We are to love our enemies:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
Who are the enemies of God?
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4:4
Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:7-8
EN'MITY, n.
1. The quality of being an enemy; the opposite of friendship; ill will; hatred; unfriendly dispositions; malevolence. It expresses more than aversion and less than malice,and differs from displeasure in denoting a fixed or rooted hatred, whereas displeasure is more transient.
2. A state of opposition.
EN'EMY, n. L. inimicus.
1. A foe; an adversary. A private enemy is one who hates another and wishes him injury, or attempts to do him injury to gratify his own malice or ill will. A public enemy or foe, is one who belongs to a nation or party, at war with another.
2. One who hates or dislikes; as an enemy to truth or falsehood.
3. In theology, and by way of eminence, the enemy is the Devil; the archfiend.
4. In military affairs, the opposing army or naval force in war, is called the enemy.
What is really love? Is it all emotion and blissful? The Bible speaks of God’s love as being harsh and directive when needed. This contradicts today’s popular culture’s definition of love. The world will say you are hateful if you rebuke or chasten someone. The world says that I am hateful if I state the fact that a sinner is headed to hell. What does the Bible state?
God rebukes and chastens those whom He loves. When we do as he does and rebuke and chasten someone whom requires rebuking and chastening it does not equate to us not loving that individual.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:19
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Hebrews 12:6
When we are truthful as Paul was we are not the enemy but some may make us so because of the words we are required by God to speak. Not everyone will like what they hear but they need to hear it.
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Galatians 4:16
Ezekiel 3:17-21, listed below, will go more into detail this point.
Interesting side note. Popular teaching state that Agape is God’s unconditional love and Phileo is a friendly or brotherly sort of love. Here are some Agape and Phileo uses that contradict popular teachings:
For they loved (Agape) the praise of men more than the praise of God. John 12:43
Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love (phileō) greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; Luke 20:46
For the Father loveth (phileō) the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. John 5:20
The important thing is to not get caught up with the differences. We ought to know the context of when love or charity is used in scriptures and to know the difference between the world’s and God’s definitions of love. The world focuses heavily on emotion and self whereas God’s love is focused on selflessness and facts. Emotions exist and have their place but they do not dictate fact. Emotions are not reliable gauges of what is true.
Psalm 5 speaks of God’s hatred towards the sinner, not just the sin. Does this mean that he wishes harm? No. Peter tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). People today incorrectly think that love is keeping silent if something harsh needs to be said. If the person’s soul is in jeopardy then it would be sinfully and imperfectly hateful not to say the harsh things that are required of God.
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Psalm 5:5
If we do not open our mouths and deliver the message of life and death of heaven and hell then we are in sin.
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin. James 4:17
Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Jude 21-23
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. Ezekiel 3:17-21
The greatest love is when we lay our lives down for someone else. If we do not risk our lives to save someone then do we really love them? In the spiritual sense if we are ashamed to open our mouths to warn the wicked person then we do not love that person who is going to suffer in death for eternity due to their unrepentant sins.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:3 (and 4)
Are you ashamed to speak up? If you truly believe in a place of eternal torment for the unrepentant souls then you would not be ashamed.
For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and [in his] Father's, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:25-26
Be bold and speak up if you truly believe!
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! Romans 10:13-15
I continue to beat on this drum due to the bloodthirsty and warmongering attitudes I see from supposed Christians out there. They talk only of killing the terrorists and murderers and they say nothing in regards to trying to reach them with the gospel before it is too late for them.
Stephen prayed to God that those who were in the process of killing him would not be charged with his death. With his last breath, while being murdered, he still had compassion for their souls. Stephen did this in the most horrible of circumstances yet we, in our plush American homes, cannot bring ourselves to open our mouths and share the gospel with folks who most likely will not raise a hand against us. Shame on the church today…
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60
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