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love your enemies

Discussion in '2000-02 Archive' started by massdak, Nov 30, 2002.

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  1. massdak

    massdak Active Member
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    first i want to state that i am of the Calvinist camp, but one point for the arminian side is this verse that i dont really see them use for the benefit of their already weak case mathew 5-43. this is a confusing point that i would have to ask, why would God ask us to love enemies as well as neighbors? would this include those who obviously maynot be of the elect?
    does God love all of His enemies?
    :confused:

    Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
    Mat 5:44 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;
    Mat 5:45 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.
    Mat 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
     
    #1 massdak, Nov 30, 2002
  2. Helen

    Helen <img src =/Helen2.gif>

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    HI massdak,

    I think the primary point here is not a Calvinism/non-Calvinism point, but rather, "what does it mean to love someone?"

    To love is to commit to care for, over and above discomfort to oneself. Hebrews 6:7-8 gives us a picture, too -- rain falls on all the land. But what does the land produce?

    Again, Christ showed compassion to all who came to Him asking for healing or help. We have no idea if all of these particular people were saved eventually. We do know that out of ten lepers cleansed, only one returned to thank Him. This may give us a clue... [​IMG]

    As Christ says, if we do good only to those who do good to us, we are the same as everyone. Who is going to notice the difference Christ has made in our lives? What kind of a witness, really, is that?

    But if we make a concerted effort to show care and concern, above our point of discomfort, to EVERYone we possibly can, friend or foe, then this is very different from the world, and we are truly presenting a witness to the character of Christ within us.

    Does that make sense? I do think it is an issue which is not doctrinal in the sense of supporting one doctrine against another, but is something apart from that, standing simply as an order from our Lord to all who claim His name.
     
    #2 Helen, Nov 30, 2002
  3. KenH

    KenH Well-Known Member

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    Amen, Helen. [​IMG]

    Ken
     
    #3 KenH, Nov 30, 2002
  4. Headcoveredlady

    Headcoveredlady New Member

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    Massdak,
    I am sorry I have nothing to add to the calvinistic/arminiam debate. However, I have found in my experience that praying for my enemies is a wonderful way to love them. Sometimes we get to put love into action that they can specifically see as well by doing good things for them. Have you found that as well in your experience with loving your enemies?

    HCL
     
    #4 Headcoveredlady, Nov 30, 2002
  5. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Many mistakenly assume that loving someone is the same as liking someone.
     
    #5 Johnv, Dec 1, 2002
  6. Abiyah

    Abiyah <img src =/abiyah.gif>

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    I believe that there are many kinds of love, and
    these have degrees and intensities. For exam-
    ple, I love my husband differently from the way
    I love my children. I love my neighbors, my
    mother, and my siblings each in entirely differ-
    ent ways than these. I love the stranger in the
    street, whose name I do not know, even dirrer-
    ently than all these.

    I also believe that when we love our neighbor,
    this speaks volumres about ourselves but
    should really have nothing to do with the
    demeanor or anything else about that neighbor.
    It is just something we do.

    I think an important question might be this: How
    do our neighbors know we love them?
     
    #6 Abiyah, Dec 1, 2002
  7. BobRyan

    BobRyan Well-Known Member

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    Actually - I agree with the opening post. God sets the standard by "So Loving the World".

    While we were dead in sin - enslaved to sin -- the Same God who "is not willing for Any to perish but for ALL to come to repentance" - died for us.

    God who loves - all mankind and has no pleasure in the death of "anyone" Ezek 18 end of chapter -- can be expected (using the Arminian basics to predict this) to deal with the loss of a loved one in the future as follows .

    There will be no possibility of discovering that God only hated your child from the start, or that God never took the time to love them.

    In Christ,

    Bob

    [ December 03, 2002, 12:36 AM: Message edited by: BobRyan ]
     
    #7 BobRyan, Dec 3, 2002
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