Love Your Enemies
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” - John 13:34
Love cannot be conditional. The same way you love a friend must be the same way you love a foe. Luke 6:32-34 says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.”
Jesus taught the importance of mimicking a godly character. We are to be set apart. Therefore, if we choose to only love those who love us, we are no different than those in the world. When people see us, they should see God. The way to do that is to show restraint and love in the face of opposition.
This is when we rely on the strength of the Lord. Because in our strength, we will have no desire to be good to those who are not good to us. However, when we are channeling the strength of the Lord, He will reveal to us the areas that we must stretch, the areas where, by default, we once wanted to say harmful things to another person, but now we feel the conviction of not responding in a godly manner.
John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Are you loving others as God loves? Or are you saying, “I have to win this argument,” or “Your feelings don’t matter.” Ask God to search your heart. And remove anything that will prevent you from loving those who have not shown love to you.
Love cannot be conditional. The same way you love a friend must be the same way you love a foe. Luke 6:32-34 says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.”
Jesus taught the importance of mimicking a godly character. We are to be set apart. Therefore, if we choose to only love those who love us, we are no different than those in the world. When people see us, they should see God. The way to do that is to show restraint and love in the face of opposition.
This is when we rely on the strength of the Lord. Because in our strength, we will have no desire to be good to those who are not good to us. However, when we are channeling the strength of the Lord, He will reveal to us the areas that we must stretch, the areas where, by default, we once wanted to say harmful things to another person, but now we feel the conviction of not responding in a godly manner.
John 13:34 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Are you loving others as God loves? Or are you saying, “I have to win this argument,” or “Your feelings don’t matter.” Ask God to search your heart. And remove anything that will prevent you from loving those who have not shown love to you.
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