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“Ye have heard that
it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.”
As always, the false teachers had perverted and corrupted God’s message to His
people. It was a twofold perversion - perversion by omission and perversion by
addition. They omitted the phrase, “as thyself ” and they
added “and hate thine enemy.” Their message was lifted from God’s
Word and it contained something from God’s revealed truth, yet there was a
great departure from true, divine revelation. Satan’s perversion of God’s
revelation often contains a little truth which makes his deception believable
and so damns the souls of multitudes who are ignorant of the truth.
Where could they have got
the idea of being commanded to hate their enemies? They confused God’s enemies,
enemies of the nation, enemies of mankind and enemies of God’s Kingdom with
personal enemies (2 Chronicles 19:1,2; 1 Kings 21:20; 2 Samuel 12:14; Psalms
37:20; 139:20-22; 2 Chronicles 20:29; Esther 3:8-10; Acts 13:8-10; Philippians
3:18,19; James 4:4). They did not want to live up to God’s standard of loving
their enemies as themselves, so they gave in to confusion, perversion and false
interpretation. It is always like that. All who are full of self-love and
self-centredness will always get themselves into self-deception through false
interpretation.
“But
I say unto you ...” What an authority! The emphasis is not only on what
is said but on Who said it. It was not just that His teaching was the standard
of truth; He Himself was the standard of truth. God’s love sent Him to save the
world; His love brought Him to redeem humanity. He was not just the Word
personified, He was Love in person. He came, full of pure, divine, infinite
love. His love overleaped all the boundaries of race, nationality, age, culture
and tribe. He had all authority to say, faithfully and forcefully, “love
your enemies.” What He commanded seems
impossible for the natural man. It is contrary to human nature to love our
enemies. The carnal nature in man does not normally wish or seek the best for
those who do the worst to him. Christ’s command requires a great transformation
of our heart and nature. Genuine love for our enemies is one of sure evidences
of true conversion and salvation. Lack of love for our enemies is a great
warning sign that our profession lacks heaven’s approval. “But I say unto
you, Love your enemies.” This is the kind of love that seeks and works
to meet another’s highest welfare. This love involves both our attitude
and our action towards our enemies, all our enemies.
“Be ye therefore
perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The word,
therefore, connects this verse to the preceding verses on love. This is a call
to perfection in love, not perfection in knowledge, wisdom or power. ‘Be ye
therefore perfect in love, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect in
love’. Impossible? How can a loving Lord and Saviour demand and command what He
knows to be impossible and unattainable? Yet, we must be quick to say that this
perfection and the full scope of Christian perfection commanded in the
Scriptures is utterly impossible in man’s own power. Christ, who has commanded
this perfection, also assured us, “with men this is impossible; but with
God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). That which God demands,
He provides the power to accomplish. The impossible becomes possible for those
who trust in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Sanctifier, because He gives them
enabling, abundant, sufficient grace. “Be ye therefore perfect, even as
your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Be blessed as you listen to this third message on Christ-like Love. I pray that the love of God will be perfected in our hearts in Jesus' name.
-Charity
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