The Gain of Godliness! 1 Timothy 6:6-8
“6) But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 7) For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. 8) And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8
I believe in the “Gain of Godliness!” I believe there is no greater edge in life than having God in your corner and the Captain of your team.
I also believe according to Psalm 4:3 that “the Lord has set aside the godly man for Himself, the Lord hears when I call to Him.” Surprise: The Lord does favor the godly man or woman and desires to shower blessings upon them.
So, does God really work in extraordinary ways for those who order their ways according to His Word? “Absolutely yes!”
Hebrews 11:6 is a corner stone in my view of reality and personal world view. It says; “6) And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarded of those who seek Him.” This verse followed up immediately with “The Hall of Fame” of ordinary men and women who’s names are etched in the chapters of human history. What set them apart? They were on Gods team! He worked in mighty ways in and through them. They experienced the “Gain of Godliness!”
But, there is a catch, they lived with a totally different value system from their worldly counterparts. They enjoyed life on a different level. They had inner treasures and overflowing wealth and joy that the world cannot imagine.
Paul talked about the surpassing value he found in his personal relationship with Jesus Christ in Philippians 3:7-11. By contrast, worldly pursuits were like sewage to him. They meant nothing to him. He counted them as a loss or worse, they were a liability in his new value system.
In the process of gaining Christ, Paul was content with very little worldly equity. The treasure he found in the Spirit far surpassed the worldly values he gave up in his pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ. He focused on the “Gain of Godliness.”
In 1 Timothy 6:6-8, Paul was introducing Timothy to his Surpassing Value System. He was watering the seeds of the “Gain of Godliness.” He was inviting Timothy into a deeper walk with God.
We brought nothing of worldly equity into this world, and when we die we will leave all the material stuff behind. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus talked about treasure we can store up in heaven. We can invest in eternity. So let me bend your thinking.
There are gains and losses in life. But a worldly ledger is the polar opposite of a heavenly ledger. What the world considers a gain, God considers a loss. What God calls a gain, the world mocks as a loss. This tension and battle rages in all of us.
So which accounting system are you going to embrace? Are you going to chase after money and earthly treasure or are you going build your walk with God and store up heavenly treasure? This was Pauls proposition to Timothy in this text. No man or woman can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.
But wait, there is more to consider. You need to weigh the temporal against the eternal. Which value system has the best yield over the longest period of time? Are the fleeting pleasures of this life worth more than eternity?
Paul concludes in this text to Timothy that the “Gain of Godliness” far out performs the pleasures of the world. Godliness not only gives you an edge in this life because God rewards those who seek Him, but the treasures multiply many times over throughout eternity.
This proposition from Paul to Timothy has greatly impacted my life. I have not only placed faith in Jesus Christ as my Saviour, but like Paul, I have pulled all stops to embrace the surpassing value of daily building a deeper walk with Jesus Christ. I have experienced the unspeakable “Gain of Godliness” many times over in my walk with God, but I am not content. I desire to “press on” deeper and deeper in my walk with Jesus Christ and soar higher and higher on the wings of faith. I believe there is no limit to the “Gain of Godliness.”
Jesus Christ invites you into this same value system. He longs for you to embrace the “Gain of Godliness.” He wants you to move beyond salvation and infancy to build a deep and sincere walk with God. He wants you to go deep in your relationship with Him. He invites you to pull all stops in your relationship with Him and store up exceeding abundant treasures in heaven.
Now for the disclaimer: “This is an equal opportunity investment. The only limitation is you!”
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
