And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 John 2:28-29 NKJV
We can stand before our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, at His coming with confidence, when we know that we have obeyed His word and submitted our life to it. He promised that when his words lived and dwelt in us, then He and the Father would come and live permanently with us. If we have a true revelation of who He is and what He has done in us, then we will walk like He walks; we will walk in righteousness. When we walk with God, in righteousness, two things happen: people see that we are His and we belong to Him and He will come to our defense when others attack or persecute us.
Jesus is the light of the world-let him shine through you:
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 NKJV
You are the light of the world – do not hide your light – let it shine:
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:10-16 NKJV
The blessing of God is on your life, when you receive persecution for the sake of righteousness. Because of the blessing, because you know that God is on your side, you can be bold in the face of opposition. Because of fear of persecution, there are those who would draw back and try to hide the light that is in them through Jesus Christ, but he tells us to shine our light boldly. When we do, He will be there to back us up. When our light shines, God is glorified. When we hide the light that is on the inside of us, He receives no glory. Let your light shine for the glory of God. Let your light shine so that those who seek Him can see and be drawn to that light to receive salvation and deliverance, and themselves be lit up with His light.
You are the salt of the earth. You are “salty” as long as you walk in purity of heart and soul before the Lord. The world needs your salt. If the Church compromises and walks like the world, they are no longer salty. It might not be popular to be salty, but it is essential – for the believers and the unbelievers. Do not succumb to the pressure to compromise that the world puts on you. Have a backbone and stand up for the Gospel; stand up for what is right and true. Too many Christians are yielding to this world’s system, by accepting their standards instead of standing up for the Word of God and His standards. If we do not stand up for the truth of the Word of God, then who will?
Do not be ashamed of Jesus or He will be ashamed of you:
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:32-39 NKJV
Sometimes your greatest persecution can come from those of your own house. If you are ashamed of, and deny, Jesus in front of people, then Jesus have to deny you in the presence of the Father. It is like being married, and denying your spouse. If you want to stay married, you will wear your wedding ring proudly and show off your spouse. We should be proud and honored to belong to Jesus and to show Him off to others. This is the only way to bring His salvation, deliverance and freedom to the nations – by lifting Him up and honoring Him before men. He said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Me.”
Stand up for your faith:
Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive [the victor’s] crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12 AMP
And [then] when the Chief Shepherd is revealed, you will win the conqueror’s crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:4 AMP
Stand up for your faith even if it means persecution. Stand up for your faith even if it means a martyr’s death. God has promised glorious crowns to those who stand up for Him through temptations, trials and persecutions.
