Daily Devotions
April 29th, 2015 by Pastor SolleyMatt 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
One of the most difficult things in the Christian life is to learn to practice love as Jesus did, yet the Bible clearly teaches that we are to be like Christ. The Pharisees hated Jesus, yet Jesus had such a love for them that He met Nicodemus at night and gave that man the gospel, brought that man to salvation. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, yet Jesus went through Samaria to meet a woman in need, that is how much He loved her. The people Jesus did the most for hung Him on the cross, still he prayed for their forgiveness. Jesus loved my friend and so must we if we are going to know the love of God in our hearts. Why are so many Christians bitter against others in this world, lifeless and bear no fruit for the Lord? They have never learned to love as they have been commanded to. I know of a man who claims to be a Christian, will tell you how much he loves Jesus, holding onto a grudge now for twenty years. The thing is, the person he had issue with has been gone now for fifteen years. How can you still be bitter against one who has passed into glory? That is a lack of love and that person can never understand the love of Christ until they learn to love. How do you feel about those who don’t love you?