Love your enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)

• Not just your neighbor

• Also your enemies – Romans 12:14-21

• Reflects back on us

  • Ephesians 5:1

  • Romans 5:8 – Christ died for us while we were still sinners!

  • Romans 2:24 – Our behavior reflects back on God.

  • I Peter 2:12

  • Our behavior should demonstrate that we are children of God.

• Who is our example?

  • Jesus!

• How are we to be perfect?

  • Complete in terms of love for others.

  • God’s love is perfect when it fills His capacity for love. When our love is perfect, it fills our capacity.

Nor for show (Matthew 6:1-18)

• Beware!

  • Meaning

    • Don’t do good deeds to be seen of men. Do them quietly and humbly to help others.

    • Examples

      • Celebrities giving to causes in very public ways

      • Long prayers in public

    • Results – positive, negative

    • Self-promotion – Jehu (II Kings 10:16, 31)

      • Examples

      • Consistency – Proverbs 27:2; John 5:44; Matthew 23:25