Title: The Training of Godliness
Contents
Health care is growing more than ever, but the Bible says there are things that are fundamentally more important than physical training. It is a spiritual, discipline leading to godliness. The discipline of godliness is the process of becoming like God. Piety is created and blossomed out of a yearning for God and a desire to be like God. So how can you lead a godly life?
First, make sacrifices for the discipline of godliness.
There is a price to be paid to achieve the appearance of godliness. In order to get something precious, we have to pay a price commensurate with it. The Bible says that spiritual growth requires sacrifice. Salvation is possible by the grace of God. No one can be saved by human effort or merit. But the maturity of godliness and spiritual appearance are placed in our responsibility. The appearance of mature faith does not come automatically over time. It can be achieved through the desire for maturity and through tears, sweat, and sacrifice. In today's text, Paul commands us to “refine ourselves.” Timothy had been with Paul for a long time. A co-worker and a lifelong friend, but still felt the need to tell him “training.” I bless you who are practicing godliness by following Paul's counsel to Timothy to pursue godliness useful in all things, with promises in this life and in the life to come.
Second, practice and practice for the discipline of godliness.
Just as an athlete develops skills through practice and can win a game, so can you become a devout Christian through the practice of godliness. There are no shortcuts to learning great technology and cutting-edge technology. Of course, there are no leaps or shortcuts in spiritual growth. Growth occurs when you take it one step at a time. It's a gamble to get it done at once, not a real skill. Just as the water given to sprouts every day makes them grow, there is growth in faith and the power of godliness by growing little by little every day. Take one step at a time to become a victor in your spiritual life, a mature person. Practice and practice every day for the discipline of godliness. Even if there are mistakes and failures in the religious life, when you constantly challenge and practice, you will come to the true power of life.
Third, the center of godliness training is the Word of God.
The Word of God is an essential element of godliness training. In a time when it was difficult to discern or hear God's words and visions, Samuel was established as a prophet in Israel through the training of listening to God's words. During his time in the wilderness, Elijah learned to discern “the still small voice of God.” Through the training of the Word, you will experience how to consume the Word of God with the center of your soul. By listening to, reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God, we must ingest the Word of God into our souls.
Because you can discover your inner self before the word of God and become a true, repeated Christian living the life of Christ's self-denial. As the Word of God collides with the existence of our lives, experiences hardships, and practices, we will be transformed into the form of godliness. I bless you that you will become victors in your faith that lead to this godly life. Amen