Godliness Is Profitable Unto All Things
Chuck Sligh
November 24, 2013
TEXT: 1 Timothy 6:6 – “But godliness with contentment is great gain. ”
INTRODUCTION
There is a pairing of spiritual traits in this verse: godliness and contentment Now, if you have godliness, but not contentment, you have only HALF of the equation. On the other hand, if you have contentment, but not godliness—again, you’re missing something.
God wants us to pair those things in our lives for some reason. Next Sunday evening I want to talk about the subject of contentment. But today I want to talk about the first half of the equation: GODLINESS.
To do that, I’d like for us to go to another passage in 1 Timothy: chapter 4, verses 7-8. But before we read that, first let’s define “godliness.”
Godliness can be simply defined as “God-likeness.” That is to say, when you became a believer in Jesus Christ, it’s God’s plan that you become like God in His moral attributes.
Now Jesus is the visible manifestation of God on earth, so in order to conform yourself to God, you should conform yourself to Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:29 we read that this is exactly God’s plan for us from eternity past: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…”
So to be conformed to the image of Christ means to become LIKE JESUS CHRIST. Godliness is “Jesus-likeness,” and, since Jesus Christ is God, it’s “God-likeness.” God wants you to be like His Son in your attitudes, in your philosophy of life, in your words, and in your behavior.
Godliness is the opposite of worldliness. As a believer, you’ll either be conformed to JESUS CHRIST in your life and be GODLY, or you’ll be conformed to the world and be worldly. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
By the “world,” Paul means the attitudes, philosophy, words and behavior of those who are part of this world system controlled by Satan whom Paul refers to in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as “the god of this world.” Now there is only one true God, but Satan is served in this world by worldlings as if he were a god who controls their attitudes, philosophies, words and behavior. This is in contrast to believers whom the Bible says their citizenship is in heaven
So to summarize, godliness is “God-likeness” or “Christ-likeness” in the life of the believer who is striving to obey God, understand His Word, and be like Christ. The world would have you believe that the life of godliness is a sad, boring existence.
You’d think that if you become a committed Christian, somehow you’ll miss out on life.
NOTHING could be FURTHER from the truth!
Let’s go now to 1 Timothy 4:7-8 and see what Paul says about this kind of life—the life of godliness – “But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 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.”
Note the following three truths about this text:
I. FIRST, NOTE THAT GODLINESS PENETRATES EVERY AREA OF LIFE
Exercise has its benefits — 1 Timothy 4:8a — “For bodily exercise profiteth little....”
It doesn’t say “bodily exercise profiteth nothing.”
No, there are undoubtedly benefits in bodily exercise. When I see grown men chasing a ball from one end of a football field to the other, I do wonder if there really is any profit or value to it. But scientists assure us that there are indeed some benefits to sports and exercise.
Have you ever thought of the absurdity of grown men (like myself, I might add) bouncing a brown ball up and down, up and down a court trying to shoot it into a little red hoop with string net attached at the bottom? Again, I wonder, “What’s the point?” But again, health experts recognize that there are many benefits to bodily exercise. The Bible doesn’t deny that. It just says that it “profiteth little.”
In the Greek, this would literally sound this way, “for bodily exercise for a little is profitable,” indicating that its value is of limited duration. That is, it’s good only in THIS life.
Illus. – A survey by the A.C. Nielsen Company shows that top in the list of popular sports in the U.S. is swimming. Some 103 million people supposedly regularly swim. Other sports in the top five listing are: bicycling, fishing, camping and bowling. About 13 MILLION people tried WATERSKIING at least once last year and spent 100 million dollars in the process. Some 1 MILLION SCUBA DIVERS spent $500 each for gear and 3 million snorkelers spent about $35 each for equipment, which, if you do the math, comes to $105 million.
Now, again, is there anything wrong with any of this, in and of itself? In their proper place—No. There IS SOME profit in bodily exercise and sports of various kinds in the limited duration of this short life. But the second part of verse 8 says: “...but godliness is profitable unto ALL things.” You see, exercise is good for the BODY—on this earth—but wait a minute, so is godliness.
Godliness is profitable for FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, whereas sports sometimes tears away at our families.
• Godliness is profitable for BUSINESS...
• Godliness is profitable ON THE JOB...
• It’s profitable in INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS…
• It’s profitable FOR SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS…
• It’s profitable ON A NATIONAL SCALE…
• Godliness is even profitable in SPORTS THEMSELVES…
• It’s profitable in school, in the office and in your home…
• It’s profitable at church, at work or in your off-time…
The truth of the matter is that you CANNOT FIND ONE AREA OF LIFE that godliness will not profit! “...Godliness is profitable unto ALL things...”
II. NOTE SECOND THAT GODLINESS PROMISES LIFE AT ITS BEST – 1 Timothy 4:8c – “...having promise of the life that now is AND of that which is to come.”
Life is at its best when you live godly! Life is exciting, exhilarating, thrilling when you’re living for God.
I DIDN’T say it was always easy or that there are not problems in the Christian life. But it is still the best, most profitable life to live, both for THIS LIFE, as well as for the life to come.
You know, I’m 61 years old now, and looking back, I’m glad I lived for God! Down through the years I’ve met a lot of people who look back with regret upon their lives and wish they could live it over again and not make a mess of it like they did the first time. But you know, in all my years growing up in a Christian home, being around believers, and being in the ministry for 34 years, I have NEVER, EVER met a believer who had been faithful to God and served God with all his heart and lived a godly life who looked back and said, “I wish I’d never given my life to Christ” or “I wish I’d never lived godly and served Jesus with my whole life.”
Why?—Because the godly life is the most fulfilling, most satisfying, most joyful life you can live.
Now I want you to contrast two passages of Scripture, one in 2 Timothy 4, and the other in Samuel 26:
2 Timothy 4:6-8 — “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Those are the words of the Saul of Tarsus, who after his conversion became known as the Apostle Paul. He wrote those words at the end of many years of faithful labor for the Lord. They may have been part of his last written words on earth before Caesar lopped off his head!
Contrast his probable last words with the last words of his namesake, King Saul, toward the end of his own life. Remember when David snuck into Saul’s camp and took only Saul’s spear and cruse of water, but spared Saul’s life?
1 Samuel 26 tells us that David called into the camp and revealed that he had snuck into Saul’s camp, that he could have killed him then and there, but that he chose to spare Saul’s life. This really shook Saul up, and he made a sad confession.
Listen to 1 Samuel 26:21 – “Then said Saul, I have sinned:...behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
Both of these men said three things:
Saul the king said—
• I have sinned,…
• I have played the fool,…
• I have erred exceedingly.
Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the Apostle said—
• I have fought a good fight,…
• I have finished my course.,…
• I have kept the faith.
Now, let me ask you a question: At the end of your life, which of those three statements will you say? It’ll depend on whether you’ve lived a life of GODLINESS and OBEDIENCE on the one hand, or WORLDLINESS and REBELLION against God on the other.
Oh, brethren—live for JESUS today! Give Him all your heart and life! Surrender to His every command! It’s the ONLY way the live! It’s the MOST FULFILLING way to live! It’s the MOST BENEFICIAL way to live! (EXPAND AS LED)
So we’ve seen first, that godliness penetrates every area of life and second that godliness promises life at its best.
Lastly, note with me that…
III. GODLINESS IS PRODUCED THROUGH EXERCISE – The end of 1 Timothy 4:7 says “...and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.”
You don’t become an outstanding athlete without EXERCISE. Neither do you become a godly Christian without SPIRITUAL EXERCISE.
Paul told Timothy: “EXERCISE thyself rather unto godliness.” Now down through the years, I’ve participated in various sports, and for years I jogged regularly, at one point running 18 miles a week—so I think I know a thing or two about exercise.
So let me share three things about exercise that have application to our spiritual pursuit of godliness:
• Number one, exercise is WORK.
If you’re looking for a shortcut to godliness, forget it! There’s no shortcut to PHYSICAL FITNESS, and there’s no shortcut to GODLINESS either.
> Michael Jordan didn’t become the world’s greatest basketball player by just sitting around in the gym all day.
> Michael Phelps didn’t become the world’s greatest swimmer by hanging around the pool every day getting a hand.
> Bo Jackson didn’t become arguably the greatest baseball player of all time by sitting around watching TV and munching on Little Debbies and Doritos.
No, talented as they naturally were, they WORKED at being good athletes and labored and sweated and EXERCISED!
Illus. – of waking in the morning to exercise and run when my knee would allow me (EXPAND).
Illus. – But some people’s exercise reminds me of a lazy son I read about: His dad was nagging him to go outside and exercise.
The son said, “Dad, I always do my exercise in the mornings!”
“Oh, how’s that, son?” replied the dad.
The boy responded, “Immediately after waking I do this to myself: ‘Ready now. UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN.’ And after three strenuous minutes of this I tell myself, ‘OK boy, now we’ll try THE OTHER EYELID.’”
(EXPAND ON HOW EXERCISE TAKES WORK AND APPLY THIS TO LEARNING TO BE GODLY—TO READ THE BIBLE, PRAY, SERVE, TEACH, PREPARE, WITNESS, ETC.)
• Second, exercise requires DISCIPLINE and ROUTINE.
You cannot do a little here and a little there and get strong. Any health expert will tell you you’ve got to exercise REGULARLY You must discipline yourself to HABIT.
Isn’t that true of the Christian life as well? Go with me to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 – “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate [“self-controlled,” or “disciplined”] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 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.”
• Finally, if you don’t continue exercising, you will GO BACKWARDS. – Illus. – Of missing a few days of jogging, and how I could not pick up where I left off, but at a lower lever. (EXPAND)
So, Paul says, “EXERCISE thyself rather unto godliness.”
(TIME PERMITTING: CLOSING DISCUSSION QUESTION: What are some ways we can “exercise ourselves unto godliness?”)
