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A revolutionary subject in the bible with regards to the qualities of a true Christian – ‘Love your enemy’! Though it’s hard to love their enemies, God’s people are yet to define the very term “Enemy”. Besides, there are numerous verses in the bible that speaks how to love and avoid enemies’ within the limits of God’s righteousness. Yet, loving our enemies seems inappropriate when the power of Satan is often manifested on earth in human forms. And remember that the true Christians operate with the mindset of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), being able to discern good and evil! So, let’s see what the bible has to say about it:
It is divinely logic when the bible question believers in Matthew 5:46; “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the sinners or tax collectors doing that?” And at the same time, this whole idea is contrasted with another verse written in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15; “Do not be yoked together with sinners or unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” Also, it is written in Psalm 1:1; “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers”.
In short, those verses in the bible about ‘loving thy enemy’ bring much confusion. The true discernment from the Lord is the key to decipher this dilemma, I suppose! Since the word of God is true and have no confusion, there shouldn’t be any doubt on this topic rather to conclude with an understanding based on the light and dark theory – where the darkness cannot prevail in light. It is imperative to understand as well this concept as a common knowledge that “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). (Read also the verses written in Romans 12:19-21, which gives additional light to this concept)
Therefore, loving your enemy is not necessarily the act of associating with the evil people and functioning in their midst, for any reason; instead it is the concept or a mindset that treats everyone as same at any given time or situation. And it is written in Matthew 5:45; “That you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. In addition, the bible says, do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9). In other words, show respect and humility to everyone without any partiality – a sort of best way, to love each and everyone. With the true love of God in our hearts, we cannot hate our fellow beings, I suppose. Amen
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