Missions | The Gospel

When we think of missions, it is tempting to emphasize either the proclamation of the gospel or the demonstration of the gospel in our lives. Yet Scripture reminds us that both are essential, woven together as the inseparable witness of Christ’s people. True missions requires both lips that proclaim and lives that reflect the good news of Jesus.

Paul writes in Romans 10:14–15 (ESV)
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

The gospel is news—it must be spoken, announced, declared. Faith is not produced by observing Christian kindness alone, but by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). John Piper reminds us, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” For people to become worshipers of the living God, they must hear the truth of Christ crucified and risen. Silence in missions is not an option.

David Platt emphasizes this same urgency: “It’s not enough to care for people’s physical needs while neglecting their eternal souls. Love compels us to speak the gospel.” To fail to share the gospel is to deprive people of the very hope they most desperately need.

Yet speaking alone is not enough. Paul also urges believers in Philippians 1:27 (ESV):
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”

Our credibility as witnesses is undermined if our lives contradict the message we proclaim. RC Sproul once wrote, “The Christian is called not only to believe in Christ but to live in such a way that his life adorns the doctrine he professes.”Our conduct should amplify, not mute, the truth of the cross.

Jesus Himself told His disciples in Matthew 5:16 (ESV):
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Good works do not save, but they serve as visible testimony to the reality of God’s saving power. C.S. Lewis noted, “The world is watching to see whether Christians, in fact, are different. Our lives must speak where our words fall short.”

John MacArthur echoes this balance: “Our lives should be the platform for our message. If we proclaim Christ but live in contradiction to Him, our message is emptied of power.”

Missions is not an either/or but a both/and. We are called to proclaim Christ with boldness and to display Christ with integrity. Without words, people cannot believe. Without lives that reflect Christ, words often ring hollow.

Paul modeled this integration in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (ESV):
“Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

The Thessalonians not only heard Paul’s words but saw his life. Together, these bore powerful witness to the gospel.

True missions must never separate speaking from living. John Piper puts it well: “It is a tragic and unbiblical mistake when Christians minimize the spoken word of the gospel, and it is equally tragic when they minimize the life-transforming witness of love.”

To follow Christ in missions is to carry His message in both word and deed—to proclaim the hope of salvation and to embody the grace we proclaim. When our lips and our lives are united, the world sees a compelling picture of the Savior who came not only to declare the truth but to embody it in His own life, death, and resurrection.