The gospel cannot be preached without words! An old Saint has been misquoted as saying: “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” It’s a pithy little quote. I’ve said it, but it never sat right with me. How can you preach the gospel without words? I recently learned there’s no evidence St Francis of Assisi ever actually said this. He talked about the importance of our actions matching our words, but not that words were not necessary. He was known for sharing the gospel (with words).
“No biography written within the first 200 years of [St Francis of Assisi’s] death contains the saying…in his day, Francis was known as much for his preaching as for his lifestyle.” – Mark Galli, Speak the Gospel (Christianity Today, May 21, 2009)
The way we live our life is important.
As Christ-followers, we are called to be holy and to look more like our Savior every day. But Jesus didn’t just do good things, He also did a lot of talking. And the early church is full of Christians boldly sharing the gospel (with words).
Yes, people watch us, and our behavior matters. Our bad behavior may turn people off, but our good behavior alone won’t save them. Unfortunately, a lot of Christians today hope that living a godly life will get us off the hook from sharing the gospel (with words). But the great commission involves both showing and teaching. (Matthew 28:19-20)
People need to hear the gospel so they can believe it, accept it, and be saved.
They need to hear that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) That the consequences of sin, any sin, is eternal separation from God. (Romans 6:23) That God accepts only one valid payment for our sin debt, and His name is Jesus. (Acts 4:12) People need to be invited into a personal relationship with Jesus so they can step into eternal salvation. They need to call on the name of Jesus to be saved! (Romans 10:13)
But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? – Romans 10:14 NLT
Let’s stop trying to get off the hook from sharing the gospel (with words). Let’s stop believing that somehow words are not necessary. They are very necessary! Pray for opportunities, pray for boldness, and share the truth of the gospel (with words)!
Heavenly Father, forgive me for thinking a godly lifestyle alone was enough to reveal the gospel to people. I want people to see the truth in me but to also hear the truth from me. I pray you will give me opportunities to share the truth and Spirit-filled boldness to do it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
