What does it mean to "live out" my faith?

"Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." —Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

When we're talking about "living out" our faith, the definition of "faith" is the belief and conviction that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for our sins, and that He rose again. We accept His offer of forgiveness, and, by doing so, we spiritually take part in His death and resurrection. We are dead to our sin and live a new life filled with the desire to live without sin (Romans 6:5-18).

To "live out" our faith is to live in a way that shows what we believe. Sin is bad, so we try not to sin. Kindness is good, so we try to be kind. We respect and honor others. We show empathy and compassion and choose to forgive. We value human life. We practice sexual purity. We love others and love God in ways that make it obvious God is working through us (Matthew 5:16).

Living Out Faith in Public

"Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him." —Philippians 2:12-13

Living this way in private is essential but so is living this way in public. To follow Jesus in private but follow the world in public is hypocrisy. To claim to follow Jesus but not live like it is even worse.

If we say we follow Jesus and also live sinfully, we tell the world that He's not worth respecting, that He doesn't have the power to save us from sin, and that He doesn't care how we live.

Living Out Hypocrisy

The religious leaders of Jesus' day were prime examples of this kind of hypocrisy. They claimed to follow God publicly. Their outward personas were carefully designed to demand respect for their positions as pious, obedient leaders. Yet Jesus exposed their hypocrisy bluntly by saying, "They do not practice what they preach" (Matthew 23:3).

These leaders taught the Mosaic Law and demanded the people follow it precisely, but they didn't follow it themselves. Instead of helping the needy, they took advantage of them (Matthew 23:4). They were (mostly) diligent about their religious rituals, but they neglected more important matters of the law, such as justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). Everything they did and said was meant to draw glory and power for themselves—not God.

"They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others." —Matthew 23:4-6

Living Witnesses of Jesus

Jesus was more concerned that His followers sincerely live out their faith in order to bring praise to God (Matthew 5:16). If we follow Him, we will live like Him. That means that we choose humility over arrogance (Philippians 2:5-8). We choose obedience over disobedience (Hebrews 5:8). We make ourselves approachable to others (Mark 10:13-14). We live genuinely and honestly (Matthew 8:20; John 8:14-18). We remain teachable rather than stubborn in our ways (Luke 2:41-52).

In our thoughts and actions toward others, we are merciful (John 8:10-11), gracious (Luke 7:37-38, 44-48), good (Mark 8:2-3), and kind (Mark 7:24-30). In our relationships, we are patient (Matthew 14:13-14) and loving (John 3:16). We exemplify Jesus' light in a world of great darkness (Matthew 5:14).

"Living out" our faith is to live out what we believe to be true. If we live like Jesus' teachings aren't relevant for modern life, it shows that we don't believe He's God the Son, Lord and Savior. If we truly have faith in Him, we will want to honor Him, and we'll care how our actions make others think of Him.

"If we say we have fellowship with [God] while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." —1 John 1:6-7

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TL;DR

To "live out" our faith is to live in a way that shows what we believe. If we live like Jesus' teachings aren't relevant for modern life, it shows that we don't believe He's God the Son, Lord and Savior. If we truly have faith in Him, we will want to honor Him, and we'll care how our actions make others think of Him (1 John 1:6-7). If we claim to follow Jesus, we must act like Him—both privately and publicly. Do good, show mercy, love justice, and tell people it's because of Jesus.

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