The Greatest of These Is Love

Of all the commands Jesus ever gave to His disciples, “Love your enemies” may be the most difficult to understand and to obey. How do you love people who may hate you? What does it mean to love your enemies? Can you love and hate at the same time? It seems that we have more questions than answers! BUT … God does not leave us to navigate these difficult waters on our own. He gives us in His Word all the information we need to understand His commands and He gives us His Spirit to teach and empower us to obey. The key is found in discovering God’s definition of “love” and God’s response to evil. Paul writes in Romans 12:9: “Abhor (hate) what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” So when people do things that are evil, by God’s definition, do we hate them or do we love them? David wrote in Psalm 139:21-22: “Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies!” Is Jesus now telling us to LOVE these? Some have tried to reconcile these two things by saying, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner,and we have to do the same.” In our message this morning we will see what God says about these things in His Word and arrive at a place where we can obey Jesus’ command and at the same time stand against evil for the glory of God. Pray for wisdom as we once again search God’s Word for the truth that leads to love for God and love for our neighbor!