March 7, 2014 Love Your Enemy (2)
Friday March 7, 2014
Who do you see as your enemy today? Who seeks to harm you? The Bible tells us that our enemies are not really people but people controlled by the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The people who have harmed, or continue to harm us, were or are in the power of these evil forces. We need to see people in this light. Even we ourselves, when we sin, are submitting to those evil unseen forces.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13 NIV)
Our Father in heaven is perfect and He, because of His unfailing love for us, wants us to be perfect also. That means we are to love our neighbour as He loves us. Would you be willing to lay down your life for someone who behaves in a way that is contrary to all that you are? Jesus did? God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us, that in Him we might have the righteousness of God.
If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:46-48 NLT)
The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. (Hebrews 7:28 NLT)
The enemy of our souls accuses us, but Jesus stands as our High Priest forever and says we are perfect in Him. Don’t allow unforgiveness to take away that sweet communion with Jesus. One of Mother Teresa’s sayings is, “If you judge people you have no time to love them”. Why let your judgment of someone else’s sin keep you in bondage to fear and hatred? If we refuse to forgive the wrongs done against us, we have judged the persons involved as “not worthy of God’s forgiveness or ours”. Would you want to be judged with the same judgment that you use?
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1-2 NLT)
Why not let today be the start of your own healing from the judgment of others. Your heart will be at peace when you forgive and you will be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.
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