WHY “GODLINESS” HAS GREAT VALUE
(I Tim. 4:8-10)
OVERVIEW OF I TIMOTHY 1:1 to 4:7
1:1-2 – Overview of Christian Faith based on His names and blessings.
1:3-4a False teaching in Ephesus and how humanistic philosophy effects us today.
1:4b-6 – Commanded to love. (Loving God, fellow Christians, the non-Christian world)
1:7-8 – The law’s deterrent, punitive and educative purposes
1:8-11 – “Whatever else …” The Gospel Ethic. (Law-Philia University)
1:11 – Our Relationship with “The Blessed God.” (Causing God pain or joy)
1:12-16 Why Paul considered himself the worst of sinners.
1:12-16 Conversion of the apostle Paul.
1:12-16 Paul’s call to ministry.
1:17 Paul’s doxology of praise for his conversion.
1:18-20 How to avoid shipwrecking our faith.
2:1-3 The Christian is to pray for all men.
2:4,6 Comparison of Calvinism & Armenianism.
2:5-6 The man, Christ Jesus, the only mediator.
2:1-7 The vision, the message, the means.
2:8-15 Treatment of women in the ancient world, the early church and the Bible.
2:8-15 Three key hermeneutic principles to follow when studying the Bible.
2:8 Praying Men with Peaceful Hearts
2:9-10 A First-Century Christian Woman’s Dress and Deeds
2:11-12 Does Submission Demand Silence?
2:13-15 Paul’s Logic for Requiring Women to Be Silent in The Ephesian House Churches.
3:1 Why Aspiring to Church Leadership Can Be a Good Thing.
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Teaching
3:2 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder – Hospitality
3:4-5 Spiritual Gifting Required of an Ephesian Elder –Leadership
3:2-7 Ethical Demands of the NT and the Ethics Tests for Elders
3:2-7 Ethical Qualities Required of an Ephesian Elder
3:8-13 The Ever Present Danger of Ethical Disconnect in a Christian’s Life
3:8-13 The Ministry of Deacons in the Early Church
3:9 Keeping Hold of the Deep Truths of the Faith
3:11 An Official Deaconesses in the NT Church?
3:14 Results That are Better Than Answered Prayer
3:15 God’s New Community – The Church of the Living God
3:15 God’s New Community – God’s Household
3:15 God’s New Community – The Pillar & Foundation of the Truth
3:16a Introduction to the Hymn in I Tim. 3:15 – The Mystery of Godliness
3:16a The Mystery of Godliness – A Life Focused on Christ
3:16b The Incarnation – He Appeared in a Body
4:1-2 How False Teaching Enters the Church
4:3-5 Common Grace
4:6 Word of God in Life of the Believer
4:7a Godliness – Divine / Human Role
4:7b Train Yourself to be Godly
4:7c Spiritual Disciplines (The Word of God)
4:7d Spiritual Disciplines (Devotions)
4.7e Spiritual Disciplines (Church Attendance, Journaling, Practicing Presence of God)
4:8-10 Why Godliness Has Great Value
THE VALUE OF GODLINESS, FAITHFUL SAYINGS, AND UNIVERSALISM
(I Tim. 4:8-10)
8For 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.
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe (I Tim. 4:8-10)
INTRODUCTION:
We will look at three varying topics in these verses, as follows: (1) Trustworthy Sayings; (2) The Benefits of a Life of Godliness; (3) Universalism.
I. TRUSTWORTHY SAYINGS
8For 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.
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.
10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe (I Tim. 4:8-10).
QUESTION: What verse, 8 or 10, is the “Trustworthy Saying?”
1. Most commentators feel vs. 8 is the faithful saying.
“Verse 8 is much more of a proverbial, axiomatic [more pithy] statement than verse 10. A proverbial statement would not begin with a reference to laboring and striving, as does verse 10. …Verse 10 … follows up the truth of verse 8” (John McArthur, 166).
2. The “Trustworthy Sayings” in the Pastoral Epistles:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst (I Tim. 1:15).
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task (I Tim. 3:1).
This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come (I Tim. 4:8-9).
Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself (II Tim. 2:11-13).
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone (Titus 3:8).
QUESTION: If you had two months to evangelize an illiterate tribe of people who were good at memorizing, what important Biblical texts would you have them memorize by heart?
“The Great Commandment,” “The Lord’s Prayer,” “The Gospel in a Nutshell” or “The Brief Gospel.” Some of our key memory verses, Psalm 23, “The Apostles Creed,” “I Corinthians 13” etc.
How many key Biblical texts do you know by heart?
II. THE BENEFITS OF GODLINESS
8For 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.
A. Review of the definition of “godliness”.
In some places godliness seems to mean piety and being devout and also doing righteous acts. It seems that in our context it means basically a life focused on God and on the manifestation of God in human flesh. Thus I Tim. 3:16:
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
So it seems Paul is saying that godliness is essentially re refocusing on our life on God, a life lived to know Him, love Him, be conformed to His image, do His will. In short a godly person will say from his heart, “For me to live is Christ!”
QUESTION: How does living a life of godliness, a life focused on Christ, benefit us in this world?
B. A life focused on Christ shows us how to live.
1. The human need to know how to live is perennial … this is an unalterable part of the human condition. … The search for something deeper had become a serious intellectual and spiritual project in the Mediterranean world by the fifth century B.C. or even earlier. That search was, in fact, worldwide in scope, but nowhere did it achieve a higher result than in the great prophets of Israel, such as Amos, Micah, and Isaiah. The first thorough treatment within the powers of human reason is found in Plato’s “Republic.” …. The book is really a study of the human soul and of the condition in which the soul must be in order for human beings to live well and manage to do what is right. The condition required, according to Plato, is called dikaiosune in “The Republic.” This is exactly the term that Jesus centers on in His “Sermon on the Mount.” …. The best translation of dikaiosune would be a paraphrase: true inner goodness. (The Divine Conspiracy, pg.144-15).
2. Paul uses the word dikaiosune 29 times in Romans to mean “righteousness”: “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
3. Jesus used it in the Sermon on the Mount to mean “true inner goodness.”
Mt. 3:15: Jesus said, “It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”
Mt. 5:6: “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness.”
Mt. 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness …”
Mt. 5:20: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees …”
Mt. 6:1: “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men.
Mt. 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….”
4. Focusing our life on Christ enables us to develop a life of “true inner goodness.”
Howard Hendrix quoted some educator from a California university saying that every character trait, good and bad, can be taught by modeling, without speaking a word.
We have both the life of Christ and also His words. And then we have models in all of us. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” We should look at others and follow them as we follow Christ.
Godliness is focusing on Christ. As we focus on Him we become more like Him and thus develop ‘true inner goodness’ which makes godliness profitable, beneficial for this present life.
The false teachers (vss. 1-5) were teaching about avoiding marriage and abstaining from food, religious acts / actions. Jesus emphasizes true inner goodness.
C. A life of godliness prepares us for the life to come.
We are confused when we think of heaven mainly in the light of rewards / crowns. Some great verses show that greatness and lots of good works are not the most valued thing about our lives. It seems that God puts a priority on “true inner goodness”:
46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Mt. 12:46-50).
28I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).
3″Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Mt. 5:3-5).
III. UNIVERSALISM OR “WILL ALL BE SAVED?”
10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe (I Tim. 4:8-10).
A. Does “who is the Savior of all men” mean all men will be saved?
“This view violates a basic hermeneutical principle of Scripture called “analogia Scriptura.” According to that principle, the Bible never contradicts itself. It will never teach something in one passage that violates what it teaches elsewhere.” (John McArthur, 167)
B. QUESTION: What does the Bible teach about the fate of those who reject Christ?
1. They will be sentenced to hell (Rev. 20:11-15).
2. The duration of the punishment will be eternal (Mt. 25:41, 46).
3. They will be out of God’s presence (II Thes. 1:8-9) . 4. Jesus repeatedly spoke of the danger of hell (Lk. 3:28).
5. The same words that in the original that are used to describe heaven as eternal are used to describe hell as eternal.
C. If not “Universalism” how then should we interpret “Savior of all men?”
* Three ways to interpret the text: (1) a double meaning in the Word “Savior,” (John MacArthur, Guthrie); (2) a varying definition of the word especially” to mean “to be precise” (John Stott); (3) an intimation that Christ’s death was for all (“…who wants all men to be saved” 2:5) and is offered to all (Gordon Fee, Michael Griffiths).
* Third pillar of Calvinism, LIMITED ATONMENT: The effects of the atonement, by which God forgave sinful humanity, are limited only to those whom He has chosen. And the “Modified Calvinism” : The atonement of Christ is open to all men everywhere and is limited only by our refusal to be saved.
1. God is the Savior of all men in the “temporal” sense and of believers in the “eternal” sense.
2. In this life all people experience to some degree the protecting, delivering, sustaining power of God.
3. The use of the word “Savior” is not always limited to salvation from sin in Scripture (Neh. 9:27).
4. Scriptures that show God as deliverer, blesser, Savior of all men.
… your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Mt. 5:45).
Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy (Acts 14:17).
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25).
SO WHAT!
1. We all need to have a firm grip on “Faithful Sayings,” those concepts and ideas in the Bible that are fundamental to our faith, and where possible memorize them.
2. To be a truly godly person our whole life focus will be on Christ. We will say from our hearts, “For me to live is Christ.” Such a life lived out day by day will develop in us ‘true inner goodness,’ that quality above all that God wants to see evident in us.
3. God is the Savior and preserver of all people through “common grace” but especially of the believer, for He blesses us both in this world but also with eternal life in the world to come.