Love Your Enemy to Be a Child of God #2326

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you (Matthew 5:43–44, NKJV).”

The Law of Moses did not say, “Hate your enemy.” The scribes and Pharisees omitted “as yourself” when teaching its command to “love your neighbor.” (They also had trouble identifying their neighbor, Luke 10:29-37). Jesus had already warned against hate and its judgment in this sermon (Matt. 5:21-26). Now, He corrects the “righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees” by teaching the very essence of love. Love shows goodwill toward its enemies as well as toward those with whom it agrees (Matt. 5:46-47). This comprehensive and selfless trait of love is the embodiment of God’s love for all humanity (Matt. 5:45). We cannot claim to be a child of God and hate our enemy. Love is “unconquerable benevolence, undefeatable goodwill” (Wm. Barclay). We must not allow the world to define love for us. God is love, and in love, He gave His Son for us when we were His enemies in our sin (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8, 10). Love does not overlook sin, truth, and justice. At the same time, love refuses to be driven by hateful motives and vengeful conduct toward its abusers (Matt. 5:38-42). The perfecting of our character “as your Father in heaven is perfect” includes loving everyone like God (Matt. 5:48; 1 John 4:20).

Accepting Jesus #1370

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10–13, NKJV)

He who created the world came into the world to save the world, but His creation (humanity) did not know Him. They did not perceive who He was, even though His Light shined in the dark world to replace death with eternal life (John 1:5, 9). He came to His chosen people (Israel), but the nation did not accept Him. When people received (accepted) Jesus they believed in His name and were given the right to become children of God (v. 12). Please note that accepting (receiving) Jesus did not make the believer a child of God, it gave that person the right (the authority, power, or freedom to act) to become a child of God (to be born of God, v. 13). Yet, to this day the lost are being told they are born again when they accept Jesus. No, the believer has the right to become God’s child; that is what verse 12 says. The new birth does not occur at the moment of faith. The new birth, of water and the Spirit, occurs when the believer calls on the Lord’s name by being baptized to wash away his sins (John 3:5; Acts 22:16). Accepting Jesus is the beginning, not the end, of becoming a child of God.