But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come (I Timothy 4:7,8). When you exercise, you engage in activities that require physical or mental exertion so you can develop or maintain fitness in your body or your mind. If you are focused on physical fitness, your exercise will likely be strength training or cardio workouts. If you are focused on mental fitness, you will challenge your brain with mind puzzles or learning something new.

Physical exercise is good for the body, but Paul was saying that it’s not as important as exercising yourself unto godliness. Some people will spend hours on their physical appearance instead of focusing on their spiritual well-being. That’s what is really important in life.

You can’t do some physical exercise just one day and think it will change your body in some significant way because that won’t happen, and the same is true with your spiritual well-being. To exercise yourself unto godliness, you have to be consistent, diligent and dedicated if you want to see results. Prayer, fasting and living in the Word are three important steps that will keep you spiritually fit. If you neglect them, you will become spiritually weak.

Don’t Be a Marshmallow

If you stop doing physical exercise, you will become a couch potato. Your body will start to lose muscle mass; and before you know it, it will turn into a marshmallow, so to speak.

The same thing happens when you neglect your spiritual exercises, and there are a lot of marshmallow Christians in the world today. They go through life without exercising themselves unto godliness, and they are full of fluff instead of substance. Just as there is no real nutritional value to a marshmallow, marshmallow Christians don’t bring any value to God’s Kingdom. Souls are not paramount in their life, and serving and pleasing God daily are afterthoughts for them.

Marshmallow Christians won’t make it in this final hour. They will be drawn away by their own lust because they won’t exercise themselves unto godliness and stay spiritually fit. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death (James 1:14,15).

When you exercise yourself unto godliness, your focus will be on the things of the Lord and not on the things of self and the world. Are the desires of your heart spiritual or physical? Are you laying up treasures in Heaven or here on Earth? Jesus said, For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

Exercising yourself unto godliness includes studying the Word of God. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).

How to Be Godly

What does it mean to be godly? A godly person honors and reverences the Lord and seeks to please Him by living a holy, righteous life. There’s no worldliness in a godly person. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him (I John 2:15).

You can’t live a godly life and love this world, so how do you do it? For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11,12). You have to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and practice living soberly, righteously and godly every day. A sober life is one free from all contamination of the world and anything that would draw you away from the Lord.

You can live a godly life no matter what other people do or say. Some say that no one can live free from sin; but the Bible says, He that committeth sin is of the devil (I John 3:8). The Bible also says, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). That’s God-talk.

We are to be dead to sin and not living a life of sin. Jesus didn’t go through all that torment and suffering so we could remain slaves to sin. He suffered so we could have a godly and abundant life. He said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Jesus Is Our Example

A redacted document is one that has sections in it that are blotted out with a black line, so you can see only bits and pieces of the document. Because of that, you can’t get the whole meaning of the information contained in the document.

That is how some people see the Bible. They have mentally redacted sections of the Bible that they don’t want to believe, but what they don’t realize is that it doesn’t matter what they blot out in their mind. The truth in the Bible is still the same, and no one can change God’s truth. In the end, every person will have to face truth on judgment day.

Jesus came to Earth to prove that we can live a holy life through the divine blood He shed. He is our example of living a godly life. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:21-24).

You live a godly life by living in the Word, walking in love and being a living sacrifice unto God. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour (Ephesians 5:1,2).

A godly life is a selfless life. Jesus said, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). Are you willing to do that?

Works Against God

Paul wrote of things children of God should not do. If you are doing any of the things he mentioned, you are not living a godly life; and you have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:3-5).

Not one of the works of the flesh can be manifested in your life either. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

It’s easy to say you are a child of God and ready to go to Heaven; but if you have stopped exercising yourself unto godliness, you are vulnerable to the works of the flesh. Then it’s just a matter of time before you may fall into the devil’s trap.

Do You Show Divine Love?

Jesus gave us the foundation of living a godly life every day when He said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37). If you don’t love the Lord like that, you will be easily influenced to dabble in the things of the world. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24).

When you live a godly life, you will show love to others. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us (I John 4:11,12).

Do you show God’s love and kindness to people even when they may not be treating you right? Jesus said, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Some people have a hard time doing those things because the flesh wants to dish the same things back out; but the Bible says, And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

While Jesus hung on the Cross in pain and agony, He blessed those who were cursing Him. He did good to those who hated Him by sacrificing His life for them; and He prayed for His persecutors saying, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34).

Jesus showed love to the two thieves hanging on the crosses next to His even though they both mocked Him. Then later, one of those thieves gave his heart to the Lord because he saw the great love Jesus showed even when He was suffering. The man said, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:42,43).

Jesus Came for All People

Is there someone in your life who is always giving you a hard time? Maybe they constantly try to come against you and cause havoc in your life, or they may criticize your walk with the Lord. They may even resent your godly life because it is like a mirror that shows them how ungodly they are living.

Many people today love conflict, and they get pleasure out of hurting others. Some are full of the devil, but God is so merciful; and they can still be won for Him. Are you willing to pray for people like that and do good to them? Is their soul important to you, or are you one who decides who you will or will not show love to? The Bible tells us that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), so you have to show love to everybody.

Jesus said, That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:45,46,48).

To be perfect in the eyes of God means to be complete and unblemished. When you don’t show love to others, you’re not perfect before God. He didn’t give His Only Begotten Son to die on the Cross for only a certain race of people. He gave Jesus to die on the Cross so all could be saved, delivered and set free. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10).

You Must Share Jesus

When you accept the love gift of salvation, you must offer it to others by showing them love without discrimination. It’s easy to love someone who loves and respects you; but Jesus showed us that we must show love to everybody, even the wicked. Now, that doesn’t mean you should be buddies with people who are not in the faith. The Bible says, Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness (II Corinthians 6:14)? Showing love to a sinner and witnessing to them is one thing, but becoming companions with them is completely different.

These verses give more wisdom on this matter: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).

When you meditate on the Word day and night, the Holy Spirit will be there to guide you and direct you in dealing with a lost soul. When you live a godly life, people will see God in you; and that can make all the difference when you are witnessing to a soul. The fruits of the Spirit will be in full operation in your life; and the divine love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance will affect people.

Even so, people still have free choice, and you have no control over how a person will respond to your love and the message of Jesus. Unfortunately, not everyone will want to repent and go to Heaven one day, but it is your responsibility to show them the love of Jesus because God is love (I John 4:8). People will remember those who treat them really badly or really good. Which way do you want to be remembered?

Jesus Wants to Save and Heal You

Jesus loves you, and He proved that when He died on the Cross for all of our sins. I want to give you an opportunity to come to Jesus right now so you can live a godly life. Pray with me and ask Jesus Christ into your heart. Say, Oh, God, save my soul. Forgive me of my sins. I have come home to serve you for the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in. Amen.

Friend, if you meant that prayer, you have Jesus Christ in your heart. Now, let’s get your miracle for you. It doesn’t matter what sicknesses or diseases are in your body. God made you; He can heal you. The Bible says that believers shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). I am a believer, so raise your hands right now as a point of contact; and let’s pull down Heaven together. Expect God to move for you in a glorious way and deliver you from whatever bondage you may have.

Lord, Heavenly Father, you know what the people’s needs are. Break their bondages and set them free in the blood name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Heal them of every sickness and disease in their body. Heal! in the holy, blood name of Jesus Christ. Lord, let everything come to normal in their bodies and give them the strength they need. Lord, bless them, keep them and let them be a blessing to others. Help them to live a good, godly life before you. Amen.