7 BUT reject profane and old wives’ fables, AND EXERCISE YOURSELF TOWARD GODLINESS.
8 FOR bodily exercise profits a little, BUT GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE FOR ALL THINGS, having promise of the life that now IS and of that which is to COME.
15 MEDITATE on these THINGS; GIVE yourself ENTIRELY to THEM, THAT YOUR PROGRESS MAY BE EVIDENT TO ALL."
1 Timothy 4:7,8,15 (NKJV)
• Godliness has the Promise of the present life and that of the life to come.
- Godliness is profitable to all things. It is not just profitable to the spirit, the inward Man, but to the soul, the mind, and the body, the physical—the material realm.
- Godliness is profitable onto all Things, even in the present life.
• Things that godliness ensures or guarantees:
I. Godliness ensures protections.
- If you, as a human, has a property or anything of value, you surely would want to protect it. Likewise before God, If you live a godly life, you become a treasure to God's Kingdom on the earth, and He would ensure your protections:
12 THE RIGHTEOUS WILL FLOURISH LIKE THE DATE PALM [long-lived, upright and useful]; THEY will GROW like a CEDAR in LEBANON [majestic and stable]. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, THEY WILL FLOURISH in the COURTS of our GOD. 14 [Growing in grace] THEY will still THRIVE and BEAR fruit and PROSPER in OLD AGE; THEY will FLOURISH and be VITAL and FRESH [rich in trust and love and contentment]" (Psalm 92:12-14 Amps). - God treasures His children who live a godly life. He distinguishes them, and preserves them as Jewels:
17 “THEY SHALL BE MINE,” SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS, “ON the day that I make them My JEWELS. 6 AND I WILL SPARE THEM As a man spares his own son who SERVES HIM.” 18 THEN you shall again DISCERN [see the distinction] BETWEEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED, BETWEEN ONE WHO SERVES GOD AND ONE WHO DOES NOT SERVE HIM" (Malachi 3:17,18 NKJV).
II. Godliness ensures promotion.
- As you are faithful in serving God, He will promote you. God always rewards faithfulness.
- You have to be dedicated, chose to consecrate your life, and be obedient to God. You would have to make the choice of following Him with all your heart:
"BUT Jesus told him, “ANYONE who PUTS a hand to the PLOW and then LOOKS back is NOT fit for the KINGDOM OF GOD" (Luke 9:62 (NLT). - When you get through hard times of life, It was not God who withheld His blessings from you. It was the devil who came up to see If you actually believed what you claimed to believe (Matthew 4:3), like he did to Job (Job 1:9-12).
- At every turn of the road, the devil would like to put up the road blocks on your paths. At such a time, your flesh and mind might want to quit, but do not give UP.
- Be a man or woman of the Word, and be submissive to the leadings of the Holy Spirit. Trials might come, but your Righteousness, Godliness, should not be thrown away.
- If you lived to satisfy God, there is a reward for it, and vise versa, If you lived to satisfy the flesh, there is also a reward for it:
8 THOSE WHO LIVE ONLY TO SATISFY THEIR OWN SINFUL NATURE WILL HARVEST DECAY AND DEATH FROM THAT SINFUL NATURE. BUT THOSE WHO LIVE to PLEASE the SPIRIT WILL HARVEST EVERLASTING LIFE FROM The SPIRIT. 9 SO let’s not get TIRED OF DOING WHAT IS GOOD. At just the right time we will REAP a harvest of BLESSING If WE DON'T GIVE UP" (Galatians 6:8,9 NLT).
III. Godliness ensures Prosperity:
"HE [Uzziah] continued to SEEK God in the days of Zechariah, WHO had understanding through the vision of God; AND AS LONG AS HE SOUGHT (inquired of, longing for) THE LORD, GOD CAUSED HIM TO PROSPER" (2 Chronicles 26:5 Amps).
- Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, and he was made prosperous.
- As you meditate and practice the Word of God (Joshua 1:8; James 1:22,25); your success, the Prosperity, would be seen or evident to all, and that in every area of your life (1 Timothy 4:15).
- Godliness is the foundation for the prosperity that would last or endure.
IV. Godliness ensures a perpetuity and longevity—a long life.
- There is connection between Godliness and longevity—God's Promise of long life. If you live a godly life, He will satisfy you with a long life.
a. Sin endangers the life of whoever engages in it.
b. It gives an access to the devil in the life of whoever commiting it. - A Christian or a Believer who lives in Sin exposes himself or herself to the attacks from the kingdom of darkness, which can lead to a premature death.
14 THE LORD says, “I will RESCUE those who LOVE ME. I WILL PROTECT THOSE WHO TRUST IN MY NAME. 15 WHEN they CALL on ME, I will ANSWER; I will BE with THEM in TROUBLE. I WILL RESCUE AND HONOUR THEM. 16 I WILL REWARD THEM WITH A LONG LIFE And GIVE THEM MY SALVATION.” (Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT).
• Note:
a. Believers in Christ Jesus should be life minded, and NOT be death minded.
b. They must be plenty minded, and NOT poverty minded.
c. They must be deliverance minded, and NOT trouble or bondage minded.
d. They must be power minded, and NOT weakness minded.
- If you live a godly life, walk in the light of the Word God, and you do that with a good rapport with the Holy Spirit; you would have the right mindset about life.
- The light of the Word of God you possess would cause you to see things in God's point of views. Thus, there is a need for a change. God wants you to change in the thoughts of your mind (Romans 12:2).
- Knowledge of the Word of God would change your perspectives, and shape your character to be like that of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12).
• God promises to teach the way to go, and how to make profit in life (Isaiah 48:17).
- If you can follow God's precepts, live in line with it; that is, live Godly, you will enjoy His leadings always (John 15:7; James 1:22-25).
- Living godly has both the reward of the present; the earthly reward, and that of the world to come—the New heaven and the new earth:
"FOR bodily exercise profits a LITTLE, BUT GODLINESS IS PROFITABLE FOR ALL THINGS, HAVING PROMISE OF THE LIFE THAT NOW IS AND OF THAT WHICH IS TO COME" (1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV).
READ: Revelation 21:1 - If you find pleasures in Sin, you are indirectly eroding your destiny.
- Some wanted to believe that Godliness is no longer possible in this world of darkness. The truth is, there is no experience that can negate the Word of God. Godliness is still possible, even in the contemporary world.
- To live a godly life, all you need is to be Discipline. Do not walk at the brinks of Sin. All It TAKES IS: "SEPARATE YOURSELVES FROM ALL APPEARANCE OF EVIL" ((1 Thessalonians 5:22 (Jubilee Bible 2000).
- Whatever appears to be evil, even when some wanted to believe there is no evil in it, but, if it has the appearances of any Evil according to the Bible; endeavour to separate yourself and stay away.
- To live a godly life:
a. Be Discipline, and do not play with Sin.
b. Be sensitive to the leadings of the Holy Spirits. Before a genuine child of God could fall into a Sin, the Holy Spirit would have been given such a number of signs, for him or her not to fall into the traps of the devil. Usually, the Believers who are victims, are always those who ignored the signs and warnings given them by the Holy Spirit on the inside of them.
c. The essence of the Holy Spirit on the inside of the Believers is, to guide, guard, and help lead them not to be victims of EVIL. - Jesus Christ did not intend that we should be alone in our journey to the heavenly planet:
16 AND I will PRAY the FATHER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER HELPER, THAT HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER—17 THE SPIRIT of TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; BUT you know Him, FOR HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. 18 I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS; I WILL COME TO YOU" (John 14:16-18 NKJV). - With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can live a godly Life!
- Remember, you have a double profit as you live a godly life. The profit of the life that now is, the present life, and that of the life to come—a blissful home, in the eternity of God's Kingdom (1 Timothy 4:8).
• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
- Whatever is not planted by God, working against your health such is cursed and uprooted in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
- And the Affliction will never rise again in the mighty name.
Peace!