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.