1. There Is A Reason God Commands Us To Love Others Matthew 5:43-48

2. Introduction How often does God put people across our path that we don't like? Ever wonder why? It could be a boss, a co-worker, a former friend, a neighbor, a family member, and even a brother or sister in Christ, or anyone else we feel animosity toward. The reason for these people entering your life is because God is challenging you to be the image of Christ. He does this by teaching you to love even your enemies so that you can be used by Him to be a vessel of compassion.

3. Matthew 5:43 “You have heard that it was said: ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy’.”

4. God Begins To Teach Us About Love The problem that Jesus points out is that this has been a cultural thing their whole life. Such behavior has been approved by the people for generations even in defiance of the Law. Leviticus 19:18 “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself, I am the LORD”. We recognize this as the second greatest command from Jesus (Matthew 22:39).

5. God Is Teaching Us Love If we don't love people who curse us, hate us, use us, and persecute us then we are no better than any non-Christian. If we hate or dislike anyone can we really claim to be children of God? God is love, Jesus is love, and we are to be like Them as we see in verse 48 of our text. God brings these people into our lives for our spiritual benefit and growth, and we fail to realize it. If we obey God it will be for the benefit of our enemies also.

6. Matthew 5:44 "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”.

7. God Is Teaching Us Love Enough of this cultural hatred which they have done their whole lives; Jesus speaks authoritatively to them all to change into what God desires. We are to bless them, which is speaking good things to them. We are to do good to them. Most importantly, we are to pray for them. The problem is those people make it so easy for us to hate them. And that is the challenge we all must face.

8. God Is Teaching Us To Love Love always conquers hate as light conquers darkness. Our natural flesh response is to just get away from those people, thinking then our life will be better. God’s problem with such an attitude is that He is trying to use you to introduce those people to His Son. It seems this message is lost upon God’s people these days.

9. God Is Teaching Us Love Doing these things will turn our hate into love and then God can send His compassion through us to them; touching them with the most powerful force in the universe, LOVE. Jonah prayed in 4:2 “…I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity”. It has always been His design to use Christians to demonstrate to the world His great love and compassion. God wants to use us to show Him to others. Do we really mean it when we sing words such as: “Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me”?

10. Matthew 5:45 "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”.

11. God Is No Respecter Of Persons God treats all mankind with the same love. That is why He sent His Son (John 3:16). God is love (1 John 4:8). God gives every human being the same opportunity to hear and obey so as to be saved (Titus 2:11).

12. Matthew 5:46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

13. Love Is Easy? Loving mommy and daddy is one thing. Loving those who are nice to you is another thing. But to love someone who does not love you is unthinkable. Our whole culture and society thinks this way. That is what is wrong with our society. But that is not what Jesus is teaching you at this time.

14. Matthew 5:47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?”

15. Greet Everyone The Same Wal*mart greeters (when they are out there) greet everyone that comes in the door. The fast food clerk greets everyone who pulls up to the drive-thru or walks in the door. SOMETIMES, they thank you for doing business with them. We walk along the path and kindly smile or greet people we meet. For the most part, everyone does this.

16. Greet Everyone The Same Sure there are a few soreheads and cranky people out there, but we are talking about being friendly. We all know people who we would describe as “salt of the earth”; “downright good people”; or “godly Christian people” even if they do not go to church all the time. Some of our friends in the denominations are great people, even though they are lost.

17. Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”.

18. This is Our Goal: To Be Perfect This is the goal or standard God gave us. And this is where we usually give up. We realize we will never walk on water or perform miracles. We are too humble to think that we can be like Jesus, even though He commands us to be like Him.

19. This is Our Goal: To Be Perfect Unless you are striving for perfection, you are not worthy to be called a child of God. The fact that you will never be perfect should not keep you from doing His will. And it should not dis-hearten you. It should cause you to work harder in His kingdom.

20. Lessons Learned God wants us to be vessels of His compassion that He can use to reach a lost and hurting world. The people that we don't like are probably the people who are hurting the most on the inside. Who are we to judge that they don't deserve the love of God to touch their hearts? Who are we to withhold good, and blessing, and our prayers for them; thus keeping the knowledge of God from them? The Christian life seems to be a series of lessons about how bad we can be and how great God's mercy and compassion is.

21. Lessons Learned We must never forget that we are not in a war with people, we are in a war with Satan. The people that we consider enemies are just prisoners of war taken captive by Satan. (Ephesians 6:12 NKJV) “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”. So let us do what we can to release them from Satan’s domain.

22. Lessons Learned The power of God, which is the power of love, can turn an enemy into a best friend. Showing love to an enemy pleases God and proves that we have great spiritual maturity. (Proverbs 16:6-7 NKJV) “In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil. {7} When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him”.

23. Lessons Learned We must always remember that as citizens of heaven we are ambassadors sent to represent the kingdom, and our King, Jesus Christ. Only by compassion and love can we represent the God of love, the God of compassion. (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit”.

24. Conclusion One way we show love is through prayer; this is where spiritual battles are fought and won. Doing all these things will cause the compassion of God to flow through our hearts as a river of life. This river needs to overflow so that others can benefit from such compassion. It will change our enemies' life and even if they are not affected it will definitely change our life, which is God's plan anyway. Philippians 4:8 “…think on these things”.