Believers are called to live out their faith publicly as witnesses whom the world is watching, much as John Winthrop's "city on a hill" idea, echoed by President Kennedy's words, "We are God's witnesses, and the eyes of the world are indeed upon us." Eric Liddell, the Olympic runner and missionary, is the central illustration. He refused to run the 100-meter race on a Sunday to honor God and the Sabbath as he understood it, and he was encouraged by I Samuel 2:30, "those who honor Me, I will honor." He then set an Olympic and world record in the 400 meters. He gave up athletic fame to serve as a missionary in China, and in a Japanese internment camp he cared for the elderly, taught the children, and led through selfless service. Fellow prisoners called him nearly a saint, and his conduct reflected John 15:13. Though most believers will never be famous, they are saints who should likewise be outstanding examples. Every day they are to testify of God's character and the glory of His way of life by how they live. Matthew 5:16 states the principle: let your light shine before men so they may see good works and glorify the Father. Living this way makes life eternally successful.

John Winthrop, aboard ship toward the New World, applied Matthew 5:14-16 to his fellow Puritans, telling them they would be "as a city on a hill" with the eyes of all people upon them. Linked to Isaiah 43:12, "You are My witnesses," this means that those who seek to serve God are watched by the world and are called to be living witnesses to His character. Two examples of such witness illustrate the idea. Dirk Willems, a Dutch Anabaptist condemned for rejecting infant baptism, escaped prison across thin ice, then turned back to rescue the pursuing guard who had fallen through. He did so in keeping with Jesus' command to love enemies (Matthew 5:44). He was recaptured and burned at the stake, fulfilling Jesus' words that whoever loses his life for His sake will find it (Matthew 10:39). Desmond Doss, a Seventh-Day Adventist conscientious objector, served as an unarmed medic in World War II. Despite harassment, he held to his convictions, rescuing 75 wounded soldiers on Hacksaw Ridge without harming anyone, and he received the Medal of Honor. Both men show faithful conviction and selfless love displayed before a watching world.