Students of the Word - Training in Godliness

If you want to test your basic knowledge of the Bible, try out this online quiz and see how you do. 

Student: scholar or learner; one who attends a school; one who studies

When we think of "students", typically we think of school, children, homework, quizzes and tests, grades, etc. The truth is, anyone can be a student. It doesn't matter your age or whether or not you go to school. A student is someone who studies a particular body of knowledge. Sometimes the goal is simply to know more, but usually there is some practical application for seeking that knowledge. You might study biology if you want to go into the medical field. You would study mathematics and physics to go into architecture or engineering. You might study history and geology to go into archaeology. In my case, I studied the Bible to go into full-time ministry.

Disciple: a follower, or student, of a teacher, leader, or philosopher

Students study a particular body of knowledge. Disciples study a particular person. 2,000 years ago, disciples would study under their master with the goal of becoming as much like their master as possible. They would study everything about him from his mannerisms to his teachings. Some might go so far as to cut their hair the same way. They wanted to be able to be as much like their master as possible so that when people looked at them, they could see their master.

When Jesus picked out the 12 disciples and said "Come, follow me", this is what He was calling them to. He was saying, "come and study under me, learn from me, so that you can be like me". Today, when we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become His disciples. We become students of the Word (the Bible) so that we can know more about Jesus and His life, then like disciples we try our best to become like Him in every way.

Our verse today is short and simple:

1 Timothy 4:8 - "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."

"For physical training is of some value..."

I played soccer most of my grade school life, up through 11th grade. In that time I spent a lot of time training physically, learning how to pass, shoot, and work together with my teammates. We also ran...a lot. That was part of the training so that we would be able to have the endurance to keep playing through all 4 quarters of the game.

My senior year of high school I decided to change things up a bit by switching to cross country. I was the only guy on the team, and also the only senior. I found out in the first practice that I was not ready for cross country. In competition, you have to run a 5k, which is roughly 3.2 miles. I couldn't run 1 mile. I was out of breath, wheezing, my heart beating out of my chest, legs shaking, side cramping.

What did I need to do?

Train.

Over the next few months I kept coming back and I kept on running. As I did, I found that I was able to go farther before losing my breath. Eventually, I was able to run the full 3.2 miles. Then, as I continued to train, I found that I could go faster. Eventually, I built up my speed to at least not come last in the meets. But it took time and continued effort. It took training to get to that point.

As a result, my body was healthier, my heart was happier - there was definitely value in that physical training. And that's what Paul was talking about in 1 Timothy 4:8. Physical training has clear value. Usually we get to see results when we train physically, whether it be bigger muscles, clearer tone, loss of fat, increased energy or endurance, or even increased happiness. Yes, physical training has been shown to positively impact your mood. Crazy.

But Paul doesn't stop there. He goes on to say that while physical training has some value, godliness has value for all things. He says it holds promise for both the present life and the life to come. In some translations, it even says training in godliness. What do you think that means?

Physical training is when we practice things physically so our bodies can get used to it and get better at it. Taking that into godly training would mean practicing things spiritually so we can get used to being like Jesus and get better at living like Jesus in every way. This requires two basic things: knowing Jesus and putting that knowledge into action. It means being a student of the Word and then training ourselves to be like Jesus every day.

1. Being a Student of the Word

For Christians, this is what we always come back to - because it is so central to our faith. We have to read and know the Bible. The Bible is where we first find out about Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, and it is where we find the full story of God's redemptive plan for us. From the beginning to the future end, the Bible unpacks everything we need to know about God and how He wants us to live in this life. Plus, it tells us what to expect in the next life, which is why training in godliness has value in this life and the life to come. Our bodies, no matter how fit or strong, don't go with us to the next life. But godliness does.

To be a student of the Word means not just reading, but studying the Bible. Seeking to understand it and know it. Then you have to apply it.

2. Training in Godliness

This is where many Christians tend to get lazy. They might have the knowledge, but they don't do anything with it. It is one thing to know what the Bible says, or to know how Jesus lived, but it is another thing to live that way yourself. So, once you know how Jesus lived, and how He wants you to live, find ways to do it! Practice living that way in real life!

Jesus is known to be generous, so you should practice generosity with others. The more you practice, the more easily it will come to you as you train yourself in it.

Jesus is known as a servant to all - He came to serve, not be served. Find ways to serve others, maybe in small ways at first, then in bigger ways. Let service characterize your life like it characterized Jesus' life.

Jesus loved deeply, so much so that He was willing to die on behalf of those He loved (like you and me). Practice loving others with a sacrificial love. Train yourself to start putting the needs of others before your own needs.

Being a disciple of Jesus means more than just being saved. It means studying Jesus and trying to be like Him in every way possible. And this takes time, it doesn't happen overnight. We have to keep going, even when it gets hard (especially when it gets hard). That's what it means to train. So don't give up. If you are a disciple of Jesus, keep going. Study the Word, train in godliness, and be like Jesus. Trust me, if you stick with it you will see the results.

Read the Bible Yo

 Let's start with a little game. Below are 10 statements. As you read each one, write down whether you think its a true biblical teaching or false teaching. You don't have to explain why you think its true or false, just determine which it is.

Things the Bible Teaches...??

1. Most people are basically good.

2. God accepts the worship of all religions.

3. The OT Law (Law of Moses) condemns children to death for cursing their parents.

4. Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God the Father.

5. Sin entered the world when Eve ate an apple from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

6. All people are created in the image of God and He loves them as His children.

7. Money is the root of all evil.

8. All you have to do to be saved is ask Jesus into your heart.

9. God will never give you more than you can handle.

10. God helps those who helps themselves.

Did you figure out which ones are true and which are false? What if I told you that only ONE of those statements is a true biblical teaching, and its not the one you think it is. The answer key (with an explanation for each) is in the comment section if you're curious.

If you got a bunch of them wrong, don't feel too bad, the wording got a little tricky and I even tricked some of the leaders last night with those statements. If you somehow got them all right, or came close, I am willing to bet that you were able to figure it out based on one thing: you've read the Bible.

Answer me this: have you ever felt like you can't talk about God because you don't know enough? Or have you felt like you can't talk about God because someone may ask you a question that you don't know how to answer? Or because you just don't know what to say?

How do we fix this? How can we know more? Where can we find answers? How can we know what to say?

The answer is simple: by reading the Bible. If you take nothing else away from any of my messages, take this: READ THE BIBLE. Know what it says. Consume it like New England Clam Chowder from the Cheesecake Factory after a 5-day fast (there's a story there). Take it in like cool water after a long summer day in the hot sun. Get lost in the Word of God like when you get stuck scrolling through TikTok until 4 in the morning.

Read.

The.

Bible.

Why is it so important for Christian's to read and know the Bible? Some of you know that I've recently gotten really into TikTok (my wife tells me I'm obsessed). Over the last month I've been interacting with a lot of false teaching (FROM CHRISTIANS) that has come across my For You page. I never knew how bad it was out there, even just within Christian circles. People who have a very poor understanding of the Bible are teaching whatever they want and calling it biblical. Then, people who don't know the Bible very well are believing them! This is a problem. When we don't know the Bible very well, we are going to fall into a lot of false teaching.

In Psalm 1, David talks about the blessing that comes to those who meditate on God's Word every day - it leads us to righteousness and keeps us close to God. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul tells Timothy "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

This letter, naturally, comes after 1 Timothy 4:8, where Paul tells Timothy "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 can see benefits to physical training. It keeps our body in good shape, allowing us to have a higher quality of life and live longer. There is value to that. But Paul here is saying that training in godliness has MUCH GREATER VALUE, holding promise both for this life, and the life we will spend in eternity with God. And how do we train in godliness? By reading Scripture. By spending time in the Word of God. It is what trains us to live as God wants us to live, and to draw near to Him in all things.

When we invest our time in the Bible like we are commanded to do, our minds are changed, our behaviors change, our lives change, our words change, our understanding is changed, and we are better able to identify false teaching. These are amazing benefits for this life, and as we draw near to God, these hold benefits for eternity as well.

So read the Bible. Meditate on it. Think about it. Memorize it. Act on it. The more we read the Bible, the more we will know what to say when people ask us questions. The more we read the Bible, the more we will know and be able to identify false teachings. The more we read the Bible, the more we will talk to people about the Gospel and faith in Jesus. This is because it is "out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). What we put into our hearts and minds is what is going to come out of it. So the more time we spend in the Word of God, the more the Word of God will come out in our daily lives.

If you want to grow in your faith, to grow closer to God, and to have everlasting benefits in both this life and the life to come: Read the Bible.