EXERCISE THYSELF UNTO GODLINESS

{All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Kings James Version}

1 Timothy 4v7-10, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, [silly myths, godless charter – having nothing to do with them] and EXERCISE THYSELF RATHER UNTO GODLINESS. 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. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acception. For therefore we both LABOUR and SUFFER reproach, because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those who believe.”

Exercise / train thyself rather unto godliness, train yourself to be godly or train yourself in godliness.

EXPLANATION OF KEY WORDS
TRAIN means: to give teaching and practice to [e.g. child, soldier, animal] in order to bring to a certain standard of behaviour, efficiency or physical condition – spiritually, prayer. (This is a dictionary meaning)

EXERCISE means: walking, running, jogging, e.t.c. Repetition of an action so as to develop or maintain one’s skill, to subject to forms of exertion in order to train, strengthen or condition.

DISCIPLINE means: training especially of mind and character to produce self-control, habits of obedience. Set rules for conduct, methods by which training may be given, train and control mind and character.

GODLY means: loving and obeying God, deeply religious, deeply concerned about beliefs and practices of religions, holy, religious, pious, devout, divine, heavenly, God-like.

OBEDIENT means: willing to do what one is told to do, willing to do the wishes of others, submissive, compliant, complying.

Note that it is you who exercises or trains yourself. Nobody can do it for you, you have to take the initiative. So, we can paraphrase verse 7 and say, “Give teaching and practice to yourself in order to bring [yourself] to a certain standard of behaviour or efficiency spiritually, to [be] deeply loving and obeying God, being holy, devout, heavenly and God-like.” Training or exercising yourself unto godliness is done almost the same way as physical training. There are things that you have to do and things that you do not have to do. For instance, you may have to run, jog, lift weights eat or not eat certain types of food, etc. This can be the same spiritually, there are certain things you have to do and things that you do not have to do. To exercise yourself effectively, you have to be disciplined, strict and obedient. If we may use a natural example, it may not always be easy to run or jog every morning say because of weather (rain, sun, cold), being physically exhausted, etc but if you are disciplined, you have to. Spiritually speaking, it may not always be easy to exercise yourself, but you have to teach yourself to be strict and disciplined. Exercise or training does not work overnight. You cannot train or exercise yourself today and expect to be a giant tomorrow morning! It does not work that way. It takes time, and usually it is costly and painful, especially in the first days.

Let us look at some of the ways by which you can exercise or train yourself.

1. READ AND STUDY THE WORD.

(a) 1 Peter 2v2, Desire the sincere spiritual milk of the Word that you may GROW thereby. GROW means: become more deeply rooted, a habit that grows on you, come to have a greater attraction for, full development, mature, increase in size, height or length. Paraphrase, “Desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may become more deeply rooted, come to have a deeper attraction for (e.g. God), and be fully developed and mature, spiritually and increase in godliness, Christianity or the things of God.” You have to desire the Word to grow.
(b) Acts 20v32, (…Word of His grace that is able to BUILD you up…” BUILD means: general shape or structure, characteristics and proportion, make, acquire, steadily and gradually (strengthened), parts put together, produce, mold, frame. Paraphrase, “… Word of His grace that is able to strengthen, acquire steadily and gradually, produce in you, mold and frame you (your parts put together) to have a godly shape or structure proportional with godly characteristics.” Abide in the Word of God to be built up and to be spiritually in shape. Read also Romans 10v17, 2 Timothy 3v15-17, Psalms 119v50.

(c) Matthew 4v4, “Man shall not LIVE by bread alone but by every Word that comes out of the mouth of God.” LIVE means to: have existence, be alive, live on, continue to live, live through or survive, (e.g. through wars), have reality of life, live by or earn one’s livelihood by doing something. Paraphrase, “Man shall not have existence, be alive, live on, continue to live, have reality of life, live through, survive or earn his livelihood by bread alone but by every Word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Feed on the Word to live. Neglect of the Word starves your spirit man the same as neglect of natural food is to your body. The spirit man lives on the Word just as the body lives on food. A corpse cannot exercise, so, for you to exercise yourself, you have to be alive, John 6v63, 1 John 2v14.

(d) Joshua 1v8, “This Book of the law shall not depart out of thy MOUTH but thou shalt MEDITATE upon it day and night that thou mayest be careful to DO according to all that is written therein, FOR THEN thou shalt make thy way PROSPEROUS and thou shalt have good SUCCESS.” MEDITATE means to: think about, consider, give ones’ self up to seriously, consider carefully & at length, reflect, weigh, ponder, revolve, think over, think through, turn over or chew over. DO means to : to perform, or carry out an action , progress or perform adequately especially in difficult circumstances. DELIGHT means: great joy, or pleasure, find pleasure, source of great pleasure, greatly pleased. PROSPEROUS means: improving, growing or succeeding steadily, flourishing, a life of happiness, financial security. SUCCESS means: gaining of what is aimed at, good fortune, gain one’s purpose, accomplishment. DEPART means: cease living, pass, go, die, drop, expire, perish, succumb, pass away.
Paraphrase, “This Book of the law (Word) shall not cease living, pass, go, die, drop, expire, perish, succumb or pass away out of thy mouth, but though shalt think about it, consider it, give yourself up to it seriously, consider it carefully and at length, reflect, weigh, ponder, revolve, think over, think through, turn over and chew over it day and night that thou may be careful to perform, carry out, progress or perform adequately even in difficult times according to all that is written there in, for then thou shalt make thy way improve, grow and succeed steadily, flourish, full of happiness and financially secure and thou shalt gain all that you aim at, accomplish and gain all your purposes.”
So, to successfully train your self or exercise yourself and to prosper in your spiritual or godly life, you need the Word, Deuteronomy 5v29. Speak, meditate upon and do or practice the Word. Delight in the Word, Psalms 1v1-3, 1Kings 2v2-3. Keep the charge of the Lord and walk in His ways to prosper and to have good success (note, it is not only success but good success)! Read also James 1v22. The Word also helps you to keep your way pure, Psalms 119v9, Hebrews 4v12, 1Thessalonians 2v13, Micah 2v7, 2Timothy 2v15.

2. PRAYER

PRAYER means to commune with God, offer thanks, make requests known, an earnest or urgent request, appeal, suit, plea, entreaty or supplication.

(a) Philippians 4v6-8, do not be anxious about anything but instead – pray. ANXIETY means: emotional condition in which there is fear and uncertainty of the future, worry, care, uneasiness or distress. Let your requests be known to God for He cares for you. Do not bear your burdens. For you to excel spiritually, you have to be “care or anxious free”. You only experience the peace of God after practicing what verse 6 says. Read also 1 Peter 5v7, Psalms 55v22, 84v11, it is not easy to avoid anxiety, but only possible if you know or believe that God is going to take care. If you truly believe the Word or what God said from your heart – you will not fear. Believe the Word the same way you would Jesus were He to appear to you in Person, you cannot obey Him in Person when you do not obey His written Word. PEACE means: rest, quiet and calm (peace of mind) not excited or emotional, undisturbed. John 14v1,27, Isaiah 26v3-4.
(b) Mark 14v38, pray that you may not enter into TEMPTATION. Temptations are sure to come but you must not enter into them, Matthew 18v7. Pray for yourself (always) and not lose, suffer the loss of forfeit, mislay or misplace your hope, Luke 18v1, 7-8, 1 Corinthians 10v13.
Luke 21v36, Pray that you may escape and attain unto the kingdom of God.
(c) 1Timothy 2v1-2, pray for your leaders and those in authority. (Note that the Bible says pray for and not pray against) Ephesians 6v18 pray for all saints. Galatians 6v2, bear each other’s burdens in prayer. Luke 22v31-32, Genesis 25v21, Isaiah 56v10, 59v16, 63v5, Ezekiel 22v30, Luke 11v8, Acts 12v5.
(d) Praise & Worship God. Prayer has to be coupled with praise and worship, Psalms 8v2, 147v1, 148v11-13, 149-150, Matthew 21v26. In all things give thanks to Him, Acts 16v25-26, Ephesians 5v20, Hebrews 13v15. Worship means: to reverently adore, regard with great awe and devotion, to feel deep-devoted love for. Praise means: to magnify, exalt, glorify and extol.
(e) Romans 8v26, the Holy Ghost helps us in all our INFIRMITIES. Infirmity means: physically, mental or morally weak, not purposeful, undecided, fault or shortcoming. In our prayer life we depend on/upon the Holy Ghost bearing in mind that we get or receive what we ask for in prayer if we ask according to the will of God which He (the Holy Ghost) knoweth. Isaiah 5v14-15, John 15v7. Read also 1Corinthians 14v2,4, Jude 20. Pray in the Spirit or in tongues to get edification.
(f) Isaiah 1v18-19, 43v25-26, Pray the Word. Remind God his Word or promises and plead your case before Him. God honours and will confirm His Word Jeremiah 1v12.

3. FELLOWSHIP

Hebrews 10v25, Matthew 18v19-20, Acts 4v23, 32-34, Daniel 2v17, John 17v20-23. Fellowship with other saints. We are to exhort and edify one another as we are of the same body, members one of another and of the same family – we are one! Read Ecclesiastes 4v9-12, Genesis 11v6, Psalms 133.

4.WALK IN LOVE AND FAITH

Galatians 5v6 says faith worketh by love. Hebrews 10v39-40, 11v6 shows that without faith it is impossible to please God. 2Corinthians 1v24, 5v7, 4v13, Romans 1v17. Faith covers every area of our lives and Romans 14v23 says whatever is not of faith is sin. Train yourself to walk , stand, speak and live by faith, i.e. in God and in His Word. LOVE is the royal new convenant law, John 13v34-35, James 2v8, 1John 3v14-15. Lover never fails, 1Corinthians 13v4-8. The Word says we are to “follow the way of love or follow after charity or make love your aim”, 1Corinthians 14v1, 16v14. Be forgiving. Grudges, hatred and anger are a hindrance to your Christian walk. Learn or train yourself to be always forgiving. Avoid the comparison trap – do not compare yourself with others, be a Christian that God wants you to be, 2Corinthians 10v12. Know that hatred is not of God and is anti-Scriptural hence you cannot walk in hatred and expect to prosper spiritually, Jude 3, Philippians 1v27. You must train yourself to obey and do what God says despite what is on the natural. Read Ecclesiastes 11v4, Romans 4v19, 2Corinthians 4v18, walk by faith – do not be limited by your senses, i.e. do not be always on the sense realm. FAITH means: trust or strong belief, unquestioning confidence, belief in divine truth without proof.

5.PRESS ON

Philippians 3v13-15, do not dwell on the past either good or bad. Press on! Do not be discouraged by your past mistakes. When you fail God, miss it or sin repent and confess, (1John 1v9) and press on – refuse to be held or locked up by your failures, 1Corinthians 15v57-58.

6.REJOICE IN THE LORD

Philippians 3v1, 4v4, 1Thessalonians 5v16, Galatians 5v22 & Nehemiah 8v10. REJOICE means: feel great joy, show signs of great happiness over victory or success. Habakkuk 3v17-19, joy is not conditional – do not walk by feelings or sight but by what God said. Rejoice because – 1Corinthians 15v57, 2Corinthians v11, Romans 8v37-39 & 1John 4v4.

7.CHRISTIANITY A RACE

Hebrews 12v1-4, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us LAY ASIDE every WEIGHT, AND the SIN which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with endurance or patience the race that is set before us, LOOKING unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not resisted unto bloodshed striving against sin.” Lay aside every weight and sin and run with patience or endurance the race that is set before you – do not lose heart, neither be discouraged. Usually, when the going somehow gets tough, “victory is just by”. Be prepared for the race! A Christian life is likened to SOWING, RUNNING and FIGHTING, which you must do till the Lord comes. He said “… OCCUPY TILL I COME”, Luke 19v13. PATIENCE means: power of enduring trouble, suffering, inconvenience, without weakening or complaining, ability to await results, to deal with problems calmly and without haste. As the Word says, train yourself to be TEMPERATE in all things, 1Corinthians 9v27. Read also 2Timothy 2v5, Isaiah 40v31, train yourself to wait upon God. TEMPERENCE means: moderation, self-control, in speech, behaviour. Fix your eyes upon the Lord and heavenly things – Colosians 3v1-3, Matthew 6v33 and Philippians 3v19-20. Also, you need to discipline yourself not to be given to much talking, it saves you from many chances of sinning, James 3v2-12, Ephesians 4v29 and Colosians 4v5-6.

8.WALK OR LIVE WORTHY OF THE LORD

Colosians 1v10, “That you might WALK WORTHY OF THE LORD unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and INCREASING IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD;”
Your SPEECH. Speak of the glory of the kingdom of God and of His power, read Psalms 145v11.
Your WAY OF LIFE. Be holy 1Peter 1v15-16, Genesis 17v1, Romans 12v1-2.
FEAR GOD and SUBMIT yourself to Him, James 4v7(a). RESIST the devil, James 4v7, 1Peter 5v8-9, Ephesians 4v27. BE SEPARATE from the world, John 15v19, James 4v4, 1John 2v15-17. RESIST SIN, SUBDUE and discipline your FLESH, Romans 6v12, Galatians 5v16-17, 24, 1Corinthians 9v27. Listen to and obey your conscience, 1Timothy 4v2, 2Corinthians 1v12. ABIDE IN HIM, KNOW who you are in Christ, John 15v7. You can do all things through Christ, Hallelujah! Philippians 4v13. Read Acts 24v16.

I encourage and exhort you in Christ that you hold fast your faith and walk in love. Be determined to seek the Lord and wait upon Him. Seek, understand and walk in the call of God upon your life. Fight the good fight of faith. The Lord is IN you, WITH you and FOR you always. Do your part, obey and do the Word, and God will do His part to accomplish it in your life. God does not change and He has called us to partake in His divine nature and learn to change not. Read Malachi 3v6, James 1v17, 2Peter 1v4.Find out the nature of God in His Word and exercise yourself to be like Him. We are called to be like our Master and Lord, Matthew 10v25 and Luke 6v40. I tell you things may seem to be hard on the way but it is worthy enduring. Surely, the Lord Jesus is coming very soon and though He may “tarry”, train yourself unto godliness. He may come in your lifetime or after you have passed from this life, but what is needed is to WATCH! Be faithful, trustworthy, loving, steadfast, holy and just like your Father. I beseech you to follow these principles and others from the Word and they will help you. May the grace, mercy, peace and love of our Lord Jesus be with you, to Him be glory, praise and honour both now and forever more, Amen! Be sure not to miss heaven, we are called to be there!

EXERCIXE THYSELF RATHER UNTO GODLINESS, IT IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS.