In last week’s blog post, I shared some of an article entitled “Pursuing Godliness” by a man named Louis whom I haven’t seen for many years. In referring to what the apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy – ‘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. 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’ (1 Timothy 4:7-10) – Louis wrote: “His first letter to Timothy covers a wide range of operational topics on how to build and grow a church, but takes on a much more personal tone as he gives this final charge to pursue godliness. It’s the tone a father would take with his son …: Godliness takes training. Godliness is valuable to society. The pursuit of godliness deserves our full acceptance.”

The second point is “Pair up.” In addressing men, Louis observed: “Do you have a trusted brother who can come into your life and be able to tell just by looking at you that you’ve fallen asleep and gotten tangled up in nonsense? Do you have a friend who could break that spell by putting the word of God back in your hand and restore your lost vigor? Let me tell you that you and I need a friend like that – more than one … The bottom line is that God didn’t intend for you to come to faith in Him and spend the rest of your life alone. That’s why He built the church, that’s why He sent His Spirit, and that’s why He gifted us all differently. We need each other … Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

The third point is “Man up.” Louis shared: “Jesus lived and died knowing what God the Father expected of Him, even when that expectation involved humiliation and death. Faced with the knowledge of the cross, the knowledge He would suffer and die, Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane for God to take that cup from Him and for God’s will to be done. In doing so, I think Jesus demonstrated what I would consider the most central component of Biblical masculinity: responsibility. How I understand, accept and live out God’s expectations for my character, my behavior, my words, my work, my worship, and my relationships is my measure of a man.”

Of course, these principles apply equally to women as to men. It seems strange to say “Woman up” but the principle is clear: accept responsibility for what God has ordained for you. In his concluding observations, Louis shared: “The transformation we read about in the book of Romans is an act of worship. Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – verse 1 of chapter 12 – this is your true and proper worship … and we were created for the purpose of worshipping God. The fact that we grow to be more like Jesus in doing this and the fact that our Christlikeness benefits our families and society is a fantastic side effect that is secondary to our worship of the Lord.”

By His grace,

Steve