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.
Luke 18:1 says, “Men ought to pray and not faint
I Thessalonians 5:17 says to “pray without ceasing.”
Just as one needs to eat the proper(right) food so he can exercise properly, and build up the body, Christians need to eat the right food so he can exercise spiritually properly, and build up their spiritual bodies. I Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby…..”
Now, a good athlete, when he is in training for an athletic event, he usually will have a personal trainer to help him to work out or to exercise properly. Well, to do the spiritual exercise properly, God has given us some spiritual personal trainers so they can help us to do our spiritual work out properly.
Who are our spiritual personal trainers? They are our Pastors, Our Associate Ministers, Our Evangelists, Our Sunday School Teachers. They teach us the Word so we can properly spiritually work out on a daily basis.
Ephesians 4:11-12 says, And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
What are some the spiritual exercises hat we can find in the bible?
1.Runnng-
Psalms 119:32 says, I will run the way of thy commandments, which thou shalt enlarge my heart.
Hebrews 12:1 says, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
2.Walking
Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we are buried with him(Christ) by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 says, For we walk by faith, and not by sight”
Galatians 5:16 says, “This I say the, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Be ye followers of God as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.”
Ephesians 5:15 says, See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.
Colossians 2:6 says, “As ye have therefore receive Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.”
I John 2:6 says, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
3 John 4 says this, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth.”
3.Jumping-
Luke 6:22-23 says, ”Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.” Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in he like manner did the fathers unto the prophets.
4.Lifitng-
Psalms 25:1 says, “Unto thee, O lord do I lift up my soul
Psalm 28:2 says, Hear my supplication, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands towards thy holy oracle.”
Psalms 63:4 says, “Thus will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name.”
Psalms 121: 1-2 says, “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
Psalms 134:2 says, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord
I Timothy 2:8 says, “I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting
5.Dancing-
Psalms 149:3 says “Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrels and harp.
Psalm 150:4 says, “Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
