Help QuickNav Adv. Options
KJV

KJV

Click to Change

Return to Top

Return to Top

Printer Icon

Print

Prior Book Prior Section Back to Commentaries Author Bio & Contents Next Section Next Book
Cite Print
The Blue Letter Bible
← Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources

Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Matthew 5:43-48

Choose a new font size and typeface
← Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources

Click here to view listing below for Mat 23:10

"AGAPE YOUR ENEMIES"
I. PHARISEE'S TEACHING, "LOVE NEIGHBOR, HATE ENEMIES."
A. Where in O.T. Law was basis?
1. Truly law taught to love neighbor - no command to hate.
2. The idea of hate your enemies, from God's command to wipe out inhabitants of land.
a. Or perhaps David's imprecatory Psalms.
b. In both cases this was judicial, not a personal individual affair.
1. David's attitude toward Saul.
2. David's enemies - are those opposed to God he speaks of them as general not individual.
3. Christ denunciation of Pharisees in Matt. 23, again judicial pronouncements of judgment.
B. What Pharisees taught.
1. "Love thy neighbor."
a. Who is my neighbor?
b. They taught only the Jewish your neighbor.
c. Jesus parable Samaritan.
2. Hate your enemies.
a. Your duty to hate all who were not Jews.
b. O.T. commands to show kindness and love toward stranger ignored.
II. WHAT JESUS TAUGHT. "LOVE (AGAPE) THY ENEMIES."
A. Next few statements so difficult that volumes have been written to explain it away.
B. Jesus illustrates "love your enemies by."
1. If you are cursed - bless.
2. Do good to those that hate you.
3. Pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.
C. God's love to set example.
1. He makes sun to rise on the evil and the good.
2. He sends the rain on just and unjust.
3. "But God commendeth His Love toward us."
4. "If when we were enemies of God."
5. Had God not loved sinful, rebellious, hating world, where would we be?
D. God's perfection to be our goal. "Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect."
III. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO OBEY CHRIST'S COMMAND?
A. We must be detached.
1. From the actions of others.
a. Else we are prone to react.
2. From ourselves - for until you are detached from yourself you can never be detached from what others do to you.
3. Death to self again imperative.
B. We must be filled with His Spirit.
1. "Now the fruit of the Spirit is love."
2. Love is a part of the nature of God.
3. To love an enemy is an impossible command to a natural man.
Sermon Notes for Matthew 5:43 ← Prior Section
Sermon Notes for Matthew 5:44 Next Section →
Sermon Notes for Malachi 1:2 ← Prior Book
Sermon Notes for Mark 1:40 Next Book →
← Back to Chuck Smith's Bio & Resources
← Back to all Commentaries
BLB Searches
Search the Bible
KJV
  [?]

Advanced Options

Other Searches

Multi-Verse Retrieval
x
KJV
Daily Devotionals
x

Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness.

Daily Bible Reading Plans
x

Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year.

One-Year Plans

Two-Year Plan

CONTENT DISCLAIMER:

The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.