Love Your Enemies

Matthew 5:43-45: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

I can think of no command in the Bible that is more difficult to obey. And yet loving enemies is one of the most dramatic differences between Christians and unbelievers. The ability to love one*s enemies is not the fruit of men. That ability is simply not in unbelievers. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Love is the fruit of the Spirit coming to us AND going through us. If we Christians are not loving our enemies we are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Loving our enemies will often turn them into friends. Before we came to Christ WE were His enemies too.

Colossians 1:21: And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Care to discuss Love Your Enemies with Ron?

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