Accurate teaching of the Word of God is vital for healthy, spiritual growth. In the Great Commission, our Lord commanded, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19-20 NKJV). While our Lord was here, He taught His disciples constantly. He passed on that commission to His followers as He left this earth.
On the day of Pentecost, when multitudes had believed, they were baptized. Then immediately, the apostles began teaching and instructing the young converts (Acts 2:42). There is so much a young convert needs to learn about God and the life he should live. Paul emphasized this need to Timothy: “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). The Word of God needs to be read, taught, and explained, along with exhortation to obey it.
But having said this, it needs to be emphasized that the teacher must then model his teaching. Great harm has been done to God’s work by teachers who have fallen into sin and brought disrepute to the gospel. David had been a teacher and example to all Israel until he fell into the tragic sin of adultery with Bathsheba. The prophet Nathan confronts him. David is broken and cries out, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan then assures him that his sin can be forgiven but that he “has given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme” (2 Sam. 12:14). Because of this, his baby boy would die. Even today, 3,000 years later, the sin of David is a reproach to the work of God.
A godly example is necessary to show the sincerity of the teacher. To teach one thing and to do another is to play the hypocrite. Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not” (Mt. 23:3). And so His harshest words were given to them, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites” (Mt. 23:27). The truthfulness of a message will be questioned if the messenger is unreliable.
A godly person is also a living model; the bare bones of doctrinal teaching are now fleshed out with vibrant life. It is easier to emulate a living model and also it is seen that godliness is possible by the grace of God. It is possible to resist the devil and live a holy life in this evil world that constantly would seduce the believer.
My niece once asked me how long I had known the Lord and lived for Him. When I told her it was over fifty years, she said, “Oh, Uncle Don, thank God! It is possible to live for God.” Yes, thank God, it is possible to live godly in this present, evil world and young people need models to encourage them.
Paul could say, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). The word for “imitate” is the word from which we get “mimic.” We are all keenly aware of our imperfections, but by the grace of God we must be models to those who are younger in the faith. Paul wrote the Philippians, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9). As a teacher and a follower of Christ, he could not ask believers to do what he was unwilling to do. By God’s grace may we become godly models for His people.