Love Your Enemies?

As a result of reading some of the posts in David's topic about a relationship with Jesus, I have been impressed to begin this new topic.

Matthew 5:43 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.

This obviously means that we are to love our enemies, however, in what way? The same way as we are to love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ?

Please back up your replies, wherever possible, with other references.

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In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

No.. I don't want to.

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

David,

What do you mean by, "No.. I don't want to."?

Please explain.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Daryl

I am replying to the verses you quoted above. Only to portray more dramatically how we so often react to these verses.

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

Hi David and others,

That is all so sadly true what you posted.

I know a person who was wronged by somebody in the church and actually hated that person for a whole year before going to that person.

Now they are friends again.

The funny thing about it is that this person was not even aware of the hate being thrown in her direction.

It was the person doing the hating that suffered the whole time.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

[This message has been edited by Daryl Fawcett (edited November 14, 2000).]

I think that is, unfortunately, all too true. When we harbour ill-will towards our "neighbours", it affects us more than it affects them. There are those who don't know they are being harboured ill-will against, and others don't care and actually thrive in that sort of an atmosphere.

I believe this is why we are admonished to "love our enemies and do good to those who hate us". When we treat someone who we don't like the same way we treat a friend, we are showing our Christian spirit and it makes people wonder what we have that they are missing.

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Sarah Moss
*Prayer Changes Things!*

Amen, Sister Sarah!

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Well Idont have any references right now but I can give a few observations about this subject at least...

First of all, when jesus said that about loving your enemies, He had said that we should be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect... giving rain to the undeserving.

That tells me that loving someone who doesnt love you must be the most difficult thing there is to do... above every other thing. If to do so means to make us perfect as God is perfect. Its easy to love those who are nice to us.

Secondly, I think the way to really do this, at least one way, that is- is to do like Sister White said that Jesus did with Mary. In Desire of Ages it says people just saw Mary as a great sinner, but Jesus saw what she COULD be.

If we realize that every person COULD be a lovable person, a real Christian, ... then we would see them differently and treat them differently. If they did something mean to us or said something mean... we would think of how they could be some day when Jesus was through with them. Then we'd not be looking at the immediate moment or the present hurt they are causing us. We'd realize that if we react kindly to them, we are helping them on the way to becoming that wonderful Christian person. Ministry of healing says that when someone says hurtful things, dont tell them just what you think they deserve. They expect that. Be kind and by doing so, they become ashamed of their behavior and may repent. You'll do this if you realize what they COULD become, instead of thinking of the present hurtful thing that are doing to you.

In answer to what Daryl asked, this is why I think we should love everyone the same, no matter if they are our Brothers and Sisters in Christ or not. They are someone God created and Jesus died for and all someone who could one day turn from being a Saul into a Paul.

Claudia

Here I am. I got my dynamite all set...Just have to find those fuses...

I don't think these verses Daryl quoted are real!

Does anyone have a real life example/testimony of when and how they "loved their enemy."

Was it fun? Was it easy? What were the results? (If you know them).

I don't like those verses; and I want to know why God is telling us to do something I cannot do. How do we love the guy who slashed the throat of a fellow teenager at a Calgary High School earlier today, in front of all his friends, and killed him?

It's easy to love God; but how do we love a real enemy? Especially when that "enemy" is in our own home? Or in our church?

How about the guy I know who, in a drunken rage, beat in his wife's head with a baseball bat, and then shot her several times at point blank range, in the face, in front of the kids? How do I love that guy?

Is loving your enemy just something that looks good on paper; or is it real?

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

well David,

God doesnt ask us to do something we cant do. Thats why Jesus came here and took on our human nature and overcame all sin, to show us we can do the same. (Romans 8:3)

If He could love the people nailing Him to a tree then Im sure we can do the same. No its not easy.

If you can only love those who are lovable by human estimation, then what you have isnt love, its selfishness. You are just loving someone who you think you are getting something from.

Just think of it this way... if your own child grew up and went astray and did something like what you described, would you stop loving them? God doesnt stop loving us ... because we are His children. Well, once you realize He's your Father then you know everyone He created is your brother and sister. They are all a child of God and you dont stop loving them.

Dont you realize YOU put Jesus on the cross? Your sins did. You killed God, how much worse of a thing could you do, and He loves you still. Well, Him loving us though we did that is what draws us to Him. "We love Him because He first loved us". People out there who are sinners are drawn to that.

I hope you were only kidding, do you always act this way? LOL! :P

[]-------- BONK!! -whopping you over the head
(in Christian love, of course)

Claudia

Quote by Claudia: "I hope you were only kidding, do you always act this way? LOL! :P

[]-------- BONK!! "

Hello Claudia

I meant to answer this question/comment eons ago; but we are frenetically racing about with preparations for moving this week.

Thankyou for the bonk! I need a good one once in a while! No. I am not always like that; but I was trying to add more dramatic emphasis to my point. I find it very helpful to do this. The only real tragedy here is that the shocking stories I told were very real, and true. So I am trying to emphasize why it is sometimes impossible to love all people in the same way. Enemies are no exception either though. You can't love all enemies in the same way either, can you?

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler

The other day, a friend of mine said that she "had a view things to talk to Eve about when we see her"! She was just joking around, but it kind of struck a cord in me. Many people blame Adam and Eve for the situation we are in, and for the sufferings that we endure (i.e. the pain of child birth, etc.) I believe that we need to forgive in order to love.

David asks tough questions, there are many people in this world that it is HARD to love. For example, the teenager in Calgary, the abusive spouse/father, the rude friend or relative, the list is continuous. Satan would love nothing more than to have us hate and/or treat badly those who treat us badly. We are entreated to forgive, so that we can be forgiven (The Lord's Prayer), if we cannot forgive, we cannot love. Once the forgiveness is in place, the love can follow.

We are studying James in our Bible Study Group, and James 3 is all about taming the tongue. James says that if we talk "perfectly" then our whole body will be perfect. Perhaps the trick in some situations would be to talk like we love someone, and eventually we will believe it and act like it. I'm just hypothecating here however.

Jesus gives us forgiveness when we find we have none in us. So does He give us love for our fellowman - whether friend or enemy.

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Sarah Moss
*Prayer Changes Things!*

That's interesting, Sarah, as I am now reading the book of James as part of my daily devotional reading. I just finished reading chapter 1 today.

The following two verses spoke to me and aptly fits our topic discussion here:

James 1:19 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

That is a mouth full in these two verses.

What do we convey to others in how we post in MSDAOL?

Do we cause anxiety and stife, either intentionally or unintentionally?

Do we use the word you in our posts in such a way that brings some kind of anxiety or strife to the reader of that post?

I know I have unintentionally been guilty of that in the past.

__________________________
In His Love, Mercy & Grace

Daryl

Leo Schreven quotes a teaching of Buddah in his "All Power Seminar."

Someone was cussing, cursing, and using the word "you" in the wrong manner to Buddah.

He stood there and calmly "took it."

Afterwards the hothead asked Buddah, "Aren't you listening to anything I'm saying?"

Buddah answered with: "If you give me a gift and I refuse it, who owns the gift?"

"The one who tried to give it" said the man.

"Well," said Buddah, "All these terrible things you've said about me--I refuse to accept them."

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Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Don't let yesterday's mistakes trouble you, nor tomorrow's fears spoil your day.

Pastor Andrew

[This message has been edited by Andrew Marttinen (edited November 29, 2000).]

How do we love our enemies?

Obey the sixth commandment.

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"We are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone!" (Eph.2:20).

Your brother in Christ

David T. Battler