INTERSECT: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

1 Peter 3:13-17

Actions speak louder than words. I’m sure you have heard this old adage many times in your life, and I suspect you believe it is true. Of course, words matter, but we all know actions demonstrate what we really believe. Think of it this way: when people think of sermons, it is natural to think of a church and a preacher. For most people, preaching in public is the last thing they want to do. Let me remind you our lives “preach a sermon” every day. It’s true! Your attitudes and actions either hinder or help you communicate the gospel. In 1 Peter 3:13-17, the Apostle shares four simple guidelines to help our witness be effective.

Keep the right attitude. Even if you have all the right answers and know enough to fill entire books, if you communicate your knowledge with the wrong attitude or spirit, you undermine your own words. In this passage, Peter urges readers to answer with gentleness and respect.

Gentleness is one of the marks of a growing Christian. This trait is listed among the fruits of the Spirit that should be evident in the life of every believer. Jesus displayed gentleness throughout His life. Matthew 12:20 reminds us the Savior will not crush a bruised reed or put out a smoldering wick. Instead, He deals gently with the broken and crushed. Following His example, we can (and must) be firm in our opposition to sin, yet, at the same time, be gentle towards sinners.

The word fear at the end of verse 15 does not describe terror but indicates respect or reverence (as appears in most translations). This usage matches the instructions Peter offered earlier in his letter, telling servants to respect their masters whether they are just or unjust (2:18) and telling wives to respect their husbands (3:1) for the sake of their Christian testimony.

It is clear Peter didn’t mean we should fear people but simply treat them with respect. This is important for at least two reasons: 1) every person is created in the image of God; and 2) we are sharing the eternal matters and words of God with His image-bearers.

Although we may treat others with gentleness and respect, we also must remember that communication is a two-way street. You cannot force another person to open “their lane” to your words. But you can do everything possible to remove hindrances or roadblocks to communication.

What are these roadblocks?

• Acting as though you know it all
  

• Not really listening
  

• Speaking at them rather than dialoguing with them
  

Effective communication hinges on gentleness and respect.

Live out the right actions. It is hard to miss the emphasis Peter made on the word good in connection with how we live. He said be “followers of that which is good.” One translation renders this phrase, “Be zealous for what is good.” We don’t use the word zealous much these days, but the idea behind the word is to be passionate, intensely seeking something or clinging to a position unwaveringly. In Titus 2:14, Paul wrote that Jesus gave Himself for us “to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Are we zealous for good works?

Are we passionate about doing what is right and good? Not as a means of salvation, of course, but because we have been saved?

Have a good conscience. Right living allows us to have a clean or good conscience. Peter indicates baptism is an expression of a clean conscience before God. Again, this does not mean the act of baptism saves you. Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and of our identification with Him and His redeeming work. The Bible is clear—the only thing that can give you a clean conscience toward God is saving faith in Jesus Christ, which results in good works.

At a practical level, a clean conscience comes from doing right. When you have done what you are supposed to do, when you have lived according to God’s Word, when you have done right by other people, the result is a good conscience. A good conscience doesn’t require a perfect life; it is the result of a good life, which is made possible through the sanctifying work and power of the Holy Spirit.

Be a consistent witness to those who revile your good behavior. We must remember our lives are on display for all to see, even those who are antagonistic toward the faith. People can only revile your good behavior if they see it. People cannot see our motives; it is our behavior that matters most. Certainly, motives of the heart are crucial, but this passage emphasizes a simple truth: behavior is what other people see, and in this case, despise. Why? Because it makes them look bad. Because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Because your good behavior is a means of witness. For example, in chapter three, Peter encouraged Christian wives to continue living out a faithful witness before their unbelieving husbands “that they may be won without
a word.”

In other words, a life transformed and being transformed by Christ can win an unbeliever over to the truth of the gospel without a word. Acts 10:38 says Jesus “went around doing good.” Of course, with Him, perfect was the norm. Still, though you and I will never be perfect, Christ calls us to live the same way. If your epitaph someday reads “He (or she) went around doing good,” your life will be a clear testimony to the grace of God.

There’s a reason the old adage “You are the only Bible some people will ever read” is so familiar. There’s truth to it. While we certainly want people to pick up the Bible for themselves and read it, often what they read first is the life of the person who claims to be a Christian. We have been blessed with the great privilege and responsibility to offer answers to people who are searching and questioning.

We cannot lose sight of how important our attitudes and actions are as we communicate with them. If our actions are not in concert with the gospel, our words send a mixed message. If, by the grace of God, we maintain the right attitude and actions, God can use our witness—living and spoken—to help those wrestling with the big questions of life.

About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper serves as program coordinator for Ministry Studies at Welch College. He pastors Bethel FWB in Ashland City, Tennessee.