Love The Unlovely

"The entire world was an enemy to God, and He brought forgiveness."

THE LOVE OF GOD in us is to care for the hurting, to show compassion to those in need, and to give of ourselves to our families and all things He has set us to doing. But greater than these is God’s love through us toward those we dislike. The best exercise of the love of God, which is His nature inside us (think on this for a moment), is when we love those who disagree with us. NOT by using conflict as an excuse to suffer persecution. Though many have suffered persecution, God promises us favor with Him and with men. He promises us peace in all things that our lives take part of. And that peace extends the furthest toward who we see as enemies. To love well is to love the unlovely, those with bad attitudes, what we consider wrong beliefs, both inside and outside of the church. We’re too willing to defend ourselves and too unwilling to say nothing.

This is the Spirit’s number one response to unbelief. Silence. It’s His response to incorrect knowledge, to overthinking, and immaturity. What He does NOT say is always to our benefit, and please don’t read that wrong. He isn’t a furnace, heated and ready to blow. He is the opposite, the fullest expression of the purity of love. Everything He does is because He loves us. The Word of God, His Word, makes it clear there is no condemnation from God. John 3:17. Romans 8:1. So silence is never to dangle our guilt and today’s form of judgment over our heads.

To know Him is to know how to behave when we think “x” and the other man is somewhere near “q.” There is a right and wrong of the Truth of the Word, but learning it, having revelation of it, is meant to be a joy. This is always God’s goal. Our teaching, our preaching, our written and spoken devotionals, should be from the Spirit and given to bring joy. People aren’t our examples to others of bad behavior. God – Father, Son, and Spirit – never do that. Even when they reveal to someone areas that need observation, that person is ready to hear it and treasure it properly (or it wouldn’t be said), and it is shown to them in tenderness and gentleness, of all involved.

We are supposed to be like them, even to the changing of our way of thinking. There are those who hate God. How does He act toward them? There are those who have great errors in beliefs. How does He respond? What did He do when men despised and rejected Him, mocked and ridiculed Him? What about when the thieves, who were also dying, chose to make fun of Him? One of them saw Him and repented. He died a short time later and went with Jesus to Paradise.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” (Luke 23:34)

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

We read the words of Isaiah 53;4. We thought God had smitten Him, God had done that to Him, “and all the while it was for our sins he was wounded (Knox).” The Amplified Classic says, “… yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God.” Without seeking God for the truth, men looked at the Son of God, at the Savior of the world, and assumed God was punishing Him for His behavior. The truth was, His behavior was an example of how we are to behave. The entire world was an enemy to God, and He brought forgiveness.

We can see this in the change in the apostle Paul, who murdered Christians, thinking it was how the Jews should behave, and then writes in His epistles, again and again, of His love for people. Read Jesus’ words to Him on the road to Damascus, which sent him in a new direction: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? … I am Jesus whom thou persecutest (Acts 9:4-5).” Jesus took it personally. And these men and women He died for, those who profess their belief in His salvation and those who don’t, are still His reason for doing everything. People are His heart. They must be ours.

“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;” (Matthew 5:44)

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalms 1:1)

Image by Kenneth Garcia from Pixabay


----------
Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com