Preach the Gospel, and Use Words
You have probably heard the line “preach the gospel, and when necessary, use words.” It sounds humble. It sounds like something a wise old saint would say. But the more I sit with it, the more I think it lets us off the hook.
Actions were never meant to replace words
Living a good life in front of people matters. How you treat your neighbor, your coworker, your spouse, all of that is part of walking with Christ. But kindness by itself does not tell anyone who Jesus is. If someone watches you be patient and generous, they might decide you are a nice person. They will not know why, unless you tell them.
That is the gap actions alone cannot close. The Greek word behind “preach” in the New Testament is kerysso, which means to announce publicly like a herald bringing news from a king. A herald does not just live quietly and hope the town figures out the message. He speaks it. The gospel works the same way. It has to be spoken plainly, or it is not being preached at all.
Paul makes this exact point in Romans. He asks how anyone can call on the Lord if they have never believed, and how they can believe if they have never heard, and how they can hear without someone preaching (Romans 10:14). Then he settles it plainly, faith comes from hearing the actual word of Christ, not from good behavior people happen to observe (Romans 10:17).
Say what your life points to
So do not let your good works substitute for your words. Let your life back up what you say, but do not let it replace what you say. People need to hear the name of Jesus, what he did on the cross, and why it matters for them. That only happens when someone opens their mouth and tells them.
If you love someone enough to care about where they spend eternity, love them enough to actually say so.
Every bit of Creation points back to its Maker. This one points to Romans 10:17:
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.