Is there anything good in my enemy?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

God's command of loving my enemies, is a measurement not of how tolerant I am, but of how transformative His gospel of grace really is. 

A sermon I recently preached reminded me of God's command to love my enemy. This point was presented in the context of the abundant life God the Holy Spirit produces in us; He applies to us the benefits worked by God the Son, according what God the Father has ordained.

I know this abundant life is real, and it is not limited to a permanent physical or emotional comfort here and now, but it is a sample, a small taste of the rapidly approaching glory I will spend with Him. I used to think that, because of the certainty of that abundant life, God was calling me to be tolerate toward my enemies, to consider the treasure of the sweet communion I now have with Him (because of His Person & Work), and look past this life, past the pain inflicted on me by my enemies.

Now I think this commandment is not talking about tolerance, but about transformation.

My transformation.

See, now I find it interesting when I say I must love my enemy... if I love my enemy, wouldn't that mean they are not my enemy anymore? I mean, they can still say they are, but how could I call someone my enemy if I love them, abundantly?

This truth does not change the fact that we may still have differences, which I am OK with, since a different opinion that mine is always a good way to evaluate the validity of what I am proposing. Then, His work in me has transformed my enemy into my opponent: a human being whose life is precious, whose soul is of infinite value, who is as passionate as I am, but with a different perspective.

In recent years we have treated each other as enemies, in the battlefield called politics. Sometimes the attacks come with harsh language, and sometimes it is nice and flowery, but still denigrating to the dignity of human life. I believe this is the result of us, the people in the middle, allowing the radicals on both sides to steal the conversation.

May His work in us help us to see each other as human beings, fellow Americans, and - if that is the case - as opponents worthy of having a great, productive conversation about our differences.

CONSIDER THIS

Do you have enemies or opponents? Why? What does it say about the condition of your own heart?