Blog post July one, 2026

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

For to this end we toil and strive... To understand what this is saying you have to read it in context. Paul is telling Timothy that you must "train" yourself for godliness. In other words, it doesn't just happen.

This phrase emphasizes the dedication and effort required in the Christian life. The terms "labor, or toil" and "strive" suggest a continuous and strenuous effort, akin to an athlete training for a competition. It implies a struggle or fight, indicating the spiritual warfare believers face.

We have our hope set on the living God... Most of the culture at that time were worshiping dead idols. Blocks of wood and stone fashioned into a god. So Paul contrasts that with our God, which is not fashioned by men's hands, and is alive.

Because we have a living God, we have a living hope. Everything in this fallen world will fight against those who want to be Godly, to live Godly lives. Knowing this we must put all the more effort into training ourselves. An athlete who doesn't train well will not do well.

Because we know we will one day stand before our living God and give an account of how we lived, we must train ourselves for Godliness. Let us not be confused. This is not talking about our salvation. We have a Savior who has taken care of that. But the living for Him part takes effort. We strive to hear the words "well done". To please our Lord and Savior who gave His all for us.

Heavenly Father how we wished it didn't take so much effort to live a Godly life. We look forward to the day when it will be natural. But in this life everything we do is a struggle. "No pain, no gain" is very true. Thank you that You have given us a Helper. We are not in the battle alone. In Jesus name. AMEN AMEN