Is Christian conduct important to how the unbelieving world views Christ?

from the old testament

• The Old Testament does not mention “Christian conduct” specifically since it predates Christianity, but it emphasizes that the behavior of God’s people reflects on God’s reputation among the nations. God’s people are called to be holy and set apart (Leviticus 20:26). Their distinctiveness in conduct was meant to show God’s holiness to the world.
• The nations watch how Israel lives and judge God by it (Ezekiel 36:22–23). God says He will be sanctified through His people’s obedience, showing that their actions affect His reputation.
• Living justly and righteously influences others: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Good conduct reflects well on God’s people and thus, on God Himself.
• God’s covenant people are to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6), demonstrating His character through their lives.

from the new testament

• Jesus pronounced woes on the Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:4). Jewish spiritual leaders were supposed to represent pious character, but in reality, they led hypocritical lives.
• Just as God has forgiven us, we are to forgive others (Luke 6:37). This may involve extending mercy, grace, and ultimately love toward unbelievers even when we feel they don’t deserve it.
• As Christians, we often think of ourselves as "a guide to the blind" or "a light to those who are in darkness,” but if we only give unbelievers our prideful opinions while disobeying the God we claim to love, it is no wonder they don’t take Jesus seriously (Romans 2:17–24).
• Paul said to the Corinthians, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). We may benefit from applying this instruction to our lives, too.
• Christians should live according to this principle: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:13–14). As Christians, we should not pursue what our flesh desires but pursue Christ-like love.
• Our good conduct does not get us into God's favor. The only way for any of us to be saved is by God's gift of redemption to us in Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). However, our conduct says something about whether or not we truly live out what we believe.
• We can ask ourselves if we practice righteousness, or if we practice sin (1 John 2:29; 3:4–8). Our conduct should match our Christian profession.

implications for today

Christian conduct plays a role in how the unbelieving world sees Christ. We are warned about hypocrisy: saying one thing but living differently. In our Christian walk, we must be careful not to be like the Jews in Romans 2:17–24, who lived contradictory lives to what they preached. As believers, we are called to put off the flesh and live for the things of God. We are called to love God and love others. We are called to grow in Christlikeness by surrendering to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us. Hypocrisy is like a cancer to our testimony of Jesus’s work in our lives. In fact, one of the reasons unbelievers give for turning elsewhere spiritually is that the conduct of Christians they know isn’t very Christian. While it is not our job to “convict” anyone (John 16:8), we should be diligent to be a light in the world so that we can point people to our Heavenly Father: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. 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” (Matthew 5:14–16). May our conduct reflect God’s character and serve as a witness to an unbelieving world that desperately needs Him.