Are You Fit for Life?

The Apostle Paul: Fitness Guru?

The apostle Paul knew what it means to be fit for life. He understood the importance of:

• Physical fitness—Paul taught that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and therefore not to be defiled. And Paul took his own advice as a man who disciplined his physical appetites so he wouldn't fall into sin and be disqualified for God's prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
• Emotional fitness—thanked "the God of all comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3) for the way He comforted and sustained Paul in all of his trials.
• Intellectual fitness—Paul was a scholar of the first rank. To him, the Christian faith is a body of teaching to be studied, absorbed into the mind, and taught with faithfulness and accuracy.
• Spiritual fitness—Paul's entire ministry of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ proves that he valued spiritual fitness.

Turn now with Jack Graham to Paul's "fitness manual"—his letter to the Philippians—and learn how you too can be fit for life.

Being fit for life is a serious matter for all of us. And the Bible has a life-changing message for us on this issue, because no one is more concerned about our fitness than the God who made us and redeemed us. He even gave us a "fitness manual" in His Word—the apostle Paul's letter to his beloved friends at the church he founded in Philippi.

In this joyful letter Paul writes the well-known words, "To live is Christ." In Are You Fit for Life? Pastor Jack Graham examines this life in Christ. Unlike popular diet and physical fitness programs, the Christian life is not a self-improvement plan or a do-it-yourself project. It is simply letting God be God, letting Christ take control of your life, and allowing Him to do His perfecting work in you.

Jack Graham is Pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of America’s largest congregations, in Plano, Texas. He also serves on the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he has served two consecutive terms as President. His other books include Life According to Jesus and Diamonds in the Dark.