15/11/2022 - LEARNING HOW TO LOVE

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You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ Matthew 5.43

By being born again, we understand the language of the Old Testament, and thus, we please the Lord, fulfilling the determinations of the Old Covenant. Being children of God in the full meaning of the Word, we bring the Love of Jesus to hearts resentful for not having received affection from other Christians. It is good to learn to love those who claim to be our enemies, but we cannot forget our brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6.10).

You can see from our Savior’s teaching that the keynote of the Gospel is to truly love the suffering. Now, if we are to preach the Good News, how are we to do that-if we don’t have God’s love even for those we consider our adversaries? If we hate them, we act like the people who stone and kill the servants of the Lord. After all, we are the same as Jesus; therefore, we can do the same works that He did (John 14.12). Our faithfulness to God’s work shows whether we love Him!

Understanding the biblical meaning of loving will help us to fulfill the mission given by the Master. This act is more than simply declaring to love someone. Jesus said: He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him (John 14.21). To love God is to have the commandments and keep them, and to love your neighbor is to bring blessings to him. Go and love!

To obey the command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12.31), we must have the promises of the Lord and claim them on behalf of that person. Regarding our opponents, we must use the promises in prayer. If we have done them no harm, what reason do they have to hate us? But as we know, this enmity does not come from man, but from the devil, who tries to prevent us from evangelizing and snatching from eternal fire those who are being used by him. Believe and pray!

The Christian has to be on his guard against the wiles of the evil one, as well as being watchful so as not to fall into temptation (Ephesians 6.11). Whoever is connected to the Lord will be used by the Holy Spirit, who is power and love. If not by divine love, there is no way to rapture someone who is already under eternal condemnation and has collaborated with the devil, hating the children of God. Nothing is difficult for the Most High. We just have to love Him with all our hearts!

If you believe that Jesus exaggerated on His teachings, you are not yet born again. It is rebellion to act contrary to His recommendation. The Savior admonished: But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, (Matthew 5.44). The Messiah further declared that whoever abides in His Word truly becomes His disciple (John 8.31). Demand your rights!

The Savior’s instructions serve a good purpose for those who decide to believe in Him. We cannot separate His directions because we don’t like them. The reason He tells us to love as He loved is this: that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5.45). God’s servants love!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares