.
This sermon was preached by Pastor Robert Dommer on November 25, 2007.