“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,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
~•Matthew 5:43-48
An example how to love your enemy....read about where apostle Stephen was being stoned to death. He prayed for them while being killed! He asked God to not charge them with that sin!
"When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
~•Acts 7:54-60
But most important of all is our Jesus who gives us the perfect example of how to love our enemies....when He was dying on the cross He prayed the Father to forgive them for they know not what they do.
"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
~•Luke 23:33-34
Then I come on the internet and see Christians' comments on articles and many of them are full of hatred, condemning people to hell! Is that what our Lord Jesus wants from us? That is totally contradicting Jesus' commandments to us. Let us get back to the Bible and pray continuously, for all people, our governments, our loved ones and friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering for their faith in the Lord Jesus, our enemies, therefore we shall be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect, just like Jesus said! God bless you and keep us strong in these evil days to stand for the truth of His word.
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| One of the Christians praying before being beheaded |
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