Love Enemies

As believers, we must continually strive to emulate the character of Jesus. When we do, not only can we take pleasure in knowing that we are walking in step with the Lord, but the Bible reminds us that a side benefit, is that we will often receive rewards in heaven. But it isn’t easy to be perfect like God is perfect. One difficult mandate given to us is the directive to love our enemies. Jesus says in Luke chapter 6 verse 35:

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”

So, to be like God is to be kind to the ungrateful and wicked. It isn’t in our nature to behave like this. Actually, as a species, we are quite selfish. But if we want to be like God, we need to let the Holy Spirit retrain our mind, body and spirit to fall in line with what he wants, not what we want. If we love our enemies, the Bible tells us that our reward will be great and we will be sons of the Most High. Consider the phrase, “the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree”; referring to when a child behaves much like their parent. Let this be said of us when it comes to how others view us in light of our relationship with our God and Savior.

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In the New Testament, Jesus calls us to behave in a way that is contrary to our human nature. He tells us not to look upon the opposite sex with lust in our heart, not to be angry with our brother, to offer our other cheek when someone strikes us, and yes, he also tells us to love our enemies. If this is an area where you struggle, I encourage you to take it to the Lord in prayer. We aren’t built to make these kinds of changes on our own. That is why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit. We need to draw on his strength to succeed in areas where our flesh fails. But to do that, we have to surrender ourselves to him and let him do what needs to be done in our heart without fighting or rebelling. It isn’t easy, but Jesus wouldn’t ask us to do it if it couldn’t be done.

At Peace

I believe the Lord wants our hearts to be at peace. He wants us to rest in him. Jesus tells us in John that he has come that we might have life and have it to the full. Often times our lack of peace comes when we compare our lives to others, and envy grows in our heart. Proverbs 14:30 challenges us with these words:

“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

I’ve always believed in the theory of relativity. No, I’m not talking about the scientific theory, but the philosophical theory. I’ve been to Haiti several times in my life, and yes, they are poor… very poor. Haiti is not a third world country, it’s a fifth world country. Many Haitians have to walk up to a mile just to get their water. Others may go days without eating anything substantial. However, since everyone around them is in a similar situation, they seem to be at peace. Their poverty is relative. Since no one is substantially richer than someone else, they are better able to accept what they have and quite often find peace. I believe that much of their peace derives from the fact that there is no one to envy. Since everyone is poor, there is little to covet. However, in America, if my neighbor has a better job, a prettier girlfriend, or a fancier car, I may become envious because I may perceive that they have more than I do. Proverbs teaches us that a heart at peace doesn’t envy. We need to be content with where God has us in spite of what everyone else may have. Let us not have our measure of peace rely on the philosophical theory of relativity. In other words, regardless of whether someone has more than we have, let us be at peace, remembering that the ultimate prize is salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we’re able to do that, Proverbs teaches us that it will give life to our body.

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Proverbs tells us that envying others can rot our bones. Longing for what others have can cause bitterness, relational separation and can really eat us up inside. I encourage you to learn the secret of peace. Proverbs gives us a hint. It isn’t about comparing our lives, possessions or relationships with others. We need to be thankful for what God has given us and remember that true peace is focusing on heavenly things, not on earthly things.

Hate Evil

The Bible reminds us that if we are walking in the ways of the world, we are not walking in the ways of God. We can’t do both at the same time. We can’t walk in sin and walk with God simultaneously. First John says that if we say we know God but don’t do what he commands then we are a liar and the truth is not in us. Walking in sin amounts to embracing evil, and Proverbs teaches us that we are not to embrace evil, but we are to go so far as to hate evil. It says in chapter 8 verse 13: 

“To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”

That short verse pretty much covers all forms of sin. Everything from pride to evil behavior should be avoided. Even perverse speech is considered evil. Every believer should have a healthy fear of the Lord. I don’t believe we are supposed to be afraid of him, but we are to reverently fear him. Think about your dad. If you were raised by a good and loving father, there were probably rules set in place that you wouldn’t disobey for fear of angering or disappointing him. Likewise, with God we are to fear disobeying him in a similar fashion. The Bible tells us not to fear man who can only destroy the body, but to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell, and that is God. Proverbs reminds us that to fear the Lord is to hate evil. Because when we flirt with evil, or worse yet, if we embrace evil, we are disobedient to God.

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“To fear the Lord is to hate evil”. In Matthew, Jesus tells us that if our eye causes us to sin then we are to gouge it out. If our hand causes us to sin, then we are to cut it off, because it is better to lose an eye or a hand and enter heaven maimed than to go to hell where the fire never goes out. Likewise, we should do everything we can to get rid of any sin, or sinful vices, in our lives for fear of the Lord. I implore you to take these verses to heart. If we are to emulate God, then we should love what he loves and hate what he hates. And God hates evil.

Revenge

It is human nature to want revenge when we’ve been wronged. We may go so far as to say that “if the same thing that happened to me happened to the person who wronged me, then justice would be served”. People can come up with all manner of ways to avenge a wrong, even when we hear about a wrong that has been done to someone else. But Paul tells us in Romans that it is for God to avenge, not us. In Romans 12:19 it says:

“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.’”

To some, that verse may frustrate, but to others, it might very well liberate. God understands the pain one human being can inflict on another, but it is for him to judge and to avenge. Frankly, I don’t believe we are qualified for the task. We are a flawed race with limited wisdom. But if we could only put our trust in God to take care of things for us, we could rest in the truth that he will; in his way and with his measures, respond justly. I realize that it is easy to say that we are ready to leave it up to God, but it can be very difficult to do, especially when the pain is raw. But we have to believe that God has it under control, and that we serve a just God who will make the most righteous call.

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We have to remember that it is for God to avenge, not us, and his scales of justice are always right. I’m not saying that it’s easy, but if you’ve been wronged, I hope you can find comfort in knowing that God has it handled. I watch a lot of true crime shows, and I’m rarely satisfied with the level of justice dealt out by our justice system. Often times it seems as though a small crime gets a strict sentence, while greater crimes get only a slap on the wrist. Regardless of what is done here on earth, God’s justice system is perfect. We need to trust him to do what we are not qualified to do; and that is to judge and to avenge.

Not Ashamed

What does it mean to be ashamed of the gospel? Most believers aren’t ashamed of the gospel in private, or when it is safe. We will pray when we’re alone, read the Bible when no one is watching, and attend church with other Christians who believe like we do. But are we ashamed of the gospel in public when we don’t have a group of believers at our back? Will we stand up for what is right when it isn’t popular? Will we share our faith with an unbeliever knowing that we might get shut down or rejected? In Romans 1:16, Paul says:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Paul preached the gospel even when it wasn’t popular; even when there were major consequences for doing it. I think of being ashamed of the gospel much the same way that I look at being friends with someone who is unpopular, dating someone who isn’t attractive, or being forced to take your kid sister to an event with you where your reputation is at stake. In private, these people may be great. The unpopular friend may be your very best friend. The unattractive girlfriend may have you falling in love with her. And at home, you may love playing with your kid sister. But in public, you may feel embarrassed to be with the very same people you’re happy to be with in private. Let that not be how we treat the gospel. Let us not be ashamed to let anyone know that we love the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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We should never be ashamed of the gospel, even when it isn’t popular. Jesus tells us that if we deny him before men, he will deny us before the Father. On the contrary, we should be excited about the good news of the gospel because as Paul puts it, “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes”. Not everyone will accept the gospel. Some will even be hostile to it. Others may judge you because of your belief in it. And still others may change their opinion of you because of your faith. But if you look at the big picture, nothing is more important than the salvation given to us through Jesus. He died for us. And we shouldn’t deny him to anyone.