“Those who are treated badly for doing good are happy, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be happy.” Matthew 5:10, 11.

Most of the world loves sin and hates holiness. This is what caused Jesus so much trouble when he was living here. Everyone who rejects Jesus will find Christianity extremely annoying. And those who cling to sin will war against truth and those who follow Jesus. There will come a time when God's people will be blamed for all the problems of this world.  

On a positive note, Christians are walking the path previously followed by the noblest people that have ever walked this earth. Christians should meet persecution with joy, not sorrow. Each trial will help further refine our character. Each conflict with ultimately add more joy to the final triumph when Jesus returns to take us home. If Christians hold this viewpoint, they will gladly accept the challenges and struggles knowing that it is temporal.  

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth”. This means we should not pull away from the world in an effort to escape persecution. If we did this, we would lose our saltiness, which would make us useless. Just as salt preserves food, Christians filled with Christ's spirit will also help preserve the world from self-destruction.  

A heart that responds to the Holy Spirit will act as a channel for the Holy Spirit to work through the world. The wicked do not understand that every blessing they receive results from the outpouring the Holy Spirit from the Christians that they despise.  

In contrast, if a person claims to be a Christian when in reality they are not, this makes them worse than an unbeliever. Their efforts will actually detract from God's work.  

The truth within the Bible should not be trapped within its covers or in the walls of a church. It should be lived everyday as we go about our responsibilities. It should be seen in both our business transactions and personal lives. We should strive to live a consistent life, full of integrity, and a loving spirit. It is by this representation that the light of God will penetrate the darkness of this earth.