How Do We Display Godliness? - 1 Timothy 4:1-16
How Do We Display Godliness? - 1 Timothy 4:1-16
by Pastor Lee Hemen
May 11, 2008 AM
I can still hear my mother calling after us, “Boys, stay on the trail!” What? Did she think we would go and wander off and get lost? Please! We lived in the woods, we grew up in the woods, we ate and slept in the woods. We were the wild boys who owned the woods! ARGH! ARGH! ARGH! However, her concern was not so much that we would wander off and get lost, because that could have been a blessing in disguise for her, but rather we would fall, hurt ourselves, or that someone or something would grab us and haul us off and eat us. Then, she would have to clean up the mess or look for us, and she did not want to do either. I am not sure why, but when we were younger my mother was always worried about “wild animals” eating us while on picnics. Sadly, we read in the news today that there are many who wander off the trail and get lost, hurt, or eaten by “wild animals”! Maybe Mom was right after all?
One reason Paul wrote to Timothy was to instruct him about how to deal with folks who had wandered off the trail of truth. The false teachers presented doctrine contrary to the gospel of grace. Paul encouraged Timothy to reject any teaching that would lead to ungodliness. Salvation should produce godliness in a believer’s life and Paul challenges believers to display godliness in their daily lives. His words also remind us that God does not view any sin lightly. He wants Timothy to understand how we display Godliness in our lives in Christ. Let’s discover how this morning…
READ: 1 Timothy 4:1-16
Recently, two toddlers in California were hauled off by coyotes but were rescued by their caregivers before anything horrendous happened. What has occurred is that because of suburban encroachment and absurd environmental protection for some wild animals, it has created a real danger in some areas of our nation. Paul related that there are hungry dangerous advantageous false teachers who constantly want to drag off the unsuspecting believer to their own den of ungodliness. Paul told Timothy in order to display godliness in a believer’s life they must…
I. Reject Ungodly Teachings! (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
1. Never give a lie a foothold! Paul called Timothy’s attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit had prophesied of a time when false teachers would lead some to depart from the faith. Jesus had related that later “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matthew 24:10-11) The “later times” Paul is referring to here is the time following Jesus’ death until He returns and not the end times as some would have you believe. Paul was dealing with the here and now. These ungodly teachers were the ones who “abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons!” Any teaching that promotes any way of salvation other than through Jesus Christ belongs to the doctrines of demons. However, it was human spread! They were “hypocritical liars, whose consciences [had] been seared as with a hot iron!” They did not care who they harmed, only that their ungodly teaching was adhered to. These false teachers (probably Gnostics) emphasized two prohibitions. First, they forbade marriage and secondly a demand for abstinence from certain foods! How could the false teachers prohibit marriage or certain foods that God had created and declared good? Because they were ungodly! Paul wrote that “everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer!” Therefore, Paul teaches that in order to display godliness in our lives, we should reject ungodly teaching.
EXAMPLE: A good mother wants to protect her children. We find this in the animal kingdom as well as with human mothers. It is something God has given every mother who loves her offspring. I remember being on a picnic and a mother bear wandered into camp with her two cubs. We wanted to get a closer look, but my Dad wisely said, “No. Never get between a mother bear and her cubs.” My Dad understood the protection of mothers and their offspring. Timothy was to protect his church as if he were a mother bear protecting her cubs from harm! There were ravenous wolves seeking those whom they could devour with their ungodly teaching. Timothy needed to be aware and protective of God’s children. He did not need to debate them, listen to them, or allow them into the church ever. They were deceptive spirits teaching demonic theology, and these kinds of people still exist today. In order to display godliness, believers are to reject ungodly teaching wherever they find it.
There is an absurd notion that exists within the Christian church today that we should allow anyone an opportunity to voice their opinion of Scripture. This is not only harmful, but unbiblical. False teachers in Ephesus placed their own opinions about marriage and diet ahead of God’s clear declarations in Scripture. Paul denounced these ungodly teachings and practices that threatened the church and encouraged Timothy to lead his congregation to reject such heresy as well. In fact, Paul told Timothy in order to display godliness in a believer’s life they must…
II. Pursue Godliness! (1 Timothy 4:6-10)
1. Wishing for godliness never brought it about! Paul encouraged Timothy to be a good servant of Christ Jesus, who had been “brought up (nourished) in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching (doctrine) that [he had] followed” all along! However, he needed to encourage godliness in response to those who taught false doctrines. Paul again warned Timothy to “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales.” Such myths should not be elevated to the status of religious truth. The term rendered “old wives’ tales” labels such ideas as not worthy of serious attention. False teaching like this is best ignored rather than discussed because it gives it too much credence that it does not deserve. Instead, Timothy was to train Himself “to be godly.” Why? Paul knew that “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.” Christians do not just live for the here and now, we live for eternity. Pursuing godliness for Paul was a “trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” It was a way of life for him: “for this we labor and strive!” Paul wanted Timothy to pay attention to this way of life that was the living truth instead of dead myths that held no hope. “Our hope,” Paul firmly believed, was “in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe,” and not in some idiotic false doctrine. The best way to display godliness was to pursue it with all a Christian’s might.
EXAMPLE: My mother hated snakes. She hated them with a passion and probably still does. I will never forget one afternoon while we were hiking down to the Wenatchee River to go swimming, we had to cut across a cow pasture, and my mother nearly stepped on a big old rattle snake. I never thought she could run that fast. All she did was yell back at us, “Get away from that snake! Get away from that snake! Get away from that snake!” as blankets, towels, and our afternoon lunch went flying in all different directions. For my mother, there was no debate as to whether snakes were acceptable or not, she feared and hated them all equally. Of course in knowing this we would often bring home garter snakes for her to inspect, which she threatened us with great bodily harm if we did not remove them from the house immediately. There are no good snakes for my mother. That should be the way it is for the believer and false teaching. Just as fast as my mother ran from the rattle snake the believer should run away from false teaching and toward the Lord and godliness. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness in a believer’s life, they needed to pursue it.
No one accidently stumbles into exercise or wakes up fully trained. As an athlete needs consistent self-discipline over time to get into shape, so believers need to practice such spiritual disciplines as prayer and Bible study in order to progress toward spiritual maturity. Paul wanted Timothy to persevere in spiritual discipline in preparation for God’s highest purposes for his life. The godly training that believers need to pursue involves both godly beliefs and behaviors. However, Paul’s pursuit of godliness was not self-centered. He wanted others to experience God as Savior. A Christian who pursues godliness encourages unbelievers to accept Jesus as Savior. How? Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness in a believer’s life, they needed to…
III. Demonstrate Godliness! (1 Timothy 4:11-16)
1. Often, the gospel is best seen than heard! Paul did, however, instruct Timothy to “command and teach these things.” The use of the word “command” signifies that Timothy should stand authoritatively against the false teaching that was occurring. Timothy possibly had a problem with timidity, and Paul used this opportunity to encourage the young man to stand strong in the face of opposition, and to overcome any inferiority he may have felt because others thought that he was too “young.” He needed to “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Notice, it is both outwardly and inwardly! Genuine spirituality impacts the whole person—from the inner heart and spirit to the outward actions. Paul knew that until he came again the best thing Timothy could do was to “devote [himself] to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” The basics. Timothy had the task of teaching Christian doctrine and exhorting the congregation in Ephesus to obey the Word of God rather than just merely to listen to it all the time. And, he was not to neglect the spiritual gift God had given him. Timothy was also to “Be diligent (give careful thought) in these matters.” By giving himself “wholly to them,” then others could see his mature spiritual “progress.” It is good advice that all Christians should “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” by the example you live. It is a demonstration of godly behavior that most affects people around us, not just mere words. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness, he had to demonstrate godliness.
EXAMPLE: The one thing you could say about my mother is that she was tenacious. Sometimes, stubborn, obstinate, resolute, and firm as well. But rather than these being necessarily negative characteristics they helped her to remain persistent and resolute as a young woman growing up, literally in the wildernesses of Wyoming and Alaska. Because of these, she instilled in her children much of the same characteristics for better or worse. We are all persistent if not determined in life. A careless life is a wasted life, especially one that is carelessly lived for the Lord. Paul wanted Timothy to be conscientious about his influence. He did not want Timothy to discredit the gospel message with a contradictory life. Paul did not contradict his overall emphasis on salvation by grace through faith in this verse. Timothy could not earn salvation by faithful endurance, but rather his consistency of life and doctrine would give evidence of his salvation and also attract others who needed to be saved. There is nothing worse than a wishy-washy parent whose children have no idea what they want. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness, he had to demonstrate godliness.
Conclusion:
Paul told Timothy that…
1. Displaying godliness begins with rejecting ungodly beliefs and deeds. You reject false doctrine.
2. Displaying godliness does not happen easily or automatically but requires consistent self-discipline and constant effort. You pursue it.
3. Displaying godliness in our daily lives is the best and most helpful example we can set forth for others. You demonstrate it.
---
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.
by Pastor Lee Hemen
May 11, 2008 AM
I can still hear my mother calling after us, “Boys, stay on the trail!” What? Did she think we would go and wander off and get lost? Please! We lived in the woods, we grew up in the woods, we ate and slept in the woods. We were the wild boys who owned the woods! ARGH! ARGH! ARGH! However, her concern was not so much that we would wander off and get lost, because that could have been a blessing in disguise for her, but rather we would fall, hurt ourselves, or that someone or something would grab us and haul us off and eat us. Then, she would have to clean up the mess or look for us, and she did not want to do either. I am not sure why, but when we were younger my mother was always worried about “wild animals” eating us while on picnics. Sadly, we read in the news today that there are many who wander off the trail and get lost, hurt, or eaten by “wild animals”! Maybe Mom was right after all?
One reason Paul wrote to Timothy was to instruct him about how to deal with folks who had wandered off the trail of truth. The false teachers presented doctrine contrary to the gospel of grace. Paul encouraged Timothy to reject any teaching that would lead to ungodliness. Salvation should produce godliness in a believer’s life and Paul challenges believers to display godliness in their daily lives. His words also remind us that God does not view any sin lightly. He wants Timothy to understand how we display Godliness in our lives in Christ. Let’s discover how this morning…
READ: 1 Timothy 4:1-16
Recently, two toddlers in California were hauled off by coyotes but were rescued by their caregivers before anything horrendous happened. What has occurred is that because of suburban encroachment and absurd environmental protection for some wild animals, it has created a real danger in some areas of our nation. Paul related that there are hungry dangerous advantageous false teachers who constantly want to drag off the unsuspecting believer to their own den of ungodliness. Paul told Timothy in order to display godliness in a believer’s life they must…
I. Reject Ungodly Teachings! (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
1. Never give a lie a foothold! Paul called Timothy’s attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit had prophesied of a time when false teachers would lead some to depart from the faith. Jesus had related that later “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. (Matthew 24:10-11) The “later times” Paul is referring to here is the time following Jesus’ death until He returns and not the end times as some would have you believe. Paul was dealing with the here and now. These ungodly teachers were the ones who “abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons!” Any teaching that promotes any way of salvation other than through Jesus Christ belongs to the doctrines of demons. However, it was human spread! They were “hypocritical liars, whose consciences [had] been seared as with a hot iron!” They did not care who they harmed, only that their ungodly teaching was adhered to. These false teachers (probably Gnostics) emphasized two prohibitions. First, they forbade marriage and secondly a demand for abstinence from certain foods! How could the false teachers prohibit marriage or certain foods that God had created and declared good? Because they were ungodly! Paul wrote that “everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer!” Therefore, Paul teaches that in order to display godliness in our lives, we should reject ungodly teaching.
EXAMPLE: A good mother wants to protect her children. We find this in the animal kingdom as well as with human mothers. It is something God has given every mother who loves her offspring. I remember being on a picnic and a mother bear wandered into camp with her two cubs. We wanted to get a closer look, but my Dad wisely said, “No. Never get between a mother bear and her cubs.” My Dad understood the protection of mothers and their offspring. Timothy was to protect his church as if he were a mother bear protecting her cubs from harm! There were ravenous wolves seeking those whom they could devour with their ungodly teaching. Timothy needed to be aware and protective of God’s children. He did not need to debate them, listen to them, or allow them into the church ever. They were deceptive spirits teaching demonic theology, and these kinds of people still exist today. In order to display godliness, believers are to reject ungodly teaching wherever they find it.
There is an absurd notion that exists within the Christian church today that we should allow anyone an opportunity to voice their opinion of Scripture. This is not only harmful, but unbiblical. False teachers in Ephesus placed their own opinions about marriage and diet ahead of God’s clear declarations in Scripture. Paul denounced these ungodly teachings and practices that threatened the church and encouraged Timothy to lead his congregation to reject such heresy as well. In fact, Paul told Timothy in order to display godliness in a believer’s life they must…
II. Pursue Godliness! (1 Timothy 4:6-10)
1. Wishing for godliness never brought it about! Paul encouraged Timothy to be a good servant of Christ Jesus, who had been “brought up (nourished) in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching (doctrine) that [he had] followed” all along! However, he needed to encourage godliness in response to those who taught false doctrines. Paul again warned Timothy to “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales.” Such myths should not be elevated to the status of religious truth. The term rendered “old wives’ tales” labels such ideas as not worthy of serious attention. False teaching like this is best ignored rather than discussed because it gives it too much credence that it does not deserve. Instead, Timothy was to train Himself “to be godly.” Why? Paul knew that “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.” Christians do not just live for the here and now, we live for eternity. Pursuing godliness for Paul was a “trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.” It was a way of life for him: “for this we labor and strive!” Paul wanted Timothy to pay attention to this way of life that was the living truth instead of dead myths that held no hope. “Our hope,” Paul firmly believed, was “in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe,” and not in some idiotic false doctrine. The best way to display godliness was to pursue it with all a Christian’s might.
EXAMPLE: My mother hated snakes. She hated them with a passion and probably still does. I will never forget one afternoon while we were hiking down to the Wenatchee River to go swimming, we had to cut across a cow pasture, and my mother nearly stepped on a big old rattle snake. I never thought she could run that fast. All she did was yell back at us, “Get away from that snake! Get away from that snake! Get away from that snake!” as blankets, towels, and our afternoon lunch went flying in all different directions. For my mother, there was no debate as to whether snakes were acceptable or not, she feared and hated them all equally. Of course in knowing this we would often bring home garter snakes for her to inspect, which she threatened us with great bodily harm if we did not remove them from the house immediately. There are no good snakes for my mother. That should be the way it is for the believer and false teaching. Just as fast as my mother ran from the rattle snake the believer should run away from false teaching and toward the Lord and godliness. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness in a believer’s life, they needed to pursue it.
No one accidently stumbles into exercise or wakes up fully trained. As an athlete needs consistent self-discipline over time to get into shape, so believers need to practice such spiritual disciplines as prayer and Bible study in order to progress toward spiritual maturity. Paul wanted Timothy to persevere in spiritual discipline in preparation for God’s highest purposes for his life. The godly training that believers need to pursue involves both godly beliefs and behaviors. However, Paul’s pursuit of godliness was not self-centered. He wanted others to experience God as Savior. A Christian who pursues godliness encourages unbelievers to accept Jesus as Savior. How? Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness in a believer’s life, they needed to…
III. Demonstrate Godliness! (1 Timothy 4:11-16)
1. Often, the gospel is best seen than heard! Paul did, however, instruct Timothy to “command and teach these things.” The use of the word “command” signifies that Timothy should stand authoritatively against the false teaching that was occurring. Timothy possibly had a problem with timidity, and Paul used this opportunity to encourage the young man to stand strong in the face of opposition, and to overcome any inferiority he may have felt because others thought that he was too “young.” He needed to “set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Notice, it is both outwardly and inwardly! Genuine spirituality impacts the whole person—from the inner heart and spirit to the outward actions. Paul knew that until he came again the best thing Timothy could do was to “devote [himself] to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” The basics. Timothy had the task of teaching Christian doctrine and exhorting the congregation in Ephesus to obey the Word of God rather than just merely to listen to it all the time. And, he was not to neglect the spiritual gift God had given him. Timothy was also to “Be diligent (give careful thought) in these matters.” By giving himself “wholly to them,” then others could see his mature spiritual “progress.” It is good advice that all Christians should “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” by the example you live. It is a demonstration of godly behavior that most affects people around us, not just mere words. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness, he had to demonstrate godliness.
EXAMPLE: The one thing you could say about my mother is that she was tenacious. Sometimes, stubborn, obstinate, resolute, and firm as well. But rather than these being necessarily negative characteristics they helped her to remain persistent and resolute as a young woman growing up, literally in the wildernesses of Wyoming and Alaska. Because of these, she instilled in her children much of the same characteristics for better or worse. We are all persistent if not determined in life. A careless life is a wasted life, especially one that is carelessly lived for the Lord. Paul wanted Timothy to be conscientious about his influence. He did not want Timothy to discredit the gospel message with a contradictory life. Paul did not contradict his overall emphasis on salvation by grace through faith in this verse. Timothy could not earn salvation by faithful endurance, but rather his consistency of life and doctrine would give evidence of his salvation and also attract others who needed to be saved. There is nothing worse than a wishy-washy parent whose children have no idea what they want. Paul told Timothy that in order to display godliness, he had to demonstrate godliness.
Conclusion:
Paul told Timothy that…
1. Displaying godliness begins with rejecting ungodly beliefs and deeds. You reject false doctrine.
2. Displaying godliness does not happen easily or automatically but requires consistent self-discipline and constant effort. You pursue it.
3. Displaying godliness in our daily lives is the best and most helpful example we can set forth for others. You demonstrate it.
---
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.
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