Daily Bread 2-9-18
The Sermon on the mount(cont'd)
Matthew 5:43,44
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 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;
ref. - Lv 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
Dt 23:6 - Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
Pr 25:21 - If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
Ro 12:14 - Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
These things were not given us by Jesus Christ to replace the law, but to add to it. Rather than just love your neighbor, which can be done by either sinner or saint, we are told to love all mankind. Not only to love our neighbor, but to love our enemy also. Actually, more importantly to love our enemies, and to pray for them. This is what sets us apart from all others as Christians is that we can do that which is not "normal" or "acceptable in common culture. Someone who is possessed by bad spirits cannot love their enemy, but they can only love their own. But a man who is filed with the Spirit of Christ can love all and do good unto all others. Can you pray for those who despise you today? Can you really pray for them? Can you bless them? Can you help them even though you know they will spit right in your face? These are the priceless gifts that only Christ can give and they can only be given through his Holy Spirit. So, once again, we as Christians are being held to a higher standard than any other followers of God have ever been held. We are being given things that even the wealthy and highly educated cannot attain(unless, that is, they repent and be saved at the feet of Jesus). Only followers of Christ will be able to pull this off as it is Spiritual instruction and a Spiritual change needs to take place in us. So, even if it against your own will, pray today for this gift and pray for someone who is fighting against you and trying to oppress you. The release that you will be given will far outweigh what you would receive if you fought back, talked back, or even won any carnal battle on this earth. Remember Ephesians 6:12 -"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The fight is not on this earth, it is inside each and every one of us, and in Jesus Christ, the battle will be won!! Have a great day!!!