Spiritual or Physical Strength Which is Better?

Excerpts from the Berean Call Newsletter. January 2015
by T.A. McMahon

"In other words, godliness, which is the spiritual exercise of living out what the Word of God teaches, is significantly more to be sought than "bodily exercise" in order to improve a believers everyday life on earth as well as to yield rewards in one's eternal life."


"What are the spiritual fundamentals for growing in godliness? First of all, it must begin with a new birth. As Jesus declared to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.....Ye must be born again." (John 3:3-7--Emphasis added). Without the transformation of being born spiritually from above, it is impossible for anyone to manifest godliness. This new birth comes about when a person admits that he is a sinner, turns to Jesus by faith alone, believes that He paid the full penalty for his sins, and accepts the free gift of salvation that only Jesus could and did provide."

"There fore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature..." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Even though he has been miraculously transformed into a new being, a born again believer retains his old nature, but no longer is he under its sinful control: "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

"Lie not one to another seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man , which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: (Colossians 3:8-10...emphasis added). "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). We shouldn't be surprised, however when within the born again believer, the resident old nature, though no longer in control causes a sometimes-fierce struggle in our hearts and minds. This spiritual battle will continue throughout our temporal lives, but daily victory can be ours. Why? Because God Himself has provided everything that a believer needs to grow in "righteousness and true holiness."

"What are the Scriptural fundamentals for growing in godliness? First of all, it must begin with a new birth,. As Jesus declared to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God....Ye must be born again." (John 3:3,7--emphasis added). Without that transformation of being born spiritually from above, it is impossible for anyone to manifest godliness. This new birth comes about when a person admits that he is a sinner, turns to Jesus by faith alone, believes that He paid the full penalty for his sins, and accepts the free gift of salvation that only Jesus could and did provide."