Love Your Enemies

After being wounded so deeply by people I endeared as mentors in my life, finding forgiveness and the freedom to love was a difficult journey for me. I hosted a rather lengthy conversation about loving your enemies on my Facebook wall a few months ago and out of every thought provoking status I post, this was one of the very few that no one disagreed with. We are to love our enemies. The question remains, just how do we love the people who have been the most vile to us?

Why does Egypt have to go through war, when they can simply love each other? Why must the Democrats and Republicans be at war with one another when they can love each other? Do people even know why they are enemies? What makes them an enemy? Below is the Coca Cola advertisement that was aired during the Superbowl. Please watch it before reading what I share below.

Isn't it amazing what they were able to agree upon when their law had forbidden them to have contact with each other? For the love of Coca Cola. Amazing.

So what can you find in common with your enemies? What do you and your enemies both love? If we apply this thought provoking article to the 'Christians' we view as our enemies, then what will we see? 

Wait a second!

Why do we view other Christians as our enemies? Maybe they hurt you. They probably did. Christians are known to be some of the most hurtful people.

Lets not try to sweep that fact under the rug. We all know it's true. 

Don't try to compare the ways Christians hurt one another with the way Hitler hurt the Jews. There is no comparison. Pain is pain. Betrayal is betrayal. Sin is sin.

Countries put aside their differences in order to participate in the Olympics. They also put their differences aside to continue commerce. We know that putting aside our differences is possible. 

God put aside his differences with humanity and sent His own Son to die and resurrect so that we can become reconciled to our Father. It wasn't for his love for Coca Cola, to play in the Olympics, or to buy gasoline that he put aside his differences. It was for love. He loves His creation!

While we were still sinners, He died for us.

Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing.

Such powerful words, but do we understand the weight those words carry? He died to save his enemies. He loves his enemies. It's no wonder he asks the same of us.

Since we know Christ told us to love our enemies, then surely he loves them too. He asks us to forgive seventy times seven. I have to believe that He does the same. He tells us to turn the other cheek. 

Is God a Father who says, "Do as I say, not as I do"? 

John 10:37-38, "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

Jesus is One with our Father. Jesus forgave, because Father forgave. The gospel is GREAT news to ALL people. He forgave everyone before they were even born. Believe that He loves you and you can learn to love your enemies too. 

Or does he wait for us to jump through religious hoops in order to receive his forgiveness?

Colossians 1:19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

1 Timothy 2:  5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man^a6who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Christ Jesus

Parody for your provoking thought of the day by Joe Perrott

Luke 17:20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

~Sis