Five ways to be a godly example to others …

Mark Twain once quipped, “Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.”

I know, right?!

Those good examples either encourage us to persist with our own good examples — or perhaps more often, encourage us to live better lives to God’s glory.

The Apostle Paul, in writing to his young ministry partner, Timothy, once urged him to persist in his being a godly example to others, and he described five ways he could do so:

“Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity,” 1 Timothy 4:12.

Did you catch those five ways of being a godly example? “Be an example to all believers …”

1. “… in what you say …” We most clearly connect with other human beings with our words.

Ever play a game of pantomime? Or an engaging round of Pictionary? It’s much easier to clearly communicate what you mean when you can use words than if you have to act out or draw what you mean. And so Paul urges Timothy to be an example of godly living to others with what comes out of his mouth. For the genuinely godly person, that is what Jesus says happens:

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart,” Luke 6:45.

2. “… in the way you live …” Once we have our words, we need to demonstrate what those words mean in action, in other words, what it is to live out what we say. That’s why the Bible persistently instructs Christians to live out what we teach and preach. The demonstration of our words through the action of our lives gives meaning and power to what we say.

Kind of like this example as told in Today in the Word:

“One Sunday morning in 1865, a black man entered a fashionable church in Richmond, Virginia. When Communion was served, he walked down the aisle and knelt at the altar. A rustle of resentment swept the congregation. How dare he! After all, believers in that church used the common cup. Suddenly a distinguished layman stood up, stepped forward to the altar, and knelt beside the black man. With Robert E. Lee setting the example, the rest of the congregation soon followed his lead.”

One of the times Jesus seemed to express frustration with people was over the issue of of not living out what they say:

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” Luke 6:46.

Thus, Paul tells Timothy to be an example to others in both what he says AND in the way he lives. He continues …

3. “… in your love …” An “acid test” that we’re truly disciples of Jesus is that we love like Jesus loved us. After all, that is His command to us:

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other,” John 13:34.

John is brutally blunt in claiming that our love is a proof that we have been born again:

“If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead,” 1 John 3:14.

Spiritually dead people can’t set godly examples! So Paul tells Timothy to be an example to others by through his love. He continues …

4. By “… your faith …” The modern church has made faith into something more akin to an intellectual exercise rather than a life-encompassing, life-changing reality.

First, there is a priority to faith: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him,” Hebrews 11:6.

The example of faith translated into action in the life is a powerful example! That’s why James writes:

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’ — but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” James 2:14-19.

And so Paul urges Timothy to be a godly example to others by his faith. Paul concludes his short list of ways to be a good example with this …

5. “… and your purity.” It is impossible to be a godly example to anyone by living an impure life.

“God’s will is for you to be holy …” 1 Thessalonians 4:3a.

“So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I am holy,'” 1 Peter 1:14-16.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God,” Galatians 5:19-21.

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him,” Colossians 3:5-10.

In order for Timothy to provide an example of godly living, he had to do so through the demonstration of living a pure life.

Are you a godly example? Do the words you speak, how you live your life, your expression of love, the action of your faith, and the purity of how you live provide a godly example to others?

Scotty