Luke 6:27, 32-34 (NKJV) “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,… “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
As believers, we should all enjoy righteousness, peace, love, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Are you currently experiencing these in your marriage, friendships, and work life? If not, we ought to examine whether we are living in accordance with how God desires us to conduct ourselves.
For example, some people stay awake, harbouring anger because they are upset by someone’s actions or words directed at them. They feel hurt, frustrated, and angry. They desire to take revenge and make that person miserable for all they have done to them. However, holding grudges and bitterness, along with unforgiveness in our hearts, will cause us to lose our peace.
Practising what is advocated in this passage is challenging. Some people even struggle to love their extended family, so how much more difficult it is to love our enemies! However, it would be very unjust and demanding of God if we were unable to love our enemies and our loved ones.
In the opening passage, Jesus contrasted the behaviour of believers and unbelievers. He clearly wanted believers to behave differently, so that we can be the salt and light of the world. We must love those who love us, but we cannot limit our kindness and goodness to only those who are kind to us. He desires us to treat and love everyone, including our enemies, with unconditional love.
We are born-again believers. Everything changed when we were born again. We were used to feeding the soul and the flesh before we were born again. The soul is very self-centred. It encompasses our emotions, thought life, and everything centred on ourselves. The more we feed it, the more problematic it becomes. The soul will dictate how we think and behave towards others, especially when we feel wronged. However, when we are born again, we possess the nature of God. We can do it because God has enabled us to do so.
Matthew 22:36-39 (NKJV) “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’
Sermon Series: Dying to self
爱的真谛
路加福音6:27, 32-34 “但是我告诉你们这些听道的人：要爱你们的仇敌，善待那些恨你们的人. 如果你们只爱那些爱你们的人，有什么值得称赞的呢？就连罪人也爱那些爱他们的人。如果你们只善待那些善待你们的人，有什么值得称赞的呢？就连罪人也会这样做。如果你们借钱给人，指望如数收回，有什么值得称赞的呢？就连罪人也借钱给罪人，指望如数收回。“
作为信徒，我们都应当在圣灵里享受公义、平安、仁爱和喜乐。你现在是否在婚姻、友谊和工作生活中经历着这些呢？如果没有，我们就应当省察自己是否按照神所期望的方式生活。
举例来说，有些人因为别人对他们的言行而耿耿于怀，整夜难眠，心中充满愤怒。他们感到受伤、沮丧和愤怒。他们想要报复，让那些伤害他们的人也尝尝苦头。然而，心怀怨恨和苦毒，以及不肯饶恕，都会使我们失去内心的平安。
实践这段经文的教导确实具有挑战性。有些人甚至连自己的家人都难以去爱，更何况要去爱仇敌呢！但是，如果我们既不能爱仇敌，又不能爱亲友，那对神来说就太不公平了。
在这段经文中，耶稣将信徒和非信徒的行为作了对比。祂明确希望信徒能活出不同的生命，好让我们成为世上的盐和光。我们必须爱那些爱我们的人，但不能把我们的善良仅限于那些对我们好的人。祂希望我们用无条件的爱去对待和爱每一个人，包括我们的仇敌。
我们是重生的信徒。当我们重生时，一切都改变了。在重生之前，我们习惯于喂养自己的魂和肉体。魂是非常自我中心的，它包括我们的情感、思想生活，以及一切以自我为中心的事物。我们越是喂养它，问题就越严重。魂会支配我们如何思考和对待他人，特别是当我们觉得自己受了委屈时。然而，当我们重生后，我们就拥有了神的性情。我们能做到这些，因为神已经赐给我们能力这样做。
马太福音22:36-39 “老师，律法中哪一条诫命最重要呢？“耶稣对他说：“‘你要尽心、尽性、尽意爱主你的神。‘这是第一条也是最重要的诫命。其次也相仿：‘要爱人如己。‘”
讲章系列：治死老我
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