In Philippians 3:17, Paul instructs the early Christians to “join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Christians can and should look to the examples left by the apostles. While our ultimate example is Christ, and while the inspired apostles were not sinless or without faults, they were dedicated to the word of God and to living a faithful life (2 Thess. 3:7, 9).
Spiritually speaking, it may be easy to ask, “What example do you look to and follow today?” It may be a more difficult question to ask, “What example do you provide for others to follow today?” We not only need to follow sound and faithful examples of Christian living that we find in God’s word and around us in the church, but we also need to be that kind of example to others (1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:7). Do we strive to live in such a way that others can look to our example as a pattern worth following?
Matt Langfield