1 Timothy 4

Beware of Myths

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness. – 1 Timothy 4:7

A myth is a widely held but false idea.

Myths distract us from the truth. Here are some examples:

Myth: Once we become Christian, all our sins are covered and we can continue living in sin.

Truth: While we aren't capable of not sinning in this life, true Christians will stop living in sin and struggle their best to overcome it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Myth: With God's assistance, Christians will do well in this life.

Truth: Christians will be persecuted and rejected by society. Christians don't live for this life; they live with the hope of the afterlife.

We should examine ourselves to see what myths we subscribe to and act on, and correct our mindset.

Spiritual Exercise

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. – 1 Timothy 4:8

Just like training our physical bodies with exercise, we should also train our godliness with spiritual exercise, such as praying, reading Scripture, studying Scripture, memorizing Scripture, and meditating on Scripture. The Bible is the best source of spiritual exercise.

Bodily training provides value to us in this life–we are taking good care of the body God has given to us. It increases our stamina, strength, and endurance. This was crucial to the days of manual labor, and is still important to us today in maintaining our health.

Godliness training provides us both in this life and the life beyond. We grow closer to God and bear fruit.