Spiritual Exercise

1. Read: 1 Timothy 4:6-8

2. About the Text:

1) Paul told Timothy to exercise himself in godliness.

2) Paul compares physical exercise with spiritual exercise.

3) Physical exercise profits a little, but spiritual exercise profits in all things.

3. About the subject.

1) I exercise regularly.

2) The same principles involved in physical exercise apply to spiritual exercise.

3) Let’s discuss some of those today.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. In order to exercise, you first have to be ready to exercise.

1) One must desire and decide to exercise.

2) This is often the hardest part of exercising.

3) Spiritually speaking we must do the same.

2. Spiritual readiness comes from a mind that desires to be spiritual.

1) Consider 1 Peter 1:13 “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

2) Consider 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

3. Spiritual readiness means I will act.

1) Consider Paul’s attitude in Romans 1:15 “So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.”

2) Consider the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

1. Exercise involves repetition.

1) Walking two steps isn’t exercise, but 10,000 is.

2) Doing one lift isn’t exercise, but 3 sets of 10 is.

3) One must repeat whatever it is one is doing many, many times to exercise.

2. How about spiritually?

1) Do we just pray sporadically and call it devotion?

2) Do we just read one verse and call it study?

3) Do we just attend occasionally and call it faithfulness?

3. Repetition is something that is mentioned in the scriptures.

1) In 2 Peter 1:12-15, we read “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.”

2) Jesus also implied repetition when he said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

3) And in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

4. To exercise spiritually we need to involve ourselves in repetition of spiritual activity.

1. Exercise requires some kind of resistance.

1) Have you ever tried to exercise with no resistance? Gravity.

2) Astronauts that spend extended periods of time in space become atrophied because there is no resistance.

2. Spiritual exercise involves resistance as well.

1) We need to resist temptation.

a. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

b. Ephesians 6:13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

2) We need to resist the devil.

a. In 1 Peter 5:8 we read, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

b. James also tells us regarding the devil, “…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

3) We must resist evil and cling to the good!

a. “Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

b. “Abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thess.5:22).

c. We must resist to grow stronger.

d. If we have nothing to resist, we will atrophy.

1. In order for our exercise to do us good, we must be resolute!

1) We must stick with it throughout our life.

2) When you stop exercising you stop getting the benefits of the exercise.

2. Spiritually, we must be committed to long-term exercise.

1) We can’t afford to look back: Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

2) Hebrews 10:38 “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.”

3) We need to be steadfast and constant: 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

3. We’ve got to persevere to exercise spiritually.

1) It’s that much harder to get started again when we get lazy in our exercise.

2) It’s so much easier if we just stick with it and don’t give up.

1. Are we exercising ourselves in godliness?

1) If we want to properly grow, then we will exercise!

2) Spiritual exercising helps us for all eternity!

2. What do we need to exercise ourselves in godliness?

1) Be Ready 2) Repetition 3) Resistance 4) Be Resolute.

3. Invitation