3 Reasons to Love Your Enemies

Last week we saw that Jesus demonstrated how to love and forgive our enemies. Here are three more reasons we should love our enemies:

Vengeance is God’s Business

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

When we have been hurt by someone, we naturally want to hurt them back. But God says to let Him take care of it. First of all, He knows, much better than we do, what someone did wrong and what he or she deserves. He is totally just, and his judgments and decisions are 100% correct.

When imperfect humans try to take revenge or carry out “justice,” a never-ending, escalating cycle occurs. In its fullest form, it is known as “war.”

It’s About Eternity

The verse above from Matthew shows that our main concern is not this earthly life (which is like a “vapor” according to James 4:14). Rather, it is eternity. If someone hurts you, steals your property, or even kills you, that is not important in light of eternity.

God has promised His children that we will live in a perfect place, free from want, worry, fear and mourning. No human can take that away from us; so there is no reason to strike back at someone who attacks us.

We Will be Rewarded

“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35)

Again, God sets the example: HE is kind to the unthankful and wicked. What right do we have to be less kind than God?

We know that heaven will be wonderful, but God's children will enjoy greater rewards there if we've lived God's way here on earth. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live God’s way, treating people with love and kindness, especially our enemies. And we can trust Him to glorify Himself and to bless us with heavenly rewards.