Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)
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Not just your neighbor
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Also your enemies – Romans 12:14-21
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Reflects back on us
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Romans 5:8 – Christ died for us while we were still sinners!
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Romans 2:24 – Our behavior reflects back on God.
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Our behavior should demonstrate that we are children of God.
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Who is our example?
- Jesus!
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How are we to be perfect?
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Complete in terms of love for others.
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God’s love is perfect when it fills His capacity for love. When our love is perfect, it fills our capacity.
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Nor for show (Matthew 6:1-18)
- Beware!
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Meaning
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Don’t do good deeds to be seen of men. Do them quietly and humbly to help others.
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Examples
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Celebrities giving to causes in very public ways
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Long prayers in public
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Results – positive, negative
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Self-promotion – Jehu (II Kings 10:16, 31)
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Examples
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Consistency – Proverbs 27:2; John 5:44; Matthew 23:25
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