Call To Die

Then [Jesus] said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, HCSB)

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Location: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

follower of Christ, husband of Abby, father of Christian, Georgia Grace, and Rory Faith, deacon at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, tutor with Scholé Christian Tradition and Scholé Academy

Monday, March 07, 2011

Matthew 5:43-48 and God's Love for His Enemies (Part 3)

v. 45a, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.

Why should we love our enemies? Jesus gives the answer to this question above.

It is clear, especially from the wider context of the Gospel accounts and the New Testament teachings as a whole, that love for enemies does not cause us to be children of the heavenly Father. Otherwise, one who did not believe in Jesus, or whose life was characterized by all kinds of sin, would have to be considered a son of God merely on the basis of love for enemies; but this is certainly contrary what Jesus says in other places (for example: John 3:18 and Rev 21:8).

Love for enemies, instead, demonstrates that we are children of our heavenly Father. In Matthew 5:43-48, this is the clearest connection found between our love for enemies and God's love for His enemies: if, according to Jesus, when we love our enemies, we are shown to be the children of God, we must conclude that God loves His enemies in a similar way to how we are commanded to love our enemies. Otherwise, love for our enemies would in no way demonstrate that we are like God: that we resemble Him as His children.

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