Spiritual Exercise

Timothy 4:8

Topic: Spiritual Exercise

When you think of bodily exercise, you would think of running, jogging, jumping, sit ups, push ups, lifting weights, swimming, and walking.

When you think of bodily exercise, you would also think of sporting event. You would think of football, basketball, baseball, track and field, ballet, aerobics, tennis, volleyball, and etc because these athletic events requires bodily exercises such as running, jogging, jumping up an down, lifting weights, and so forth. And to play in these sporting events, one must keep their physical bodies in shape.

Now, it must be understood that there is nothing wrong with keeping your physical body in shape. I Timothy 4:8 says, “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.

Yes, bodily or physical exercise is good for us to participate in but it only has a little value for us when compared to godliness, which is our spiritual exercise for us. You see, bodily exercise helps your heart condition, builds up your muscles, and lose weight. But the bodily exercise only profits or builds up the physical body, but not the soul. You see, you can have a good heart condition, muscles built all around your body through bodily exercise, but if your soul is not saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the bodily exercise has done nothing for your soul salvation.

The 2nd reason why the bodily exercise has little value compares to godliness is because it only builds up the physical body here on earth, not your heavenly body in heaven. I Corinthians 15:50 says, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” Working your body out is good, but it will not get you to heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved, through faith, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not by works, lest any man should boast.”

Another reason why bodily exercise has only a little value when compared to godliness is because our physical bodies is like unto grass and flowers; they both soon fade and pass away. I Peter 2:24-25 says, “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 for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

I Timothy 4:8 says, “For bodily exercise profiteth little, but godliness is profiteth unto all things, having promise of the life that now is ,and of that which is to come.”

Just as we have bodily (physical) exercise to help build up our physical bodies, we have some spiritual exercises that builds up our spiritual body. The spiritual exercise that we have that builds up our spiritual bodies is called godliness. Godliness means to live or exercise the life that God commanded you to do. Godliness, the spiritual exercise, not only helps you in this present life, but also in the life to come because godliness has to do with living for and serving God. And only what you do for Christ, who is God, will last.

Now the question that is being asked is this:

How do I exercise godliness? How do I spiritually exercise?

Well, the first step to take before taking up any spiritual exercise, is that you must be born again. St. John 3:3 says, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. To be born again, you must be a firm believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead so that we might have everlasting life.” Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” And Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in your heart that God has raise him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Secondly, to take up any spiritual exercise, you must have some power, some strength from on high. And you get the power and strength to spiritually exercise from the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witeness unto me both in Jesrusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

Just as one needs to breath properly so he can exercise properly and to help build up his body, a Christian needs to pray so he can exercise spiritually and to be able to build up his spiritual body.