VALUABLE GODLINESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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.

1 Timothy 4:8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Many people in the world are obsessed with their physique. They spend countless hours in the gym working out, running miles and miles on treadmills and pumping weights over and over and over again so to look as big and strong and ripped as possible.

And then, they love to take pictures of themselves and post them so that people can see and adore them, hopefully gaining lots of comments on their looks. These workout fanatics also love mirrors and posing in front of them in admiration of themselves.

Now, don’t read this as an indictment on physical fitness. I am a big fan of it and taking care of one’s body. In fact, the Bible tells us we are to care for our physical selves for it is the temple of the Lord and His Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19).

But we also aren’t to worship ourselves or present ourselves to others to gain their worship. When we do this, we are doing nothing short of turning our chiseled bodies into idols and we know God condemns idolatry in any and all forms. We are to glorify and honor Him and Him alone with everything we do, to include the way we exercise and shape our bodies.

As we turn to our scripture verse from 1 Timothy 4, we see further evidence that the Bible supports physical fitness but also makes it clear that it in and of itself is not what is of the utmost importance. Look again at these words here:

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. v. 8

Here we find the word of God instructing us to remember we have two sides: one physical and the other spiritual. Everyone does.

And while “physical training is of some value” it will never be more significant than our life in Christ, a life dedicated to pleasing God through modeling the life of His Son. When we do this, when we willingly strive to make our lives match the life of Jesus, then valuable godliness follows, godliness that “has value for all things”, godliness that hold promise for the Christian believer “both in the present life and the life to come”.

Pumping iron won’t save anyone. Only believing in Jesus can do that.

Running or walking distances every day won’t save anyone. Only believing in Jesus can do that.

In the end translation, a person can dedicate their lives to develop their bodies but without Jesus and His righteousness, they have really accomplished nothing of eternal value. That sculptured body is going to die one day and decompose like every other body, exercised or not, and the unsaved soul is going to move on to eternal damnation in Hell where there won’t be any gratification, only unending torment.

There is no question that we are to care for our bodies. They are the Lord’s temples. But there is equally no question that we aren’t to solely fix our attention on our bodies and give no consideration to our souls. We must make sure we do both while placing a greater value on Jesus and the godliness we find in and through Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.