→ Luke 6:27-36
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 "bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29 "To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30 "Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31 "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
32 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
33 "And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
34 "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.
35 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
(I know that I chose a pretty long passage, but I do ask that if you didn't read it that you would read it before you read on.)
► Unconditional vs. Conditional
I know 'love' is a topic that is used quite regular, however that is only because it is VERY important. I mostly chose to write about this topic because of a conversation Auntie Liz was having with someone.
I've been realizing, the more I think about it, how conditional our love is. You know what I'm getting at?
Like, how we base our 'love' on our emotions.
What we fail to realize is that love is an act of the heart. It doesn't come from our emotions, how we think or feel about someone.
The verses I want to focus on are verses 32-33; 35 of Luke 6.
As the body of Christ we should already know we are to love our brothers and sisters. (1 Jn 4:9-11;21)
But love goes beyond, or I should say, deeper than just our brothers and sisters.
→ Matt 5:16
16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
By this verse we clearly see that our 'light' is to shine before men. What is our 'light', but the life changing message of Christ. Our love of Christ should cause us to shine this light before men.
To best describe what I'm getting at I'll use an example of something that happened when I was at the mall.
I was making my way out of JCPenny's and I stopped and went to the side because a lady was trying to turn her stroller around. Well a couple girls stopped next to me because they were also waiting. Well one of the girls looked me up and down and made a little smirk and stuck her nose up in the air, then walked away. I bit my tongue as fast as I could and just kept thinking "Love is not easily angered...love is not easily angered...etc"
This should bring your mind back to verse 32. I could base my love on my emotions, but however wouldn't that put a chain on love, make it conditional?
If I had to bite my tongue, then clearly my 'emotions' were far from 'love'.
Actually, honestly, if I had acted out on my emotions I might just have a black eye.
So what I was getting at when I mentioned 'letting your light shine before men' is that you can't go around and shine this light without love. As believers it is our mission, like it or not, to be ambassadors of the gospel, to carry out the greatest love story of all time.
If we didn't act in love while we are supposed to be a light, we mind as well be beating people with a Bible saying "Jesus loves you!"
(Though if we acted on our emotions this might be the case.)
Sharing the gospel, being a light by our actions (and words), to not just those who you call 'friends', but to others is loving your enemies.
You see how this is not based on our emotions. We aren't hugging or kissing them, but loving them by being a 'light'. Whether it is turning the other cheek (6:29) or offering a smile instead of dirty looks.
Now i want to focus your attention to another verse.
→ 1 Cor 13:11
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Since we are in Christ we are no longer children. Let's recall back in Luke 6 verses 32-33 when it talks about " for even sinners do the same."
(as in loving those who love them, doing good to those who do good to them.)
In Christ we are to put away our childish/sinful ways.
All of us can probably recall some time in our childhood when you or someone else said "we're no longer friends." And then the next day you're friends again.
Many friendships from childhood were based mostly on emotion, as you can clearly picture.
This is just one of the many childish things we are to put away as a new creation in Christ.
We are to have unconditional love.
→ I Jn 2:6
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
This is one of the greatest attributes of God.
Most of you have probably seen 'Fireproof.'
You know the part where Caleb is asking his dad how can you love someone who just tramples all over you? Then his dad leaned against the cross.
Talk about unconditional! I mean, how many times have we denied Jesus?
How many times have we taken the very name of the God who gave us our every breath, and use it as a cuss word?
How often do we receive from God without giving Him a simple 'thank you?'
Don’t ever think you can't turn the other cheek or forgive someone just because they offended your 'rights.'
We clearly trample all over God's rights, and your 'rights' will never be above God's.
The only right God has placed in your life is the right to walk as Jesus did and you can start this by showing unconditional love.
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→ 1 Cor 13:4-8
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8a Love never fails.
"Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control all begin with love. If you do not love these fruits will not show in your life, if these fruits don't show you're not living a life to glorify God, therefore you are living a wasted life."
James 3:13-18; 4:1-6
