Today, we going to continue in our message series – Learn from Jesus. In many of Jesus’ teachings, there are what some call “hard sayings.” These hard sayings are often not hard to understand, they are hard to obey, hard to put into practice.
Today, my message is entitled “Love Your Enemies.” This is a hard saying of Jesus. Not hard to understand, but hard to do. As we begin to think about loving our enemies, we need to answer the question, who is my enemy? Some might say, well, I have no enemies. We’re going to see that everyone has enemies, lots of enemies, whether they realize it or not.
What is an enemy? The dictionary defines enemy as “someone who is actively opposed or hostile to you.” The word enemy or enemies is used 30 times in the New Testament. So, let’s see what the Bible has to say about enemies.
Philippians 3:18-19 (ESV) For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
These verses speak of enemies of the cross, these enemies are unbelievers. e were all enemies of the cross before we were saved.
Romans 5:10 (ESV) For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
God saves people who are His enemies and turns them into children of God. What a wonderful transformation. The enemies of the cross follow, not Jesus, but the enemy, Satan.
Matthew 13:39a (ESV) and the enemy who sowed them is the devil.
So we have two armies in the world today. The army of Satan consisting of all unbelievers following the enemy, Satan. And the army of God, following the Lord Jesus Christ. How do we as believers, win the battle against the enemies of the cross? Not by hating, hurting or killing our enemies, but by loving our enemies.
How does that win the battle? As we love our enemies, the enemies of the cross, they will be saved and become part of the family of God. We are destined to turn enemies into brothers and sisters in the family of God. So, today, you’re going to learn more from Jesus about loving your enemies. Easy to say, hard to put into practice. Why? Because the natural, ungodly response is to hate our enemies. We must learn to love our enemies as God loved us when we were His enemies.