Back in 1993, professional basketball player Charles Barkley made headlines when he declared, βIβm not a role model. Just because I dunk a basketball doesnβt mean I should raise your kids.β He was right about that last part, but he failed to realize that when you play in the NBA, being a role model to millions of aspiring young athletes just comes with the territory. The only question for such men is, are you a good role model or a bad one?
The same is true in the Christian life. You may not think you are setting an example for anyone, but no matter who you are,Β someoneΒ looks up to you. And if you name the name of Christ, the only question is, are you a good example of what a Christian should be, or a bad one?
This is true even for young Christians. Thatβs why Paul told a young man named Titus:
βIn all things shewing thyself a pattern of good worksβ (Titus 2:7).
As all Christians know, you canβt beΒ savedΒ by doing good works; you can only be saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8,9). But as Paul went on to say in his letter to the Ephesians, Christians βshouldβ do good worksΒ becauseΒ God saved us freely by His grace (Eph. 2:10). As he says there about good works, βGod hath before ordained that we should walk in them.β
And in learning to walk in good works, we study the crossΒ and not the Law, and let βthe love of Christβ constrain us, βthat He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose againβ (II Cor. 5:14,15). source
