THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

ON LOVING OTHERS

"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." - I JOHN 4: 16

          "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

          nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love

          of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  - ROMANS 8:38,39

WHY SHOULD WE "LOVE OUR ENEMIES"?

BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF JESUS' BASIC RULES!

"THE GOLDEN RULE"

" AS YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE ALSO TO THEM LIKEWISE." - LUKE 6:31

             When he disturbed existing religious traditions, Jesus faced the same resistance that we face today.

  In the age of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth", his concepts were truly revolutionary. 

                                                He explained why we should live by the Golden Rule in his "Sermon on the Mount." - MATT. 5: 38-48.

          "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:

          but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if any man will sue thee at the law, and

          take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.  Give to

          him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.  Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou

          shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  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;   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.  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same?  And if ye salute your

          brethren only, what do ye more than others?  do not even the publicans so?  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father

          which is in heaven is perfect."

THE APOSTLE PAUL ALSO EXPLAINED WHY WE SHOULD "LOVE OTHERS"

BECAUSE LOVING OTHERS ENRICHES OUR LIVES AND

WHATEVER WE FAIL TO SHARE WITH OTHERS, BECOMES WORTHLESS!

            The Bible repeatedly admonishes us to love our fellow man, but 1st Corinthians, Chapter 13 tells us why.   Without charity (or love),

          our lives feel empty.    Many Biblical Scholars believe that the word "love" substituted for the word "charity", (as done below), properly

          sets forth Paul's inspiration.   The third paragraph seems to define charity as we use the word today and the fourth paragraph

          seems to define love.    But whether the word is charity or love, the message is the same:   When we consider whatever talents or

          riches God has graciously given us, those talents and riches only become meaningful when we share them with others.

                 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not (love), I am become as sounding brass,

               or a tinkling cymbal.

               And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith,

               so that I could remove mountains, and have not (love), I am nothing.

               And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not (love),

               it profiteth me nothing.

                (Love) suffereth long, and is kind; (love) envieth not; (love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave

                itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth

                in the truth;  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

                (Love) never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease;

                whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is

                perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

                When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away

                childish things.   For now we see through a glass, darkly;  but then face to face:  now I know in part; but then shall I know

                even as also I am known.  And now abideth faith, hope, (love), these three;  but the greatest of these is (love)."

WHY SHOULD WE "LOVE OUR ENEMIES"?

             Because : our enemies only exist as perceptions in our own minds.

          Because : loving our enemies changes our perceptions, and sets us free! !

          Because : "hating our enemies rarely actually results in punishing our enemies, but it always results in punishing us, tormenting

          and making us bitter and miserable inside!"

          Because : hatred induces our self-destruction, minimizes our self-worth, eats our thoughts and turns our most positive energies 

            into fruitless ambitions!"- Edith Nelson Mackey

       Please share your thoughts with us about THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE ON LOVING OTHERS

  contact:  christianity@luvfoundation.org