1 Timothy 4

I Timothy 4:7 commands young Timothy to train himself to be godly. What does this mean for us?

Paul believed the world was not getting better, but rather worse. People were drifting away from Christianity into all kinds of false doctrines and bizzare pratices. They were refusing to marry and refusing to eat certain things. They were failing to celebrate and enjoy God’s good creation as God’s creation. Under the influence of Greek philosophy, people were teaching that the world was evil and that our participation in the physical world should be as little as possible. What nonsense! Paul tells us plainly that these false doctrines come from demons (I Timothy 4:1).

We learn in Paul’s comments to Timothy that Christ-followers should:

1. Give thanks for all they receive and we should consecrate things with prayer (I Timothy 4:4-5);

2. Give ourselves to the study and reading of the Bible (I Timothy 4:13);

3. By following the teachings of the Bible, we can be an example of godly living in speech, life, love, faith, and purity (I Timothy 4:12);

4. Function in our spiritual gifts (I Timothy 4:14);

5. Show progress as we become more like Jesus (Ephesians 5:1-2 and I Timothy 4:15).

6. Remember that our hope and salvation are not in ourselves. We dare only place our hope in the living God (I Timothy 4:9).