Love Your Enemies

It is easy to see that Christians are surrounded by enemies on nearly every side. The irony is that while so-called Christians persecuted the Jews for centuries it is the Israelis who are our biggest friends. True, some of the Ultra-Orthodox may not think kindly of us, but other Jews see us as their friends for they know we believe in the Abrahamic covenant and the ultimate fulfillment of all of God's promises to them. Of course, we have our differences, but we are far more alike than any other group.

Looking around we may well feel like Elisha's servant who saw only the horses and chariots that surrounded the city and was in fear and despair. May God open our eyes so that we can see as Elisha did and know that those who be for us are more than that be with them. (2 Kings 16:6)

There are far too many today that forget who they belong to and that the weapons of our warfare are spiritual and not carnal. I see so many comments about taking up arms by professing Christians and yet, Christ took up no arms against His enemies who took Him captive. He could have but spoken the word and all of His enemies would have been vaporized. He arose victorious from the grave and conquered death and Hell without weapons or retaliation. His kingdom is still not of this world and it is not advanced by the weapons or strategies of this world.

Neither did He break out in angry rants and make threats. He went quietly as a sheep to the slaughter. Indeed, by His actions He caused His enemies to think they had prevailed when in essence they were fulfilling His plan to defeat them. All the bitter rancor I see on social media does not become one who says they are a follower of Christ.

Matthew 5:44 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;

Luke 6:27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Christ said to love your enemies. That takes His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to do because it is not in our nature. If it were, there would be very few wars and crimes. He loved beyond the natural urge for self-preservation to where He died for His enemies, which included us before we believed and oft times even after as we cave in to sins rather then resist in the Spirit.

Romans 5:7 tells us that it is not easy to die for someone. Indeed, some of my military brethren, first responders, and even some random Good Samaritans have given their lives for people they did not know and whose lives may not have been as fruitful as the one who died. I read of a Confederate chaplain who took the place of another man because that man had a wife and children while the Chaplain did not. Dietrich Bonhoeffer also took an other's place. They are true examples of John 15:13 of the greatest love being willing to lay down your life for a friend. Ah, but for an enemy would be even harder and yet Jesus did that.

Blessing those who bless us is often a formality or courtesy. We say bless you when someone sneezes out of reflex without really being 100% into it. We ask God to bless our food, family, church, etc., but when is the last time you asked God to bless your enemy with health or even that God would save their soul because it needs saved and not just to get them off our case. Bless them that curse us? Whoa! How do we do that? By obedience and again the work of the Spirit.

Look at the history between God and man as well as Jesus' life and you see God has been loving His enemies since the Fall. When we sin we are not being the friend of God. Indeed, since sin is the antithesis of God and His character we become anti-God or an anti-Christ with those sins. Yet, God loved Adam and Eve when they turned against Him. He offered Cain a way to come to Him when Cain did not make the right offering and even spared Cain's life when he murdered Abel. God offered the world a way out of the Flood, but in His foreknowledge Noah only had to make room and provisions for eight people. Israel in sin was stilled loved by God and He forgave them over and over again. Jesus forgave the men who crucified Him as He was on the Cross. We have the example. With the Holy Spirit, we have the power. Do we have the desire to obey and bless our enemies? That is the real question.