Text: Matthew 5:43-48
I recently saw a statistic indicating that the number of mosques in Texas went from almost none in 1980 to over 300 today. Many see nothing wrong with this, and others actually think it is good. The problem is that Islam is an ideology of oppression and death. As numbers grow, so will persecution. They are enemies of Christ and anyone claiming to be His people. What should our attitude be toward such people? Jesus said we are to love our enemies, but what does that mean? What does it look like for us today?
Recognize That You Have Enemies
- We are to strive to be at peace with all (Romans 12:18) – but it is not always “possible”
- Jesus did not say that if we are nice enough to everyone, we will be able to get along with everybody – instead, He taught that we WILL face opposition (John 15:18-19); the world hates Jesus; they crucified Him, so we should not expect to be accepted
- Jesus warned that His disciples would face persecution (Matthew 5:10-12) – if we follow Christ, we will have enemies
Be Able to Identify Your Enemies
- It is not enough just to recognize the concept that we will have enemies – we have to be able to identify them (Matthew 10:16); because of this danger, we need to have wisdom
- This includes recognizing WHO poses a threat – Paul identified one such individual (2 Timothy 4:14-15); he did this so Timothy would know WHO to guard against; we must be able to identify individuals and groups who pose a threat to Christians and the cause of Christ
Do Good to Them (within Limits)
- Paul talked about providing help to our enemies (Romans 12:20) – but we do NOT do this in a way that would show approval of them; this is the same principle as our treatment of false teachers (cf. 2 John 10-11)
- We do not show kindness for our enemies in a way that suggests approval or supports their evil
- We show kindness in such a way that will hopefully provoke them to repent
Pray for Them
- Jesus said to do this (Matthew 5:44) – this does NOT mean we pray for them to prosper in their wickedness
- Pray that they would have a change of heart (2 Timothy 2:26) – if this does not happen…
- Pray that they will be stopped – this is the role of civil authorities (Romans 13:4); we do not want the enemies of Christ and His people to have free course to practice their evil; we want (and pray) for the civil authorities to stop them
Try to Turn Them to the Truth
- Remember that Paul was once an enemy of Christ, but he was converted (Acts 9:1-2) – he was the “foremost of all” sinners (1 Timothy 1:13, 15), but he believed in Christ and obeyed the gospel; this was an amazing thing for people to hear about (Galatians 1:23)
- Ideally, we want to see this happen with every enemy of Christ – we can use our opportunties to help this, but realize that Paul was the exception, not the norm; we need to be careful about how we attempt to reach the lost (Matthew 7:6); some will not be receptive, and them positioning themselves as enemies of Christ is an indication
- We should plant the seed in the hearts of others, including our enemies, as we have opportunity – but recognize that it is hard to convert them and that it rarely happens; it can, but it is difficult
Conclusion
- No matter how much we try to get along with the world and show the love of Christ to them, some will hate us
- If we follow Christ, we WILL have enemies – we must be able to identify them, not tolerate their evil deeds, but pray for them, try to influence them through our good deeds, and teach as we can
- In all of this, we must remember the reward we will receive if we suffer at the hands of such enemies
