Do you love your enemies? "I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:44 Do you hate those who hate God? "Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies." Psalm 139:21-22 Wowzers!!! How can you reconcile loving enemies yet hating enemies??? We can love and hate at the same time, love our personal enemies yet hate the enemies of God. Those who are personal enemies to US, we are to LOVE. Personal enemies are those who have personally wronged us is some way; cheated us, lied to us, mistreated us, tore us down with words, used us, backstabbed us, hurt us, reviled us, persecuted us, hated us, treated us badly, abandoned us, abused us, harmed us. THOSE personal enemies we are to LOVE! We were enemies of GOD, we HATED Him, but HE LOVED US, so we MUST love others who treat us like enemies! How do we love them? If they are hungry, feed them, if they are thirsty give them water, if they are in need, sacrifice to meet their need. We can love them and pray for them and bless them, give them the opposite of what they deserve, give them grace and mercy. This of course does not mean we allow people to walk all over us in abuses, it just means being gentle as a dove and wise as a serpent, leaving harmful and destructive situations and friendships, but at the same time FORGIVING and not harboring HATRED and unforgiveness in our hearts towards them, never wishing them ill nor rejoicing to see when harm comes upon them. God will not be pleased with us if we do not love our enemies, we cannot be children of God if we do not have love for the least deserving. Those who are enemies of God, we can hate with a perfect hatred, not in a personal grudge kind of way, but a righteous indignation kind of way, where we hate to see the name of God blasphemed. His enemies are the enemies of the cross, the enemies of the gospel. People like false teachers are enemies of God. We have no personal grudge against specific people for they are just puppets of Satan, it is a matter of spiritual battle, a matter of spiritual enemies whom we contend against. I can say I HATE false teachers, but hold no animosity towards a specific person who is a false teacher, desiring their repentance but if not, gladly to know their destruction will be certain, to the glory of God. "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things." Philippians 3:18-19. When we speak out against the enemies of God it is not a petty hatred of personal offense, it is a perfect hatred of GOD being offended. It is a righteous anger, a holy hatred. Therefore, LOVE your enemies, do not hold petty hatred in your hearts for those who use and abuse you, but do have perfect hatred for those who are the enemies of the cross of Christ!
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 21:35:04 +0000
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