In the past, some prominent Christian voices have said that our mission as Christians is like an airplane. The two wings are preaching and good works. Both are necessary to get the plane where it needs to go. And in this way, both wings are essential.
But is this true? I would argue that New Testament says ‘No.’ Yes, we are indeed called to acts of loving kindness toward one another and an unbelieving world. We are saved for good works (Eph 2:8–10). But those good works are not necessary for, or equal, to gospel proclamation when it comes to our mission in the world.
In fact, I think it would be more helpful to see our good works as seat belts on the plane. The wings, the engines, the pilots—just about everything else about the plane is necessary for take-off, travel, and landing; getting us from where we are to where we want to go. This is the nature of the verbal preaching of the gospel—it is essential for salvation. Paul makes this really clear in Romans 10:14–15, among other places in the Bible.
On a plane, seat belts are helpful, but not essential. I could be on a flight and never wear a seat belt and still arrive at my destination. But when are seats belts helpful? When there’s a problem. Solar radiation heats the earth’s crust. Hot air rises, cold air descends, and we get turbulence. You know what I’m talking about. It’s those times when the plane is bouncing and shaking and we wonder if the whole thing will fall apart!
Think about all of the cultural pressures and pushback—the spiritual turbulence—that gospel preaching experiences. People raise objections, people disagree, people experience suffering and get angry, people embrace their sinful desires while culture encourages them to do so they don’t want to listen to the good news of Christ—we could go on and on. This is all like turbulence for a plane. And good works are like seat belts, keeping us from bouncing around the cabin.
Good works help bring stability to all of the cultural confusion and pushback. They help people see—in us—how the gospel is effective to bring sinners to Christ where he transforms us into his image (Rom 8:29). How many times has standing out in love, sacrifice, or even niceness helped open up a gospel conversation? I've heard testimonies of people living like Jesus in the workplace such that another employee approaches them, seeking counsel and prayer in difficult situations. Other times, I've seen hardened, agnostic neighbors open up in spiritual conversations simply because a Christian treated their children as a gift rather than an obligation.
Can someone be saved by listening to a gospel preacher whose life is still a work in progress? Absolutely, because the Spirit ultimately makes the gospel powerful for salvation (Rom 1:16). But how much more can the Spirit want to use the godly lives of believers to validate the gospel and reduce the noisy distractions of the culture? This is what Peter talks about in his first letter. He says—
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Pet 2:9–12).
We have been saved to be part of God’s people “that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you” to his kingdom. That is, to preach the gospel. And while we preach, how do we live? As “sojourners and exiles.” We don’t take part in the culture of sin all around us. We stand out as God’s holy people. Why? So that even they hate us and “speak against” us, they also “see [our] good deeds and glorify God” through believing our message.
Isn’t the picture glorious? This is our calling, loved ones! May we pray for one another and encourage one another in that calling for the fame of Jesus in our cities and around the world!
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