My youngest daughter is enrolled in a ministry internship program at a local church. In addition to living in dorms at the church, working with the church, and attending accredited Bible classes at the church, they are discipled by a vibrant, dedicated set of leaders from the church. She told me one evening at dinner, that one of those leaders takes issue with a quote attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the gospel always: When necessary, use words.” His objection, understandably, is that gospel is to be preached . . . with words. Jesus said that He had come to preach the gospel (Luke 4:18), and told His disciples to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15), and, if you look at Paul and the early church, that’s what they did – preach the gospel . . . with words. The concern with the quote then, is to take a view that the church can be silent and somehow proclaim the good news.

And while I agree with the concern . . . and understand the danger of taking an unbalanced view of the role of only “walking the talk” and never “talking the talk” . . . I read in 1Peter 3 of a scenario where someone is won by watching someone else’s life . . . where the gospel is preached without a word.

The general context is Peter’s encouragement to a group of believers to “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.” (1Peter 2:12 ESV) The specific context concerns a believing wife who is called to submit to an unbelieving husband . . . “so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.” (1Peter 3:1 ESV)

Won over by conduct . . . that’s the spiritual dynamic described here. Not to say a word was never spoken. The husband would know his wife was a follower of Christ . . . she would have proclaimed the good news and have been ready to give a defense as to the source of her hope and conduct (1Peter 3:15) . . . she would have talked the talk . . . but, in this situation, Peter says, in effect, “Preach without a word.” And I can’t help but wonder if there is an application for me in this . . . an application beyond a saved wife and her un-saved husband. I’m thinking so.

That a person can be won to Christ through the conduct of a believer is evident here. And I note the characteristics of that conduct. The NKJV says it’s “chaste conduct accompanied by fear” . . . the ESV, “respectful and pure conduct” . . . the NIV & NLT, “pure and reverent lives”. It’s a life that is lived in reverent awe and fear of God and respectful of others . . . conduct that is undefiled by the world and characterized by a personal purity (3:2).

It’s a life attractive not because of designer clothes, or a “cute haircut”, or well-applied makeup or jewelry . . . it’s not attractive because someone looks cool or rad or whatever today’s term is. Instead, it’s a life that is attractive because of the “hidden person of the heart” and “incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” (3:3-4). There’s something about authenticity that draws people to the Lord . . . something about emulating the nature of the “meek and lowly Jesus” . . . something about an inner beauty that doesn’t fade with age . . . doesn’t wrinkle . . . but, if anything, radiates increasingly as a believer grows in grace through the transforming work of the Spirit. And that “something” can be the very thing that Jesus uses to draw someone to Himself.

As I think back, God used a powerful combination of a friend who preached the word and his family who lived “beautiful lives” from the inside-out to woo me to Himself. It was the written Word in combination with the “without a word” testimony that was used to bring this sinner to the Living Word.

I agree with my daughter’s mentor . . . the gospel is to preached verbally . . . audibly . . . fervently. But I also think we need to “study up” on the “without a word” approach . . . to continue to submit to the Spirit’s work of conforming us into the likeness of Christ . . . to cultivate pure and reverent lives . . . to be focused on the inner beauty of the heart . . . the outer reality of a gentle and quiet spirit . . . the authentic representation of following Jesus . . . that, as He would determine, some might be won without a word. For His glory . . .