Bible Study - Hard (4) Love Your Enemies - Luke 6:27-36 - May 5, 2019

Bible Study – Hard (4) – Love Your Enemies – May 5, 2019

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “HE said What? Hard Sayings of JESUS.”

Our focus scripture is Luke 6:27-36.

Love your enemies even as CHRIST has loved you.

How has JESUS loved you? The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8:

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

At one time every person was alienated from GOD because of sin but the love of JESUS, for each of us, compelled HIM to willingly give HIS sinless life for us. JESUS is GOD’S loving gift to every person. But as with any gift, each person must accept HIS Gift and that is an act of the will. When a person accepts this free gift, a miracle takes place within his or her body. His or her spirit is reborn and his or her dna is Spiritually changed from earth dna to Heavenly DNA. Those reborn in their spirit become children of GOD through this miracle of regeneration.

JESUS was teaching both HIS followers and HIS disciples in an area referred to as the “Sermon on the Plain.” HIS sermon dealt with attitudes and actions for those already HIS disciples.

It is natural for most humans to retaliate when they are threatened. What did JESUS teach? Why do we look at this teaching as hard?

The definition of “enemy” as used was a person not close to you or like you in any way. He or she was a person hostile to you and if left unguarded would do you great harm.

Love on the other hand, as used, meant “welcome, entertain, fond of” and in its strongest form is “to love dearly.” JESUS was saying this is the attitude Christians should have toward a person they would consider his or her enemy. WOW! I think JESUS is meddling, or is HE? How can such love come from a Christian toward those who would fall into the category of enemy? Christians must be filled with and controlled by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Let’s explore! 

Let’s read Luke 6:27-28:

Love Your Enemies

27 "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Why did JESUS begin HIS teaching “But I say to you who listen?” Many of us can hear a person speak but not be interested in what he or she is either saying or has to say? Why? Often, we consider the source. Do we trust what the speaker is saying or interested in what the speaker is saying? Has the speaker demonstrated a command of the subject matter he or she is espousing? It is the Holy Spirit Who gets our attention and when HE does, we listen with Spiritual ears.

So, JESUS prefaced HIS remarks with what I am about to tell you applies to those who are listening with ears eager to learn and to apply what I am teaching:

Love your enemies:

do good to those who hate you,

bless those who curse you,

pray for those who mistreat you.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:20:

20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."

We can all read these instructions but how to we apply them?

You can attempt to muster up your own strength or you can use such situations to examine your Spiritual growth. If your heart does not reflect the attitude you know that JESUS teaches, then confess it and seek HIS guidance and strength to change it. Doing as JESUS taught only comes from our change of heart as brought about through the renewing of our minds as brought about by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Most of us enjoy the part in verse 20 about “heaping coals of fire on our enemies head.”

JESUS continued HIS teaching -----

Let’s read Luke 6:29-3,1:

29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either.

30 Give to everyone who asks from you, and from one who takes away your things, don't ask for them back.

31 Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.

Treat others like you want to be treated under the same circumstances.

How can we do that? For Christians, we must allow the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. For those without JESUS, they must muster up the strength. But how many thinks of doing the things JESUS teaches? Even if they, non-Christians, do, where do they get their strength?

I recall an event my dad passed along to me many years ago. Dad was a supervisor in a cotton mill. He had a preacher working for him. The preacher and a fellow worker got into an altercation and the man hit the preacher on the creek. The preacher promptly turned the other creek and offered it to the man to hit. The man struck him on the other cheek and the preacher responded. How do you think the pastor responded? The preacher responded by beating the man who struck him. When my dad questioned the preacher, the preacher quoted verse 29 If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also.

The preacher told him that the Bible does not say what to do after you turned the other cheek, so he beat the man who had hit him. As I recall, both men were terminated.

Christians are to defend themselves.

Let’s read Luke 6:32-36:

32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

The word “love” carries the idea of “grace” or loving others in spite of their love for you, as a Christian. It is an ongoing love. As we read the following verses “doing good” or “lending” they carry the idea of ongoing actions. They are not actions Christians do once but ongoing.

By the same token, Christians must consider that neither does GOD give HIS Children things that will harm them. As Christians, we are to help those in need to become self-sustaining. As the old saying goes, “give a person a fish and you feed him or her for a day but teach the person how to fish and you feed him or her for a lifetime.” We are not to become enablers but helpers to give a hand-up instead of a hand-out.

33 If you do what is good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.

34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners to be repaid in full.

35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.

36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Quid pro quo is not good enough or if you scratch my back, I will scratch your back. There is a world order and there is a Holy Spirit directed order.

The old saying is still alive today, “Birds of a feather stick together.” We love to be in the company of those who do as we do – pornography, sex, alcohol, drugs, gambling, stealing, robbing, etc.

We have heard it stated, “Why did this person end up the way he or she did?” Well, they just got into the wrong crowd.” A person choosing the wrong crowd can end up with much suffering or even a person losing his or her life both upon earth and eternally.

JESUS was teaching Christians who desired to live according to the teachings of JESUS.

JESUS teachings in Matthew 5:43-48:

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'

44 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,

45 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.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Placing your faith in JESUS changes your earthly “dna” to Spiritual “DNA” through the miracle of Spiritual rebirth. Just as a baby is born in the flesh, it has to be nourished and cared for until it can take care of itself. The same is true with Christians. Once we are born into GOD’S Family there is a growth process. JESUS stated it best in John 15:1-7:

1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

When Christians “abide” in JESUS, they trust in HIM. A process takes place as recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Romans 12:1-2:

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

and Titus 3:3-7:

3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared,

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

All Christians are saved the instant they place their faith in JESUS. Salvation is also the beginning of the process of sanctification or being made into the image of JESUS.

Have you accepted JESUS as your Savior? Have you made HIM the LORD of your life? JESUS loved you so much that HE gave HIS life to pay, in full for your sins, so that you can become a born-again Son or Daughter of GOD. This is the free gift GOD offers to all but you have to accept it. As with any gift you have a choice to take it or leave it. How do you choose? Be wise and choose eternal life through faith in JESUS!

Blessings!!!