Training for Eternity

No one drifts into godliness - and no one has ever coasted into heaven. In 1 Timothy 4:6-10, Paul draws upon the image of a world-class athlete to lay out three marks that distinguish the good servant of Jesus Christ: 1) a diet of sound doctrine that nourishes the soul, 2) a discipline of spiritual training that conforms us to the image of Christ, and 3) a dedication that fixes our hope not on our performance but on the living God who is worth every ounce of our toil and labor.