The Answer is Always Godliness - 1 Timothy 4
It probably wouldn’t take much searching to find something that has really frustrated with us and left us confused and hurt over the last year. Maybe its politics and leadership. Maybe its the leader of an organization. Maybe it people doing everything contrary to what we know they should be doing. Maybe we look at Scripture and then the Church today and not everything is adding up in our minds. But one thing is for sure is we are frustrated. We often, in these times, throw our hands up and say “Now What?”… What could we possibly do?
This seems to be where Timothy is in 1 Timothy 4. Paul, an apostle of Jesus and church leader is writing and encouraging him in his leadership for Jesus and the Church. He walks through warnings of false teachers, what Jesus came to do and how that affects our prayers, the qualifications of church leaders, and much more but in chapter 4 the tone seems to change. It changes to a tone of response to people who are departing from Jesus and Timothy seems to not be exactly sure how to handle it.
So, Paul writes to him and reminds him of the answer to this problem (v. 1-5)… The answer is always godliness. This includes both BACKSTAGE godliness and FRONT STAGE godliness but one thing is for sure… the answer is always godliness.
The Answer Is Always Godliness
Paul shows us the problem in verse 1-5… people will depart from their faith and the consciences will be seared. This is where we are today. People are abandoning the faith… abandoning what is right… abandoning God. So Paul exhorts him and us…
1. Be Godly – Backstage (v. 6-10)
This is the part that people won’t see. This is where we are “training for godliness” just like an athlete trains his/her body. We don’t see all the training of an athlete but we do see the on field result. We want to be GODLY when people don’t see, training ourselves, because (1) it is commanded and (2) this affects what people see. I think this is really interesting. He did not call us to be religious but to be godly. Religion is something we do godly is something we are.
Paul calls us to train ourselves in Scripture and in good doctrine (v. 6). This is so important because we grow in Godliness through the Words of God – the BIBLE. He reminds us that while bodily training has some value training for godliness has value in every way because it “holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (v. 8). Then Paul reminds us why we strive for godliness… because “we have our hope set on the living God…” This does not mean “I hope this will happen…” This means “I am going to live this way because I have hope and assurance that this will happen…”
Paul calls us in these times to have BACKSTAGE godliness but he also calls us to…
2. Be Godly… Front Stage (v. 11-16)
Paul calls us to have BACKSTAGE and FRONT STAGE godliness. The way we train backstage will affect what people see front stage. We must have both… Paul in 2 Timothy 3:5 says that to have FRONT STAGE godliness but not BACKSTAGE is evil and powerless. Our BACKSTAGE leads to our FRONT STAGE not vice versa.
Paul says if we train for godliness BACKSTAGE we will be and example FRONT STAGE (v. 12). He says we are to be an example in many ways:
How we TALK (v. 12…this includes the way we speak on social media about things)
How we ACT (v. 12)
How we LOVE (v. 12)
How we BELIEVE (v. 12)
How we pursue PURITY (v. 12… not just sexual purity but all purity and holiness)
How we are DEVOTED (v. 13)
How we SERVE (v. 14)
How we are IMMERSED (v. 15)
How we GUARD TRUTH IN LOVE (v. 16)
Paul knew that if we want to make an impact in a messed up world we must practice godliness – both BACKSTAGE and FRONT STAGE.
None Of This Is Possible Without Jesus
Paul also knew that we could not do this by ourselves. This is why at the end of 1 Timothy 3 he reminds us of the mystery of godliness: Jesus Christ. He writes in verse 16,
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness,He 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.
Ultimately, Paul knew that if we wanted to Faithfully Pursue godliness we must Faithfully Pursue Jesus. He is the secret… He is the key… He is the source. It is through Him and Him alone that we are able to live a godly life (2 Peter 1:3).