Today’s Sunday School lesson was on the character quality of godliness. I wanted to summarize here some of the thoughts I had in the preparation and delivery of this lesson. The focal passage for the lesson was from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, chapter 4.

Paul was writing Timothy from his house arrest in Rome, offering encouragement for Timothy as he worked to lead the church in Ephesus as their pastor. In chapter 4, Paul first warns Timothy of the false teachers who would seek to disturb the beliefs of the church (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

Theses false teachers taught beliefs and errors which were not consistent with the overall message of Scripture. In Timothy’s day it was about marriage and food, and some of these teachings still persist. We have others as well. Churches which teach that same-sex marriage can be blessed by God or that following Jesus is not the only pathway to heaven are not teaching the truth of Scripture. We MUST remain diligent in pursuing doctrine that is right and accurate in our churches!

Paul continues this thought in 1 Timothy 4:6-8. But then he shifts the focus to the topic of godliness. Notice the last sentence below.

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

“Train yourself for godliness.” Paul makes an analogy here that the pursuit of godliness can be likened to the pursuit for physical fitness. It is something you are in training for, much as an athlete trains his body. Notice, though, that godliness is something Paul indicates is beneficial for our present life and for our life to come. Unlike our bodies and accumulations, etc., which are left behind when we die, our godliness is something that we will take to heaven with us. Of course, I am writing under the hope and assumption that if you are reading this, you have the assurance of a personal relationship with Jesus and know that you will spend eternity with him!

Godliness during this life serves multiple functions. It shows people what God is like. We are being systematically shaped by God into people who more and more reflect Him to the world and serve to (hopefully) draw people who don’t know Him to want to know Him. But, we are also being prepared for a life in God’s presence for all eternity. We are in “training” now for the life to come.

I used an AI generated background for my lesson, as shown below. The prompt that I used was this: “Show me a picture of an Eden-like environment populated by a happy fruitful society of people.” Here’s what the AI gave me.

God commands throughout Scripture that he wants his people to “be holy because I am holy.” Jesus said it in the sermon on the mount as “you therefore by perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” That’s what godliness is – being holy or perfect. It’s a goal that we are to work toward, even though we know it will never be achieved in this life. But God will complete it for us when we die and enter His presence.

What I like about the picture above is that it represents what society in the absence of sin might look like. People are working, playing, creating, worshipping – just flat out enjoying their life and existence without the taint of sin. That’s godliness. We are learning in this life what it means to obey God, trust Him, work for Him, serve Him, glorify Him, and honor Him with our lives. That’s our goal – because it is beneficial to us now, and it gives us practice and insight into what our future holds!

Paul continues with 1 Timothy 4:9-11.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.”

I like the clarity of that last bit as it is stated in the New International Readers Version – “This is why we work and try so hard. It’s because we have put our hope in the living God. He is the Savior of all people. Most of all, he is the Savior of those who believe.” We strive for godliness out of appreciation for our Savior. He is available to all who seek him, but is truly appreciated by those who have trusted Him for salvation.

The passage is completed in 1 Timothy 4:12-16.

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Of course Paul is giving specific instructions to Timothy, but they are applicable to all Christians. We all represent Christ to others and our godly behavior is an important example to set. Note in the last sentence two things:

• Persist – Just as athletic fitness doesn’t happen overnight, but requires consistency and hard work, so too does the pursuit of godliness. It takes perseverance or persistence to push through the difficulties and failures that will come. It’s not easy; but it’s worth it!
• Save yourself and your hearers – This is not a reference to our eternal salvation. It is a reference to the inevitable trouble which we (and those we influence) will encounter by NOT living godly lives – through consequences associated with sin and through the hardening of our heart of searing of our conscience which resisting the Holy Spirit can bring.

I hope this topic will prompt you to start thinking more about your future with God. We have a glorious eternity available to us, but we need to take the responsibility that God has given us to practice and prepare for the future that he has promised! Study the scriptures – they tell us who God is, what He’s like, and what He’s promised to those who believe in Him, and what He’s promised to those who choose to reject Him.