One of the benefits of building a God-centered society is that it will teach by example, day after day. Rather than leading astray, with examples of unfaithfulness, dishonesty, and greed, our society can (or could) demonstrate the goodness of God’s will. Every faithful husband is a reproach to the adulterer, and every adulterer is a snare to the faithful man. By turning our lives over to Christ, we can be converted from a snare to a faithful example.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
1 Corinthians 15:53 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Psalm 1:1 ESV

The promise inherent in the idea of a godly society is that everyday life would call men to repentance. To be sure, the gospel must be made known with words, but perhaps it must be understood by example.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 ESV

The company we keep and the way of life we see around us influence our lives. God intended it to be that way. Children imitate their parents. The new guy at work learns to fit it. Jesus did what he learned from watching the Father. We are to look to Jesus so that we might imitate him. The verse quoted above also tells us to watch mature Christian leaders and learn from their lives. Some things are best taught by example, things like diligence, self-sacrifice, modesty. We can give those around us the gift of such an example.

All the better if we, Christians, do it together. If one man following God is an oddity, two men doing so is a pattern. Seeing Christian families, communities and businesses living according to the will of God will answer many of the unbelievers’ questions and objections. It’s true that a wife who submits to a selfish husband risks being mistreated, but when a Christ-following woman submits to a God-fearing man, glory.

As we face the challenge of reshaping our lives, together, into a godly pattern, we can leave an example for our neighbors and our children. We can allow them to see with their eyes, observing over time what God’s plan for the human race looks like.