And God was faithful to avenge Israel against its enemies: "Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters" (15:10). And the wound hurts even more deeply because he was your friend. Don't wait - don't miss the opportunity - because your enemy's soul could slip into eternity still carrying his sin. Being yourself as completely as you can, moment after moment, builds the strength to keep going when it's hard. There is the ordinary happiness of food, Now you see it affecting your family, your relationships, even your physical health. The ancient Hindu treatises Vedas say that man has only six enemies in this world: lust, anger, jealousy, selfishness, arrogance, and illusion. Love and hate are two opposite emotions. But that does not excuse me from taking his eternal soul seriously. This mantra is often quoted, but rarely lived out. Let him bring them down and swallow them up. They see it expressed in scripture, but they rarely abide by it. The Lord Jesus Christ is such a loving and forgiving God that He wants all of His followers to love their enemies. When we forgive as God forgives, he brings us into a revelation of favor and blessing we've never known. But, like the castor oil I had to swallow in my youth, it's medicine that heals. Enemies only have strong personalities, the arena of rivalry here is the right to be a breasts ahead. We should love our enemies because God commands, and anything God commands us to do is for our benefit. Jump to. Christ is actually commanding us to envision the soul-damning condition of our persecutors. Enemies grant that service to us. Anger management is more effective when it is mastered in practice, not in theory. David was saying, "Lord, you know I've done everything to try to please you. Moreover, we bring glory to our heavenly father whenever we overlook hurts and forgive the sins done to us. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). You may ask, "Are we supposed to love evil people - abortion doctors, unscrupulous politicians, militant homosexuals who claim Jesus was gay? At one time, this friend seemed godly and guileless, and you trusted him. We can hate the immoral actions of those in government. First, the law required the priest to slay the sacrifice and place it on the altar, to deal with the people's sin. When you forgive someone, you can experience things such as lower blood pressure, improved symptoms if you suffer from anxiety or depression, and even a boost in your immune system. Matthew 5:43-48 English Standard Version (ESV) Love Your Enemies. They've pursued me, blind-sided me, overtaken me. But if it's accepted, you can stand on judgment day knowing your enemy wasn't judged and damned because of his sin against you." Only Christ can do this, through his work at the cross. From the Prologue: Oftentimes we look at sin through two completely diff A message that explains the importance and benefits of actively loving your enemies instead of shunning them. But this was a close, godly friend. 4 by Hieromonk Gregorios, Elder of the Cell of St. John the Theologian, Koutloumousiou Monastery, Mount Athos. Maybe your enemy is a close, personal friend - perhaps a ministry associate or Christian coworker. Or have you become your own head, independent of him? David moaned, "They're watching my every move, waiting to trick me. He turned on you, and now he's out to hurt you. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul" (56:5-6). Get a life in the Spirit." I believe his stand on late-term abortion is an abomination in God's eyes, and it makes my blood boil. We're to try to tear down any walls that might damn them, and put forth every effort to rebuild a bridge to them. Tel: (719) 487-7888 | Fax: (719) 896-5410 Jesus said, "The whole law is fulfilled in this - that you love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself" (see Matthew 22:37-40). (Matthew 5:44-45a) "I hate and abhor [their] lying" (119:163). 4. But real love means loving them too. It was the worst pain I ever endured, consuming my thoughts night and day. He testified, "As for me, I will call upon God...evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray" (55:16-17). And the second proviso is this: That actually, coming to a position of being able to love your enemy is a journey… It can take time – a really long time – maybe even a lifetime – to get to the point where you can love your enemy. Courage to continue. It grieved his heart, and he begged God for her healing: "Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee" (Numbers 12:13). Send him to hell for what he's done to me. And, second, the priest was to pray for the congregation, to act as an intercessor on their behalf. In the early days, his words were kind and loving, and you thought, "We're so close. "Bless them that curse you." There are vast differences between Christianity and other religions. A Jew wasn't to shake hands with a Gentile, or even allow his robe to swish against an outsider's clothing. Enemies Keep Us Balanced When we think we have achieved greatness, enemies humble us. Yet your focus isn't to be on your own hurt, but on the deception of your enemy's soul.". More than that, we should love our enemies because it is one of the trademarks of being a son or daughter of God. 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" (Matthew 5:43-44). "Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (15:12). How are we to react to Christians who've made themselves our enemies? Facebook. Of course, no one can remit someone's sins against God. And he has clearly expressed his thinking on this matter: "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:32). Jesus says he has given us all power over the enemy. In Love Your Enemies, the New York Times bestselling author and social scientist Arthur C. Brooks shows that abuse and outrage are not the right formula for lasting success. Don't be mistaken - Paul hated these people's sin. You can start slow by doing these things: He beseeched God, "Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly" (Psalm 6:10). - Luke 6:27–36 Jesus is saying, in essence, "Do everything in your power to seek your enemy's healing and recovery from Satan's snare. Accessibility Help. We need building up, but we also need humility. When you have the confidence to be who you truly want to be, you can discover a lot about yourself. Love is not a zero-sum game. If you only understood the depths of pain I've been through, you wouldn't demand this of me. 4 Learn the health benefits of forgiveness. The Egyptians' war cry was, "I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them" (Exodus 15:9). Then, as things begin to go wrong in our lives, we won't understand them, because we'll be in disobedience. One day Michael Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to die. Your enemies will make you see what needs to be changed in your life while your friends … He wrote: "I hate the work of them that turn aside" (Psalm 101:3). I'm on my knees always. ", But now he's forsaken you, perhaps for someone else. World Challenge Inc, is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 3. You did nothing to cause his opposition to you. Jesus is saying, "If you'll remit that sin against you, I'll remit it in heaven. You could explain how no one has ever tried to interrupt your plans, wreck your goals or derail your future. As Peter wrote of Christ, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Peter 2:23). I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies" (Psalm 139:21-22). It's beyond my ability to do.". Knowing that you have spirits does not mean that you can not focus on the important, truly good things in your life. In my life I've found it probably the most difficult thing to do as a Christian. "Do good to them that hate 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" (Matthew 5:44). Hate is too heavy a burden and hurts the one who hates stronger than hated. Yes, it does. I tell you, it's impossible to be truly holy without total obedience to our Lord's command to love one another. But the Lord commands us to love them as people - people for whom Jesus died. When you love your enemies, you do what God wants you to do. Whenever I had the chance, I unburdened my heart to anyone who would listen. Even when you feel besieged by negativity and hostility, you can always find a positive point of view. ", How often we Christians are just like David. Realize that forgiveness and loving your enemy is more about benefiting yourself than them. But we can remit those sins that have been committed against us. Do good to them. Such duels give birth to the right motivation to be better. You may be able to testify that you've won a great victory in Christ. It acts as a shield around us. So I've got clear biblical grounds to ask God to blow my enemies away.". Hating their persons at the cross n't see how this could be true of any Christian ''. Not in theory permanent wound think good things in your imagination always at eye-level for.. 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