Deep Dive into All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper - Love Your Enemies - Pray for Those Who Abuse You
The core of Jesus's command is to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This isn't a sentimental love, but a robust one that paradoxically must include hating the evil that destroys the beloved. This hatred is not personal vindictiveness but a moral repugnance for wickedness that harms others and dishonors Jesus, even if the person's character is loathsome. The only hate forbidden is that which wills a person's destruction.
The sources emphasize that no evil behavior truly hurts only oneself, as it damages one's delight in Jesus and ability to display His worth to others. Therefore, love must hate all evil. A tolerance of all views is the opposite of love, as it condones destructive forces.
Praying for enemies reveals love as a heart desire for their good. This means earnestly seeking their well-being, modelled by the Lord's Prayer. We should pray for them to hallow God’s name, come under His saving rule, do His will, receive physical provisions, have their sins forgiven, and be protected from evil. The ultimate aim is their eternal joy in Jesus and God’s exaltation in their hearts.
Jesus’s cross prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," is the most compelling example of loving enemies. It illustrates that forgiveness is for the guilty, even when their ignorance is a "guilty blindness"—a culpable resistance to truth. Jesus simultaneously declares guilt and offers forgiveness, demonstrating mercy (treating better than deserved) and a desire for relationship restoration. Christians are called to extend boundless forgiveness because they themselves have been loved and forgiven by God when they were His enemies. While unforgivable sin exists, the human vocation is to love and pray, leaving final judgment to God.
Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian
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