TEXT: Matthew 5:43-45:
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.
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Amy Carmichael said, “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”
In this passage, Jesus lets us know that the only way we can truly love our enemies is by giving of ourselves — by our prayers, words, and deeds. He shares three ways that we can do this. First, He says, “Bless them that curse you.” We should invoke blessings over our enemies instead of wishing for bad things to happen to them. Then, He says, “Do good to them that hate you.” We ought to act in a manner that is positive in response to negativity from others.
This can be challenging especially when our enemies turn out to be those whom we least expect. For example, in Matthew 10, Jesus tells us that our own family members can turn out to be our enemies on account of the Gospel. He said, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Still, we ought to love them and act loving toward them. And Jesus gives us another way we must do this.
He tells us to love our enemies by “praying for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Praying is probably the simplest thing to do regarding our enemies, yet so many find it exceedingly difficult. But prayer, like God’s agape love, is not dependent on our feelings or emotions. We can pray in a way that is not in alignment with our feelings, but is in alignment with God’s will. When we pray for our enemies, we hand over the situation to God and let Him deal with the other person as He sees fit. We also open the door for God to communicate to us how He would like for us to deal with that person in the future. In prayer, we can express our honest frustrations, and allow God to replace it with His grace, mercy, and love.
The world would be a much different, and a much better, place if we all chose to love our enemies, bless them, do good to them, and pray for them. As Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him your friend.”
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Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
The Gospel Light Minute X 