Where to start the training ?

I got a comment on my last blog entry Training for Godliness which basically posed the question where do you start your training for godliness ?

Which is a very important question and as I can see it there are 2 very different answers depending on your current foundations.

Answer 1

First off, if you think that training for godliness has anything to do with your salvation, then the first thing you need to do is to look at righteousness before you go any further, else you are about to get yourself into a spiralling trap of effort and despair.

Godliness as spoken about in 1 Timothy 4:7-8 is about growing in God not about getting into God. You need to have the clear foundation that your salvation has nothing to do with your efforts else you would have grounds to boast – and in so doing would absolutely nullify the work of Christ on the cross.

Paul puts it quite bluntly in Galatians and Romans

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:6-7(ESV)

3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

Galatians 3:3-4(ESV)

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 3:27-28(ESV)

There is lots more to be said on this, but I will leave it for now.

Answer 2

If your foundation is solid, and you understand this is all in the context of being in Christ, then we can move onto some nice meaty stuff, where you can be challenged by God, tested, disciplined and grow, all in the confidence of your salvation.

So where to start training. Well that answer is both simple and hard.

Hard because there is no single answer. God will deal with each person in his own time. He understands that you are different to other people and he requires different things from you than from others, so the things he will want to work out in you will be unique ( at least the order, as I am sure we all share many of the the same sins ).

Simple because all you need to do is to read the word, talk about it to others, pray, and let a principle that you come across stand out to you. Don’t try and do everything, remember we grow bit by bit, from glory to glory

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:18(ESV)

Then exercise it.

Again as in my last post, that does not mean analyse it, memorise it , study it and debate it… yes you should do all of those, but actually submit your daily choices to that principle. Exercise making that choice. Fail, ask for forgiveness, move on and wait for the next opportunity, succeed – thank God and try again.

God will be in control of the things that he wants you to work on. Trust him and exercise what he shows you.

In your failing God may discipline you, but rejoice in that because then you have solid proof you are God son:

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Hebrews 12:7-8(ESV)

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:2-4(ESV)