Train for Godliness

1 Timothy 4:6-10

Immanuel – 11/9/25

4:6 marks a shift in Paul’s first letter to Timothy. So far, Paul hasn’t

been addressing Timothy directly very much. Instead, he’s been concerned

with false teachers infiltrating the church in Ephesus, what is theologically

true in the face of these lies, and what good leadership looks like. But when

we come to 4:6, there is a notable spike in Paul’s instruction and

exhortation towards Timothy directly.

And with this shift, 1 Timothy will take on an increasingly personal

feel. For example, we’ve heard Paul talking about the benefits of godliness.

Now Paul pivots and exhorts Timothy to train for godliness, and he does it

in a way that’s very personal to these two men. It might not be evident on

the face, but you’ll see what I mean.

Read vs 6

The things that Paul wants Timothy to put before the brothers

(meaning the church) are the same three things he has just been

discussing. “Timothy, (1) remind the church they are the household of God,

the pillar and buttress of the truth. (2) Keep giving them the confession of

the gospel: That Jesus was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world,

taken up in glory. (3) Warn them of demonic deceptions within the church, a

continual threat to faith.”

Timothy is to put these things before the church, repeatedly and

relentlessly. And though Paul is exhorting Timothy to do this in Ephesus,

every pastor everywhere is to put forth the same three things. It’s my

responsibility. It’s the responsibility of my fellow elders. Repeatedly and

relentlessly…

1. Remind the church of its identity and purpose.

2. Proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. Warn of spiritual dangers threatening the church.

A pastor failing to put these three things before the church is a failing

pastor. But a pastor who does put these things before the brothers is a

good servant of Christ Jesus – as Paul says in verse 6.

Brothers and sisters, these words should cause us to rejoice! The

leaders of the church are not commanding officers, not CEOs, not religious

dignitaries, not wielding some position of power. The leaders of the church

are meant to be servants. Jesus is the one with all authority in heaven and

on earth (Matthew 28:18).

The whole job of pastors and elders is to point to

the authority of Jesus, our Lord and King, using Scripture to magnify his

magnificence, that the church might be enflamed to trust and obey the one

who lived, died, and lives again. In this, pastors serve both Jesus and the church.

What Jesus said for all of his disciples is certainly true of the church’s

leaders.

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

-Mark 9:35

To be a servant of all, one must be first a servant of Jesus. For

Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a

ransom for many (Mark 10:45). Pastors and elders serve Jesus, the

ultimate servant. For the needs of the church, for her comfort, for her

encouragement, for her eternal life, pastors and elders give their lives to

the church, as Jesus gave his life to the church.

(Of course, I do not mean this in a salvific way. Pastors and elders

give away their rights for the church, their time, their preferences, their

comforts, their ambitions, and all sorts of other things. During times of

persecution pastors and elders may be called to literally lay down their lives

for the church. This is true for all of Jesus’ disciples, but it is especially true

of the leaders of his church.)

But remember Paul’s point. If Timothy, or any pastor, is to be a good

servant of Christ and his church, then they will (1) remind the church of its

purpose and identity, (2) proclaim the gospel, and (3) warn against spiritual

threats.

And being a good servant doesn’t come out of a vacuum. It comes

from being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that

you have followed – also verse 6.

The words of the faith are the truths of the gospel as revealed in

Scripture. Good doctrine are teachings based on those scriptural truths. So

you have the truth (words of the faith) and you have the teaching (good

doctrine); out of these two elements are born the church’s leaders.

I was just speaking to someone the other week, a Christian that grew

up in a church environment highly focused on encounters with the Holy

Spirit. It is true, when the Holy Spirit moves in a powerful way our emotions

are deeply impacted. But a problem has developed, a dangerous practice:

churches chase emotional experiences as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s

work. I knew this was true for my friend, because spoke very

condescendingly of anyone who gets all focused on doctrine and analyzing

biblical texts and all that intellectual stuff. Because all that cerebral study is

not spontaneous and emotional.

Sure, Christians can swing the pendulum in the other direction and

intellectualize everything, rarely seeing gospel and doctrine impact the

heart, failing to live in obedience. Nonetheless, as Paul says to Timothy,

gospel obedience and a deep understanding of doctrine are essential for

birthing good servants of Jesus Christ that will lead the church.

This is why so many young men go to Bible college and seminary

before becoming pastors. I commend Ben Osenbach, our pastoral intern,

for taking this very path. Our elder Eric Moore has taken a similar

road. It is good, when seminarians seek to be faithful to the very principal

Paul writes about in 1 Timothy 4:6.

I didn’t go to Bible college or seminary, and I doubt Timothy did either.

But I have studied the Scriptures deeply, took non-accredited theological

courses, and was discipled by gifted biblical teachers. Timothy lived and

worked alongside Paul for a decade. So whether through academic or

nonacademic means, pastors and elders need to be saturated with gospel

truth and grace, and they need to pursue a profound understanding of

biblical teaching/good doctrine. How else are they to lead the church as

good servants of Jesus Christ?

Brothers and sisters, look for these things when you think about men

who might lead Immanuel as elders! Look also for men who avoid

irreverent and silly myths.

Read vs 7

If godliness is God-centeredness, then being irreverent – is being godless –

 living like there is not God. It is being a practical atheist, giving no

consideration to the things God love and the things God hates. Being

godless is living life for yourself. Being godless is living under the delusion

that you can live how you want, and no one can judge you for it. But there

is a Judge.

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

-Hebrews 9:27

Therefore, good servants of Christ must have nothing to do with what

is irreverent and godless. Also, they must avoid silly myths. In our day:

avoid conspiracy theories. Avoid fringe “bible teachers.” Avoid anyone who

claims to have received new revelation about God or the Bible. Trust me,

pastors often hear of such silliness. Avoid the silliness, the fantastical and

fringe, and anything that does not accord with gospel faith and good

doctrine.

And though Paul is still instructing Timothy, he is also slamming the

silly false teachers in Ephesus who have wandered into vain discussions

and arrogant assertions – as we read in chapter 1. In last week’s passage,

Paul said they were liars, under the influence of demonic deception. No

good servant of Christ can have anything to do with such teachings!

Rather, the good servant of Christ is to train himself for godliness. As

I mentioned earlier, this is the main point of our passage. Timothy is to train

himself for godliness. Timothy is to train himself to be wholly God-centered.

Paul goes on to explain what this means.

Read vs 8

Paul compares physical training with spiritual training. Hel says

bodily training has legitimate value. Healthy food choices and exercise are

beneficial for everyone, pastors and elders included. When I go to pastor’s

conferences it’s easy to see that physical training is too often neglected.

But when Paul tells Timothy physical training has limited benefits, that

in no way means neglect physical training completely. Quite the opposite.

It’s beneficial! Exercise! Make healthy food choices! Train yourself

physically!

This takes on even more personal and pointed meaning when you

consider Paul and Timothy’s lives, marked by rigorous activity. The scholar

Eckhardt Schnabel figured that during Paul’s 30-year missionary work, he

traveled across land some 8,700 miles – walking the vast majority of that

distance. That is like walking the Appalachian Trail almost four times!

On top of the walking, Paul had to endure much else physically. To

the Corinthians he writes,

Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;

on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger

from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the

wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship,

through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in

cold and exposure. -2 Corinthians 11:25-27

Paul didn’t have a soft body. And since Timothy was with Paul for

many of these experiences, we can infer he didn’t either. In whatever way

they did, these men found benefit in bodily training.

But bodily training has limited value: it’s only physical. It’s temporary

and fading. Conversely, training for godliness is of value in every way,

because it holds value for today and for the life to come.

Immersing yourself in gospel truths and obediently proclaiming the

gospel to a dying world, deeply studying the doctrines of Scripture, avoiding

the irreverent and silly; these have eternal value. Train yourself in them. As

an athlete rigorously and relentlessly trains for game day, constantly

preparing himself, so should Timothy – and all of us – train ourselves in

godliness.

Devote yourself to prayer, to the Bible, to serving, and to proclaiming

the gospel. Bodily training is of some value, it only transforms your body.

But being God-centered/godly, that will transform the world around us

today, now, in this life.

Listen to how Paul brings these two ideas together.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one

receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises

self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we

an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the

air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching

to others I myself should be disqualified. -1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Bodily training is for the sake of godliness. Godliness is of value

today, but also for the life to come where we shall receive, in victory, an

imperishable wreath. Jesus says,

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I

will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name

before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear

what the Spirit says to the churches.”

-Revelation 3:5-6

Read vs 9

The trustworthy saying, in which we should trust and fully accept, is

verse 8. So read it like this: Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds

promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is

trustworthy and deserving full acceptance.

Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present

life and also for the life to come. Believe it! Live to be God-centered. Trust

Jesus, he promises an abundant life for anyone pursuing godliness. Fully

accept the surpassing worth of gaining Christ Jesus and being found in

him, having counted as rubbish all the self-centered things you used to

pursue (Philippians 3:8-11). Godliness is of value in every way – for

abundant life now and everlasting victorious life evermore. This saying is

trustworthy and deserving full acceptance!

Read vs 10

You can hear Paul is reaching back and gathering up what has been

said about godliness, and its benefits for this life and the life to come. This

time Paul provides the biblical motivation to power a life in pursuit of

godliness. To this end we toil and strive.

What is the end he is talking about? It is the end we hope for!

Christians are fueled by hope! Hope drives our godliness!

What is our hope? God created us to be God-centered; so when we

strive for that, though we die, yet shall we live! (John 11:25) This is why

Paul calls God “the living God.” He eternally lives, and in him is life, and all

who love him will be given life abundant and life everlasting. The greatest

hope of the God-centered person is to be with God – forever!

But our motivation for godliness does not stop there. A God-centered

person is motivated by what motivates God. God is so motivated by love

that he did something astonishing. As Jesus said,

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever

believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

Verse 10 says, God is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. This

is not talking about universalism, nor is it about limited or unlimited

atonement. This is a nod to the argument Paul has been building

throughout the letter. Unlike the exclusive and restrictive false teachings in

Ephesus, God’s kingly reign and his saving work are relevant to all people

everywhere – especially to those who believe.

In Jesus Christ, God has flung wide the doors of salvation, and the

nations are invited. He will save anyone who comes to him in faith.

Therefore, we are motivated to be godly, praying for the nations and

proclaiming the name of Jesus among the nations.

A God-centered person wants to be godly on the inside, and on the

outside wants to see a God-centered world. Indeed, we hope for it; it’s what

Jesus promises to bring when he returns.

Until then we toil and strive. Yes, in godliness we find life abundant now;

but that abundant life does not mean an easy life. It certainly doesn’t mean

a life free from difficulty. No, there is hard work ahead!

When I began this sermon series on 1 Timothy, I said a major

underlying theme of the letter is hard work. Paul is adamant that hard work

is essential. Practically, what does it look like to toil and strive in godliness? Just look at Paul’s life, at

Timothy’s, as Jesus’.

Labor in prayer: for the hallowing of God’s name, for his kingdom to

come, for his will to be done; for the provisions of life, for protection from

temptation, and for forgiveness. Pray for all people and all rulers. Labor in

prayer.

Labor in God’s word: profitable for training in righteousness that the

man of God may be complete. Labor in God’s word.

Labor in the church: for the work of ministry, for the building up the

body of Christ, speaking love, in unity of faith, until we reach the measure

of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Labor in the church.

Labor in gospel proclamation: making disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, teaching them to

observe everything Jesus commanded. He will be with us in the work.

Labor in gospel proclamation.

What should we know? God greatly rewards anyone seeking to be

God-centered, with abundant life now and abundant life forever.

What should we believe? Pursuing godliness is more valuable than

anything else you could devote your life to.

What should we do? Like an athlete is committed to hard work, so

should we train ourselves for godliness. Set some goals.

This week, set some goals for yourself: a “grow goal” and a “go goal.”

A “grow goal” is something you will do to grow your relationship with

Jesus? Here are some examples:

1. Spend an extra 15 minutes a day in prayer.

2. Commit to reading a book of the Bible.

3. Memorize a passage.

4. Fast.

5. Give up an excuse and find a way to serve.

A “go goal” is something you will do to obey Jesus and make

disciples, because he is the Savior of all people. Here are some examples:

1. Set a time with that friend or family member that does not believe, and

you have not yet had the courage to share the gospel with, and share

the gospel! They are perishing without it!

2. Come out to Immanuel’s harvest time and share the gospel with

strangers.

3. Determine that the next time you hear someone expressing brokenness,

you will pray with them right then and there.

An athlete sets goals. Someone toiling and striving for something sets

goals. What are your goals? Be specific. Ambiguous goals lead to goals

unmet. Godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the

present life and also for the life to come. Brothers and sisters, let’s train

ourselves for godliness!