This morning I would like to read four passages of Scripture that speak about how the lives we live can and should be an introduction for the gospel being received by those we connect with regularly – neighbors, co-workers, family, etc.

It seems that before God saves people (at least most people), he prepares them through events, and through the lives of others.

Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ 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.

Christians, being the light of the world, instead of hiding their light, are so to hold it forth before men that they may see what a life the disciples of Christ lead, and seeing this, may glorify their God.¹ The lives we lead should NOT be ordinary lives. They should exude the reality of Jesus in us.

- – -

1 Peter 2:11-12 (ESV)
Beloved, I urge you as [people who’s true home is elsewhere] sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. ¹² 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.

There is debate as to what is meant by the day of visitation. Some think this means the day of God’s judgment – there is support for that. Others think that this is referring to the day God visits them in a saving way. So we might say it like this, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that even as they speak against you as evildoers, your good deeds will testify to the truth of the gospel when God, calls on them. Luke 19:41-44 uses this language in this way.

Luke 19:41-44 (ESV) – Jesus over Jerusalem
And when [Jesus] drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴² saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴ and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Jesus’ heart is broken. God has raised up a people specifically designed to be his instrument on earth. All of God’s care and instruction and discipline was designed to move them toward this point in history. All the symbolism that had been built into their culture was pointing to the grand fulfillment of Jesus here and now – this is the time of their visitation – and they reject him.

- – -

Titus 2:9-10 (ESV)
Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn (make attractive) the doctrine of God our Savior.

The Greek word translated make attractive is used of the setting of jewelry to display it in the most attractive way.² So, the point of living God-honoring lives is to make attractive the reality of the saving God.

- – -

1 Peter 3:15-16 (ESV)
…but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; ¹⁶ yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

The question I have about verse 15 is this, “Should I expect those around me to be asking about the hope that is in me?” If the answer is “yes”, I need to ask another questions, “Are they asking?”, “How should my life change so that they ask?”, etc. These are questions we find easy to ignore.

So let me make an observations that fit all of these texts. All of these texts overtly tie how we live, to why we live, to spreading the gospel.

• In Matthew 5 the instructions are to shine our light in such a way that people glorify God.

• In 1 Peter 2 we see that people should understand we are the way we are because of Jesus. This way when God visits it all connects.

• In Titus 2 our lives make God beautiful

• In 1 Peter 3 our lives should be so different that people ask why

Now, please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Faith in Jesus comes through hearing the gospel (Rm 10:17) – “JESUS CAME SETTLE YOUR ACCOUNT BEFORE GOD – REPEND OF YOUR SIN – TURN TO JESUS – HE WILL SAVE YOU”. This is why Jesus told his disciples to, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

The salvation that Jesus accomplished through his life, death, and resurrection becomes ours when God, as we hear the good news of Jesus, opens the heart and we trust him, we believe in him. This believing is not just an assent to the truths of the reality of Jesus and his work – it is much more than that. In John 6 we find a good picture of what it means to believe or have faith in Jesus

John 6:35 (ESV) Jesus to a crowd that had followed him
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

While Jesus is the bread of life, in order to be nourished you must eat. Even though Jesus is the water that will quench your thirst – you must drink. You can know the bread will nourish but unless you eat you will starve. This eating and this drinking is a picture of faith. You can know that Jesus absorbs the judgment of God for all who trust him to bear their judgment, but unless YOU trust him, his victory is not your victory.

The life you live in front of your children, your co-workers, your neighbors, the kid behind the McDonald’s counter has an impact. God has saved you and put you where you are so that people can see him in the life you live.

- – -

1 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Mt 5:16). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.