290. Promise of Life
1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Godliness holds the promise of life. Godliness comes only from the outside to the very inside; godliness is not in any sense something that comes from within the self; it cannot be even a little generated by the self. Trying with all the human effort we have will never produce godliness. Christ earns godliness for us and the Spirit gives it to us through the Gospel. By faith we are godly. Godliness comes from God.
Godliness is profitable unto all things. It brings many blessings and benefits. It is good for us, not just for many things, but also for all things. Godliness is beneficial for us because it hold the promise of life. “Life” is good. We can be alive in the world, but at the same time we can be dead, dead to God and dead to real life. Many worldly allurements and entertainments make us feel alive, or feel good, for a while, but then it ends soon again. God life never ends; it just goes on forever without end.
When we have Christ by faith we have godliness; when we have godliness we have life. The promise of life is for both the now and for the not yet. We have the promise of the life that now is and of the life that is to come. Godliness promises to make our present earthly life big, rich, full and good. But more, godliness promises us the life which is to come. It comes now already, by faith; but when we die all sin and self and death is gone and the eternal life that is within comes forth in all it fullness and joy, by sight. We see it, we feel it, and we enjoy it without end. There will be no more seasons in the Life Eternal. Nothing wonderful ever ends; it just keeps going and getting better forever.
We have the promise of life: we live the life now in the midst of Sin and Death, with all the sorrows and pains it brings; we also have the promise of the life which is to come when we will live free from the encumbrances of earthly life with sin. Repentance and faith takes hold of the present life and the promise of the life to come. Life is good, and it will get so much better.