Faith That Radically Transforms

Faith That Radically Transforms
1 Timothy 4:6-16
June 7, 2026

Paul has been giving Timothy directions on how to keep the church on course with this letter. Last week, we studied why all this was important: to strengthen the church against the apostasy that was coming.

Now in tonight’s section, he continues to encourage them. Because the great apostasy, or falling away from the faith is coming, you should be prepared.

Illus – I recently watched a short documentary on the training a navy seal goes through. They are already picked from the best of the best, but then put through a rigorous training regimen that defies belief. They hone their skills in a dangerous, yet controlled environment. Why is this done? Because they have to be trained to be prepared to deal with real-life almost impossible scenarios before they ever even encounter it.

In a spiritual context, this is what Paul is alluding to. Apostasy is coming. Deception will be great. Therefore, take heed of the things I taught you. Practice them, become proficient, hone your spiritual discernment  and skills so that you will be prepared when confronted with life and spiritual challenges.

Although Paul was encouraging Timothy, this is still today a caution and encouragement for every believer.

This is one of the main reasons we study the word. It is not a book of rules God is trying to use to catch you out. It is an equipping training manual on living an effective, overcomer, spiritual life in Christ Jesus.

I. Nourish the Soul

Our bodies need fuel to live. We need to eat. But eating is not just about stuffing anything we can find into our mouths. To be healthy we need to have a balanced, nutritious diet.

We see Paul making this correlation between the physical body and our spiritual growth. Just as our bodies need nutrition, our soul also needs to be nourished. But just like we need to be conscious of what we put into our physical bodies, what our soul is nourished on is also very important.

We have discussed this many times. Our soul is automatically fed on junk food as we navigate this world. That is why we need good nutrition from the word to keep our souls healthy.

A. Be consistently nourished

• Our bodies need constant intervals of nourishment. Some people eat twice a day, some eat three times a day, others eat six small meals a day. Whatever regiment you believe in, everyone can agree that for sustained health your body needs regular food.
• You can decide to put your body through starvation If you want to lose weight. After a while, on the outside it might look like you are getting great results, but biology tells us that on the inside you are destroying your body as you’re actually slowly starting to die. You cannot indefinitely stop eating.
• The spiritual principle is the same. Our spiritual man needs constant sustenance to grow.

2 Corinthians 4:16, Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

• It’s interesting that the bible doesn’t say our inner man is renewed year by year, but day by day.

Illus – When you ride a bike and you are paddling at a constant speed, you can free – wheel it and the momentum will carry you for quite a while, but if you do not eventually start paddling again, you will come to a standstill or fall, especially when  you have to go uphill.

• Spiritually, it is the same. Sometimes people think that they are spiritually fine, in a good space, measuring it by their current physical experience. Everything seems stable. Everyone is happy, everyone is healthy, life just seems great.
• Some are then tempted to slack on their spiritual sustenance. They pray less, read their Bible less consistently, and do not regularly attend church, the fellowship of believers.
• For a while everything seems fine, until you have to start paddling up a hill from a standstill with no energy.
• Remember, Paul is encouraging them to be constantly nourished BECAUSE the falling away is coming.

Illus – The Israelites needed to gather and eat the manna daily. Jesus is the bread of heaven. We need to eat from Him daily.

• But not only in your private life, Paul told Timothy to give attention to public reading of scripture, to exhort, build up, encourage, and to teach.
• It is important to read and study the word together as an assembly of believers, because you need to be constantly nourished by sound doctrine.
• That is why Paul urges them to be in continual, regular fellowship with believers. It brings checks and balances.

Hebrews 10:25, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

App – This is the reason we create every possible way for people to be connected in their demographic, i.e. our ministry connection tab, and through growth groups.

B. Be nourished on the words of the faith

• The Bible gives us the principle than what we sow, we will reap. What you put into your heart, or your soul, will in the end dramatically affect not only your spiritual growth, in other words growing in faith and understanding of what Jesus has done for you, but the course of your life.
• Notice that, interestingly, Paul does not just say be nourished on the word, but he specifically says words of the faith.
• One can read and study the word, but if it is done through the wrong lens, the lens of works, instead of nourishing your soul, it can lead you into religion and condemnation, and actually feeling hopeless and lost.

Illus – Maybe you have experienced this before. You sit down to read the bible, and you are confronted with the holiness of God, the perfection of God, and that He says we must be holy as He is holy. Condemnation starts to creep in. You feel less and less like a good Christian. In fact, you feel like a failure, and nobody likes to feel like a failure. It is painful. So, the whisper in your soul is, “why do you even read this book? It makes you feel worse. It makes you feel like a loser. This isn’t fun”. So you rather stop reading the bible. That was the voice of the enemy and he got you exactly where he wants you.

• When you have had the revelation of our salvation through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, our Messiah, you can read the Old Testament, and the New through a new lens.

Illus – It becomes evident when you look at the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.

• When you understand this, Paul’s instruction is seen in a different light. This specific instruction is to be nourished on the words of the faith.
• We are not to just read the Bible as a moral compass, trying to live up to the impossible standard of God’s holiness on our own. This is the mindset of religion. This is cancelling what Jesus has done.
• This is actually stepping back to the dispensation before the cross, people trying through the religion to be acceptable before God. The result is condemnation.
• This is a very important distinction. Remember what we spoke about last time. The apostasy that was coming was to draw people away from the faith in Christ, thereby again focusing them on self-effort.

Illus – Let’s say you read in the bible that a follower of Christ should not be angry. The religious response is that you ask forgiveness, and promise God that you will try your very best not to get angry again. Yet, you fail, and then you feel like a loser because you “failed” God and could not keep your promise. You ‘feel’ cut of from God because you failed.

• So what Paul is saying is that we need to specifically be strengthened on the words of the faith. Focus on strengthening your faith in Jesus. Focus on strengthening your faith on what He has done. Focus on strengthening your faith in His promises, His sufficiency, the price He paid and what that means in your life.
• When Christ is your focus, you read the bible differently. Whenever you see something in the word that is not yet part of your character, you can joyfully praise God that, you are accepted in Christ. You ask the Holy Spirit to work in you the character of Jesus: love, patience, peace.

App – When you get angry you don’t feel like a failure, but you thank God that your anger does not make you less righteous, less holy, (set apart). You come in agreement that it is not godly character, but you surrender to the Holy Spirit to reveal WHY you got angry. Then receive the TRUTH of who you ARE in Christ. Loved, accepted, cherished.

• Operate from a perspective of victory and being accepted, already an overcomer IN Christ Jesus, instead of a failure trying to reach perfection.

Illus – It is like when someone is accepted into the army. That is where they are taught to hone their skills. They don’t have to be perfect in all the skills before entering the army. And you are in God’s army and will never be kicked out.

• Security in position makes people succeed, because they are not scared to make a mistake. That is what we have in Christ. You are secure, even when making mistakes.

1 Timothy 4:10, For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

• It is all about Jesus. Fix your hope on Him. Be strengthened in your faith as you look to Him. Even every hope of transformation should have Him as the source.

II. Discipline Yourself

• In the context of everything we’ve said thus far, this looks like a contradiction. But it is actually not.
• When people hear the word discipline, they think of it in the context of discipline to improve the self. The way the world works is that the more self-effort you put in the more self-reward you achieve.
• But if we see this discipline the context of our faith, we are encouraged to be disciplined in growing our faith in what Christ has done. In the end it is the power of God that transforms us not our self-effort.
• We are to be disciplined to focus on the finished work of Jesus Christ and what that means in our lives. That is how our faith grows.

Hebrews 12:2, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.

Philippians 1:6, For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

A. Focus on what is profitable for all things

• Remember, although in Christ all transformation is available, God will not override your will. You can choose where your focus lies. Paul uses the body as an example.

Illus – Many in society today want to live healthily. We check what food we eat, what preservatives are in it, many try and exercise, because we know our actions will have an effect on our lives. So, we try to discipline the body.

• Now Paul says:

Verse 8 – Bodily discipline is only of little profit.

• We discipline our bodies, which is good. In the same way, be disciplined in spiritual development, because it literally affects this world and eternity.
• In other words, be focused on growing in the faith. Allow God’s Spirit to change you as you grow in the image of Christ.
• Verse 15 – Take pains with these things; be absorbedin them, so that your progress will be evident to all.
• Notice carefully what this verse says. It does not say absorb these things into you, it says let you be absorbed in them. This might seem like just playing with words, but I believe it paints a different picture and understanding.

Colossians 3:3, For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

John 3:30, He must increase, but I must decrease.

• This is a profound understanding. I should become absorbed into the character of Christ.
• The self always wants to resurrect, want to try and become stronger. Even in spiritual things, it wants to be acknowledged. ‘Look at how hard I worked at being loving. Look at how hard I worked on being patient. Look at my great endurance. Look at my great patience, peace, and tolerance.’
• Do you see the deception? This is again trying to be acceptable before God on the grounds of own works, trampling the blood of Christ.
• This always ends in failure because no one is perfect.
• Instead, as I take hold of the finished work of Jesus, die to self and surrender to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God in me increases in priority as I decrease and my lovelessness, my fear, my anxiety, my envy, my strife, my bitterness, all the works of the flesh are diminished and overwhelmed, absorbed, and what is left is the attributes of God shing and working through me.
• He does a beautiful exchange. My brokenness for His wholeness.

Philippians 1:21, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Hebrews 4:11, Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

• There is a disciplined work we must do, but our responsibility is to be diligent to enter the rest and the finished work of Jesus Christ.
• This was the disobedience, rebellion, which is referenced in Hebrews. Rebellion against God’s plan of provision and redemption.
• No, be disciplined to enter His rest. Be disciplined to stop looking at yourself. Looking at the self is weak faith. Look to Christ. Be disciplined not to fall into works-based religion, but to stay in dependent relationship with Jesus.
• Do not neglect the Spiritual gift. Even this, the enemy wants to keep you under condemnation, focused on the self to be ineffective. What God has given you, is a gift. Whatever you are used for by Him is not because of your amazing wonderfulness. It is a gift. Be available to be used by His Spirit. Don’t be deceived by the enemy into complacency.

B. Salvation is available

1 Timothy 4:16, Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

• Now we know that Timothy was already saved. So Paul is not here talking about salvation in the context of being saved from hell. This is something different.
• The word ‘ sozo’ means both to save or rescue’ in other words, salvation, but it also means ‘to save one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health.’
• Now we see what Paul meant when he said that godly discipline holds promise for this present life and for the life to come.
• When you are grounding yourself in the faith of what Jesus has done for you, it brings healing and restoration to your life here on earth as well.
• When we spend time in the word, letting it wash us with the gospel of grace, which is focused on the finished work of Jesus, it heals the scars and the pain in our souls brought on by sin and the destruction of this world.
• It sets us free from anxiety, it’s slowly but surely sets us free from the grip of fear and stress, strengthening us in our faith in what Jesus has done.

Isaiah 53: 5, But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

• This also has a direct effect on our body and our health.

3 John 1:2, Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 

• Now we know that we live in an earthly tent. One day we will all die of something unless the rapture happens before that. But I believe that it is God’s heart that as we grow in faith in the finished work of Jesus, it affects every part of our being; spirit, soul and body. But before your body and health can prosper, your soul first has to prosper.
• Science agrees with this. One of the greatest killers of our day is stress. When you receive the peace and joy of God, it affects your soul, and your body.
• What about anxiety of being or feeling alone? You are perfectly loved and accepted by Jesus. He is your eternal best friend. He promised to never leave.
• What about finances? He promised to be your source.
• When you get revelation of this, studying the word is then not a drag or a burden, but becomes a n exciting treasure hunt.
• Our prayers should be, God I surrender to your spirit, trusting in you, that you will change and restore my soul that it will prosper in you and that that will affect every part of my being, for the glory of God.