TheLionOfG-D
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Do you love and help the enemies of God?
The Enemies of God
- Thread starter TheLionOfG-D
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B-A-C
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It seems you are asking questions that have conflicting answers. Logic isn't a one size fits all answer. We aren't fighting a battle of logic, we are fighting a battle of truth.
Do we love and help the enemies of God.. that's a pretty open ended question.
Love seems like an easy answer, "all we need is love" but that isn't really the answer either.
We are supposed to love everyone, even our enemies. (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27; Luke 6:35 etc..) Some will say we are supposed to love unconditionally. It's funny this word doesn't even exist in the Bible.
Love and help our enemies? Yes.
Love them more than our families? No
Love them more than God no?
Help them? Yes... (Matt 5:40)
Help them if it hurts your relationship with God? No
Help them if it causes you to sin? No
Helping and loving your enemies does have limits. The answer to this question isn't a simple "yes" or "no".
Do we love and help the enemies of God.. that's a pretty open ended question.
Love seems like an easy answer, "all we need is love" but that isn't really the answer either.
We are supposed to love everyone, even our enemies. (Matt 5:44; Luke 6:27; Luke 6:35 etc..) Some will say we are supposed to love unconditionally. It's funny this word doesn't even exist in the Bible.
Love and help our enemies? Yes.
Love them more than our families? No
Love them more than God no?
Help them? Yes... (Matt 5:40)
Help them if it hurts your relationship with God? No
Help them if it causes you to sin? No
Helping and loving your enemies does have limits. The answer to this question isn't a simple "yes" or "no".
Last edited:
Hello LionofG-d.
Forgiving your enemies may be more to the point.
In fact, enemies have issues with God not with me.
After all the Bible is about Jesus and His Kingdom,
this is the line in the sand. God's tremendous
kindness to us all in offering us eternal life in
bliss.
Who could have a problem with the Good News?
Forgiving your enemies may be more to the point.
In fact, enemies have issues with God not with me.
After all the Bible is about Jesus and His Kingdom,
this is the line in the sand. God's tremendous
kindness to us all in offering us eternal life in
bliss.
Who could have a problem with the Good News?
Is an unrepentant sinner who corrupts God's congregation an "enemy" of God? Notice how the bible says such ones should be treated.
I think its important to note, love can be shown in many different ways. You might think showing love only refers to reaching out to help others, but the bible shows there is one very important way we can show love to a so-called enemy of God.
When a man in Corinth was unrepentantly immoral, Paul told the congregation: "I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-not even to eat with such a one... REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13, NASB) The same was to occur with people who promote divisions within the congregation, such as Hymenaeus: "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned." (Titus 3:10, 11; 1 Timothy 1:19, 20, NASB) John wrote in 2 John 9-11: "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." It seams to me, unrepentant sinners who try to tear congregations apart are like enemies of God!
Such shunning would be appropriate, and interesting an expression of love. The congregation in Corinth tolerated fornication that was worse than even among the nations, so Paul urged the Corinthians to "In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Corinthians 5:4, 5) By treating such a person in such a way, putting them out of the congregation and refusing to have anything to do with them, helps them to see they have to change, and thus save them from unrepentant sin.
This is "tough love" in action, against God's enemies that helps them to see they need to change for their own benefit.
I think its important to note, love can be shown in many different ways. You might think showing love only refers to reaching out to help others, but the bible shows there is one very important way we can show love to a so-called enemy of God.
When a man in Corinth was unrepentantly immoral, Paul told the congregation: "I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler-not even to eat with such a one... REMOVE THE WICKED MAN FROM AMONG YOURSELVES. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13, NASB) The same was to occur with people who promote divisions within the congregation, such as Hymenaeus: "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned." (Titus 3:10, 11; 1 Timothy 1:19, 20, NASB) John wrote in 2 John 9-11: "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds." It seams to me, unrepentant sinners who try to tear congregations apart are like enemies of God!
Such shunning would be appropriate, and interesting an expression of love. The congregation in Corinth tolerated fornication that was worse than even among the nations, so Paul urged the Corinthians to "In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." (1 Corinthians 5:4, 5) By treating such a person in such a way, putting them out of the congregation and refusing to have anything to do with them, helps them to see they have to change, and thus save them from unrepentant sin.
This is "tough love" in action, against God's enemies that helps them to see they need to change for their own benefit.
