What do our churches teach the world about God by their example?

«Example is not the most important thing in life; it is the only thing that matters.» With these words, the famous missionary physician and author Albert Schweitzer clearly emphasized the importance and power of example. How many of us, reading this, have been influenced by the powerful life of some pastor or mature Christian we met early in our journey? If I say «faithful pastor,» whose image comes to mind? And if I say «faithful Christian,» who do you think of?

Schweitzer's statement is, of course, an exaggeration. There are many other factors that contribute to a faithful life, but they all come together in the example that someone sets.

«Mentoring» and «forming» may sound like new concepts, but they are not. From the very beginning, according to how God created us, this was in His plan. He created man in His image and likeness. We are to follow His example and imitate His character. In the incarnation of Christ, God came in the flesh so that we could understand Him and have a relationship with Him. As Peter said, «leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps» (1 Pet. 2:21).

We also have the opportunity to participate in the ministry of setting and following examples. God created man to be born and to mature in the company of other people, in the family. We are not born spontaneously and do not become mature all at once. God designed that loving parents be part of the process by which people grow.

This is also the way God intended to reveal Himself in this fallen world.

In the Old Testament, God called Abraham and his descendants to be a holy, special, distinct people in the world. They were to be what the world would see as a society that reflected God’s character—embodying His care and values. When God told his people in Leviticus 19 that they should «be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,» He wasn’t just speaking to an individual…we see in Leviticus 19:1 that God specifically instructed Moses to say this to the entire community of Israel. He is demonstrating that when these people cared for one another…they were showing something of the character of their just and merciful Creator.

Israel’s failure to serve as an example and model for other nations is one of God’s main accusations against the nation in the Old Testament. In the book of Ezekiel, particularly in chapter 5, Israel’s role is presented as an instruction to the nations through negative example. The Lord says to Israel:

«This concerns Jerusalem. I have set it in the center of the nations… You, daughter of Zion, will become a reproach and a taunt, a warning and an astonishment to the surrounding nations… I, the Lord, have spoken!» (Ezek. 5:5, 14-15).

Over and over again in the book of Ezekiel, God emphasizes that He does what He does for the people of Israel for His name's sake, that is, so that the truth about Him may be known among the nations of the world.

This collective witness to Him was also planned by God through the church in the New Testament. In John 13, Jesus declares that the world should know that we are His disciples by the love of Christ that we have for one another. Paul wrote, «For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light» (Eph. 5:8). In our lives as Christians, individually and in community with our brothers and sisters, we carry the light of God’s hope in this dark and desperate world.

Through our lives as Christians, we teach each other and the world around us about God. If we love one another, we show what it is like to love God. On the other hand:

«If someone says, »I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

In our holiness, we reveal the holiness of God. We are called to give people hope that there is a way of life other than the selfish disappointments to which our sinful nature and the world around us lead us.

Dear pastors and ministers, what are our churches teaching the world around us about God? Do we teach that God is limited by our race? Do we teach that He tolerates sin and unfaithfulness, a selfish life full of pettiness and contention? How seriously are we leading our people to realize the great task and privilege we have of being a public showcase, an advertisement of God's character to His creation?

What a great privilege God has given us, and how little we seem to realize it. We often think that if we bring more people into our church, it will relieve us of our responsibility to those who are already members. But what testimony is each one of them bearing right now? How many negative testimonies do you have to overcome before people see the good testimony that God is giving through those who are truly faithful and demonstrate it in their lives?

The whole practice of church discipline is not, ultimately, a matter of justification or vengeance. It is God’s business, not forgiven sinners like us (Deut. 32:35; Rom. 12:19)! But we must be careful to bear a good witness to others, to show them what our God is like.

We are to be examples in our lives and behavior. Did you notice that in his pastoral letters, Paul is particularly concerned about the reputation that a minister has in the eyes of those outside the church? While there may be several reasons for this, one of them is certainly the representative role of the minister in the church to the world. This, in turn, should reflect the character of the church as a whole. That is why Paul was so angry in 1 Corinthians 5. And did you notice who Paul was criticizing? He was not rebuking a man who was in a sinful sexual relationship; rather, he was sharply condemning the church that tolerated such sin among its members!

We know the sad truth that some of us may be lost in sin, even though we had a good reputation at first. We hope that at least some of these people will live to repent and return. But we never expect the church as a whole to fail in its responsibility to represent God worthily, standing for holiness and against sin. It is this issue—much like the sin of idolatrous Israel in the Old Testament—that was the focus of Paul’s scathing criticism of the church at Corinth.

Friends, what would the apostle Paul say about your church and mine? How much inappropriate attendance do we tolerate in the name of love? How many adulteries or unbiblical divorces do we allow, leaving them uncommented in our churches, which, however, shout to the world, «We are no different from them»? How many people do we allow to tear the church apart over petty issues, or how many false gospels do we allow to be preached?

Dear brothers, if you are reading this as a pastor, minister, leader, teacher, or ordinary church member, think about the great responsibility we have. Consider how we can best bear witness for God—whether it is by ignoring sin among us or by gently restoring those who have fallen into sin, as Paul instructs:

«Brothers, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, each one considering himself, lest you also be tempted» (Gal. 6:1).

What better reflects the God we worship? Can God’s mercy ever overshadow His holiness in His word? What about His church? What is our responsibility in this matter?

Pay attention to the example you are setting for the world around you. God has a great plan for His people and for the world; He calls us to demonstrate it by our words and lives. Are you doing this?

May God help each of us to be faithful in this great calling.