It is great to represent the light of the world but we will find some people in the world who do not like Christians. There will be times when people blame their guilt on us in an attempt to rationalize their own lifestyle. Jesus gave us this warning, because ye are not of this world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19)
There are members of churches who will not gain heaven because they are afraid of what some people might say about them. Others worry that they will lose their position in the world or that they will lose some money. It is necessary that we find the courage to face all opposition and be willing to pay any price.
Even though the world "hates" us, we must go to them and tell them the truth of the gospel. It is easy to understand how we need the help of the Holy Spirit living in us, so that our behavior will always glorify our Lord. It is true that when the Spirit speaks through us, there are sometimes results that seem unfavorable to us personally. For example, before Stephen was stoned to death, he spoke very powerful words from God and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. (Acts 6:10) Because the world hates the truth of God, they sometimes react violently in order to prove their way is better. We must not think of ourselves as we spread the Gospel, but of the benefits for a lost soul.
We must be sustained in our witness by what is called a "zeal", meaning enthusiasm and devotion. It is not necessary to become a zealot because it is not our own energy that provides the way for other souls. The Holy Spirit is the active person in accomplishing the Gospel of God. We may tell people about Jesus but the Spirit is the active power in their heart that reveals God's purpose to them.
Paul was known for his zeal and he commented to the Corinthians one time, your zeal hath provoked many." (2 Cor 9:2) he was talking about giving money at the time, but being enthusiastic about giving assets is a good way to strengthen our devotion. Every routine in our life should support our desire to serve God. (It should be noted that routines can become ritual therefore we must have the Spirit's help everyday to serve our Lord.)
The ultimate objective of a witness is to be a martyr for God. This does not mean that we spend our time wishing to die. It means that we must have the attitude that God owns our life. There is no other way to be totally selfless in our presentation of the gospel. Everything we do must be centered on Jesus and this is what we are to tell the world, in him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4) This profound message is what gives light to the darkness around us. The great apostle Paul said many times that we would face anything including death for the sake of bringing souls to God' kingdom. What a great feeling when we arrive in heaven and meet those who have been adopted into God's family.
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