What is required for one to be an example of a believer?
This can be found in 1 Corinthians 4:2
2 Moreover it is
required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Throughout my life I have come to realize that God desires
us to go about serving others and to become instrumental in the occurrences of
miracles. Charity is the pure love of Christ. We literally can make miracles
happen if we are willing to listen to the Holy Ghosts instructions.
We are all
called to be an example of the believer. The following is a group that I would
consider to be an example to the examples:
Apostles
were great examples because they were humble enough to be obedient. They
withstood much persecution because they were willing to stand for truth. They
were willing to stand even unto death for the cause of building and maintaining
the kingdom of God. They were made fools for Christ’s sake and because of this
they were wise. They would labor and
serve with all their resources and strength, not for their glory but for our Father
in Heaven.
In 1 Corinthians 4: 9-17 it reads:
9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last,
as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and
to angels, and to men.
10 We are fools for
Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye
are honourable, but we are despised.
11 Even unto this
present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and
have no certain dwelling place;
12 And labour,
working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we
suffer it:
13 Being defamed, we
entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all
things unto this day.
14 I write not these
things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.
15 For though ye have
ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ
Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.
16 Wherefore I
beseech you, be ye followers of me.
17 For this cause
have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the
Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I
teach everywhere in every church.
This applies to more than just apostles. It applies to us as
well, in more than one way. First,
because even in our lives now we can still go about the Lords work and bless
the lives of everyone we come in contact with. Second, not only will a selfless
attitude help everyone around us but it will also open up doors for us to grow
spiritually.
Why is not enough to just know what is right and wrong? Why
is action important?
In Alma 39: 11-12 you read:
11 Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish
thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked
harlots. Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites;
for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.
12 And now the Spirit
of the Lord doth say unto me: Command thy children to do good, lest they lead
away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son,
in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities;
I love these verses because they teach that we are to live
the gospel rather than just believe in it. Faith is an action word and if we
desire to become true examples of faith then we must live the gospel. If we did not live it then who would believe
us as we testify?
That additional power comes to those who live what they
know?
This can be found in 3 Nephi 8: 1
1 And now it came to
pass that according to our record, and we know our record to be true, for
behold, it was a just man who did keep the record—for he truly did many miracles
in the name of Jesus; and there was not any man who could do a miracle in the
name of Jesus save he were cleansed every whit from his iniquity—
If we live what we know then we will be powerful examples of
the gospel and will bring about miracles in our lives as well as the lives of
others.
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