As Christians we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world and our personal Savior.

We try to model our lives on his teachings and each Sabbath we commemorate Christ’s sacrifice in our worship services. Professing our belief in Jesus Christ in public is one part of being a practicing Christian.

However, we do not want to be found as the scribes and Pharisees when Jesus Christ rebuked them in Matthew 23:28.

“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

We must be what we profess to be, in private as well as in public.

As we go about our everyday lives it is important that we show our love of Jesus Christ by our Christ like actions. Actions speak louder than words to those we come in contact with each day. The Apostle Peter gave some basic but very important steps to being more Christ like in 1 Peter 2:1, “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings…”

If we profess to be Christians then we need to live like a Christian. Hypocrisy should not be part of our lives. Our character is based on how we act when no one is looking.

Christ–like actions entail many good attributes such as being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, doing good to all men; being humble, telling the truth no matter what, being kind, regularly worshipping God the Father and his son Jesus Christ, respecting our spouse and our children, forgiving others, staying away from places we would not take our mothers, and being an example of hard work.

Following Jesus Christ’s example involves all of these. The Savior said, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)

We should strive to act as Christ would have us act.

Ronald W. Acker is the director of public affairs for the local stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.