“But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
While watching any type of professional sport, it is very difficult not to appreciate the skill and dedication shown by the athletes. Although they make playing the game look easy, it is a result of numerous hours of practice, dedication to improve, and not resting on their laurels. Similarly, as the apostle Paul writes, godliness also requires training. But unlike professional sports, where the athletes eventually retire and stop training, training ourselves in godliness is a lifelong process. So how exactly do we train in godliness?
One of the primary ways is to go to the Word and dedicate time to it through reading or listening. All of the Bible is “inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). While it is essential to spend time in the Scriptures to train in godliness, merely just reading or listening to it is not enough. We have to actually live it out! The apostle James compares one who just listens to the Word and does not put it into practice similarly to a person who looks at a mirror and immediately forgets what they look like (James 1:22-24). Reading and living out the Scriptures will allow us to become like the tree planted by flowing streams that bear fruit (Psalm 1:3).
It is important to remember that training for righteousness does not come naturally for us. As David writes, “there is no one who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:3). In the eyes of God, apart from him, our good works are nothing but dirty rags since they are tainted by sin (Isaiah 64:5-6). If this is the case, how can we be saved from our sins and train in godliness? Since sin is ultimately rebellion against God, it would’ve been just for him to allow us to be enslaved in our sins. But thankfully, while God is just, he is also merciful and full of grace. He showed his love for us by sending his Son, to atone for our sins in our place. The Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, works in our lives and changes our heart in order to make training in godliness possible for us.
Training in godliness will require us to be poor in spirit. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones mentions that to be poor in spirit is to have a “complete absence of pride, a complete absence of self-assurance and of self-reliance…[having] a consciousness that we are nothing in the presence of God”. Let us remember that apart from Christ we cannot bear fruit (John 15:5). Let us trust that he who started a good work in us will carry it on to completion until Christ returns.