Be An Example

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name. It is Sunday morning, the 23rd of October 2022, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

“The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:17

That small little verse convicted the great reformer, Martin Luther. It also convicted the great revivalist, John Wesley, and brought them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Saviour. The just shall live by faith, the righteous shall live by faith. You see, faith is a doing word, it's a verb. It is not a noun like “a table” or “a chair”, faith is an action word.  

Billy Sunday, the great American baseball player who became a wonderful evangelist, said, “Don’t stop telling your boy to do right, but show him also how to.” Jesus walked on the water first, then he called Peter to follow him. Dad, and this is very serious, don’t tell your boy not to drink, show him by not drinking yourself. Mom, don’t tell your daughter not to dress cheaply or suggestively, show her by how you dress.  

If there is one thing that young people cannot stomach, it's hypocrisy. People say one thing and do another. We need to be honest with our families. We really do, because that is the only way that they will change. In fact, I will go so far as to say many people do not come to church because of the double standards that they so often see. 

Paul, the Apostle, was very bold. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, he said, 

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”

Now, that is a very powerful statement. The case of, “Don’t do what I do, do what I tell you” never, ever works. It never worked with my children. What we’ve got to do is say, “Just do what I am doing”, and then, of course, follow up with action. That is exactly what Jesus did. Whenever He preached, whenever He taught, whatever He did, He did it by example. We need to be good examples, not only to our children, not only to our parents but to the unbeliever. He must see that what you say is what you mean.

Have a wonderful Sunday.  

Jesus bless you richly,
Goodbye.