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TIMOTHY IS ENCOURAGED TO SPEND TIME IN THE GYM!
This past Friday WAL-MART opened its doors at
5:00 AM, likewise BEST BUY opened its doors two hours before sunrise, RADIO SHACK
waited until 6:00 AM as did TARGET, while JCPenney's HOME STORE offered its "doorbusters" from
5 AM until noon.
As I glanced at these bewitching ads I found it
hard to believe that anyone would get up long before sunrise to go shopping. Boy
was I wrong! Evidently a lot of people are into shopping. Or
if not shopping, they are into buying the latest and greatest while it is on
sale even if it means trampling others to get it.
How about you? What are you into, into to
the point that you're willing to sacrifice for it? Were you one of those
shoppers standing in line at 5 AM this past Friday morning? Do you look
forward to Black Friday more than you look forward to Thanksgiving? Or,
are you into sports to the point that it adversely affects those nearest and
dearest to you? If not sports, maybe you're into physical fitness. If
not physical fitness, then maybe you're into church. Maybe you serve on
a committee or two; eager to do whatever needs to be done. Or maybe,
just maybe, you're into gambling for pleasure and possibly profit.
Well, I doubt that anyone reading this lesson
is into gambling. But the world does offer a wide variety of diversions
that it would be easy to be totally wrapped up in. Wrapped up in to the
point that they not only consume us, they end up defining who we are in reality. For
example, I know a guy caught up in chess. So much so that he is not enjoyable
to be around for he always wants to show you his last game. A game that
he has digested over and over to the point that it makes you sick just listening
to his running commentary on it.
Clearly, we live in a world of over-choice. For
you and I could be into any number of good activities as well as some that are
down right questionable. It is perhaps for this reason that Paul gave advice
to Timothy, as a leader of the church, as to what he ought to be into as he spends
his time and energy. In I Timothy 4:6 - 16 we read:
If you explain this to the brothers and
sisters, you will be doing your duty as a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one
who is fed by the message of faith and the true teaching you have followed. 7
Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Spend your
time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8 Physical
exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it
promises a reward in both this life and the next. 9 This is true, and everyone
should accept it. 10 We work hard and suffer much in order that people
will believe the truth, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior
of all people, and particularly of those who believe.
Teach these things and insist that everyone learn
them. 12 Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an
example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love,
your faith, and your purity. 13 Until I get there, focus on reading the
Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.
Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received
through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their
hands on you. 15 Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself
into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Keep a close
watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God
will save you and those who hear you.
You'll note that Timothy could've easily spent
his time, and energy, listening to and researching the factual basis of various
myths and/or old wives' tales. For there are always people who want to
unlock the secrets of the Da Vinci code, spread the good news about God's diet
plan, or share some tidbit about a long ago ancestor who supposedly knew the
whereabouts of Noah's ark. For even within the church there is such a thing
as spiritual junk food. Timothy, rightly so, was advised to stay away
from it for like all junk food it lacked real nourishment.
Timothy could've also spent his time staying in
top physical condition. He could've faithfully, and regularly, gone down
to the gymnasium to maintain his trim figure. This would've require a disciplined
approach to life and it would've been of some value. Paul did not disparage
the value of such training but if that was what Timothy was doing, if that
was wholly what he was into, he was in bad shape.
Yes, going to the gym, taking vigorous walks,
hiking, jogging, or training to be the next Lance Armstrong is of some value. The
KJV says it "profiteth little" but that is probably too derogatory. The
text literally says that it is "useful" or "profitable" for "a
little" meaning a "little" time. After all, there is a
difference between those who jog and those who are couch potatoes. Those
who jog die healthy! But they still die and after that they face judgment
like everyone else.1
In contrast to physical training, training in
godliness is of great value as it benefits both this life and the life to come. It
colors all aspects of temporal and eternal life, bestowing its blessing on all
it touches.
Now this is where I think the NIV makes a mistake. They
begin the next paragraph by saying "This is a trustworthy saying . . ." as
if they are about to share some wisdom that is worthy of our trust. In
actual fact, the wisdom that is wholly worthy of our trust has already been
shared with us in the previous verse.
In their defense, the "trustworthy saying" formula
can point forward as it does in I Timothy 1:15 where we read:
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full
acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the
worst.
Or it can point backwards as it does in Titus
3:3 - 8 where we read:
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient,
deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice
and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and
love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous
things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing
of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously
through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his
grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 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.
Here in I Timothy 4 it is probably best to see
the phrase "This is a trustworthy saying" as reinforcing the proverbial
impact of verse 8. That is, it is best to see it as pointing backwards
as it does in the New Living Translation which I used at the beginning of the
lesson. Thus the trustworthy saying is:
Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important,
for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.
If I were to ask you what sort of things do you
do when you exercise physically you could quickly rattle off a number of muscle-building
activities. But what about training in godliness? What sort of
things can we do to maintain or improve our spiritual health?
Let me make one suggestion as we approach the
new year. To improve your spiritual condition let me suggest that you commit
yourself to reading through the Bible this coming year. Furthermore,
let me suggest that you get a headstart by beginning immediately.
If you're like me, you haven't done it for a while
and you're beginning to forget some of the stories. Or at least you're
beginning to forget some of the details in the stories. So it won't hurt
for each of us to be reminded of what we supposedly already know. And
who knows, we may even see something for the very first time!
Now let me give you a pop quiz! Complete
the following verse by filling in the blank. The verse, found in the
19th chapter of Exodus reads:
"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on
eagles' wings and brought you to __________________"
A. the
Promised Land.
B. Mount
Sinai.
C. Myself.
D. the
land of Oz.
We tend to think that God delivered the Israelites
so that he could bring them into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk
and honey. But that is not what the Bible teaches. Yes, his intent
was to lead them to the land flowing with milk and honey. But, he wasn't
so much concerned with escorting the Israelites to a particular region as he
was with developing a personal relationship with them. God delivered
the Israelites to Himself so that they would be free to develop and enjoy an
intimate relationship with him.
Did you choose C? If not, maybe you need
to start going to the gym on a regular basis. Maybe, like me, you
need to start your day by reading five or six chapters. It only takes
about 30 minutes per day, six days per week, to tone up those spiritual muscles
that have gotten a little bit flabby.2
If you spend time in God's gym, does this mean
you're free to do whatever you want outside the gym? In a sense, the answer
is "yes." But because training in godliness is of great value
not only for this life but also the next what you want to do is to work hard
at the work God has given you to do. This is why Paul followed his advice
to Timothy up with a comment about himself and those with him. It is as
if he said: For this reason:
We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe the truth, for
our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly
of those who believe.3
He then encouraged Timothy to do the same. First
and foremost, he encouraged Timothy to set himself forth as an example in every
way. He was to be an example in his boldness; in his confidence in the
truth; in his speech; in his conduct; in his love; in his faith; and in his purity. Paul
then encouraged Timothy to devote himself to the public reading of God's Word,
to preaching, and teaching. In fact, these are the very things that Timothy
was to be into as he was to give himself wholly to what God had called him to
do. In so doing he would save both himself and his hearers. Wow!
1 Hebrews 9:27 - 28 says, "Just
as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ
was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear
a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting
for him."
2 Will there be some days where you don't feel like reading? You
bet! But as with physical exercise you simply do it anyway knowing full
well that you will be happy in the long run.
3 This verse appears to suggest universal salvation. But
in the context of the letter itself where Paul says in 2:3 -4 "This
is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for he wants everyone to be saved
and to understand the truth." it makes more sense to conclude the opposite. In
accordance with chapter two Paul is saying that God is the Savior of all men
since he desires that all men be saved and he provided Christ as the ransom
to make that salvation possible. Yet God is the Savior of only those
who have placed their trust in him since only in them has his desire for their
salvation come to fruition.
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