They hate us because of God. Should we love them because of God?

[other one]

1 hour ago, Ogner said:

Do you think Jesus could taught us how to love and forgive criminals, murderer, burglar, rapist... and other villains ?  

People change Ogner….   and yes of course we can love and forgive criminals if/when they repent and ask for forgiveness...   Jesus tells us that hating someone for no reason is the same as murder...   think about that for a while...      You should get involved with a prison ministry for some time and see how the gospel can change people...     I don't wish bad on anyone.

[other one]

1 hour ago, SelahSong said:

If somebody loves the enemy of God, then he must love Satan, right? 

 

depends on who you consider the enemy of God...

[other one]

2 minutes ago, SelahSong said:

That would be Satan and his followers.  

if you are speaking of those in the spiritual world we should have nothing to do with them one way or another.   It's just my personal feelings about them but I feel pity more than anything else.   To know what they were and then what they have become just makes one stand back and wonder how any entity could be so stupid.    But we are instructed not to rail against them so I will stop at that...

[brotherdon]

David loved his enemies those that hated him, Saul and Absalom and wept and lamented over both of their deaths. Both Saul and Absalom wanted to kill David. 2 Samuel 1 tells of how David reacted to the death of Saul, and 2 Samuel 18 tells of the death of Absalom. Absalom was Davids son but still hated David.

Jesus loved His enemies and asked Father to forgive them after they had beaten and scorned Him while He was hanging on cross, Luke 23.

It seems the more we stick with Jesus the more like Him we will become. Mercy and not sacrifice.

[Xethea]

7 hours ago, Ogner said:

Does God love satan? Should we love enemies of God?
Should we love satan and his children?
Can we love God & satan? What is this if not betrayal?
Do you think it's possible to love God and satan at the same time?

1. No, God doesn't love Satan. There is nothing to love about Satan, and obviously Satan is not show unconditional love (agape) as humans are, and neither are any of the other angels who followed with Satan betraying God, because the Lord never even gives them a chance to be forgiven.

2. Should we love enemies of God, as in humans, yes, we should. Enemies as in Satan, demons, demon possessed animals, etc- no.

3. Should we love Satan- obviously, no. His children? umm... I doubt Satan has had intercourse, I never recall any scripture Satan had children unless you mean something like people who worship and sell their soul to him. But if those are humans, yes we should love them, but not Satan or anything else but the Lord.

4&5. Can we love God and Satan- no, not truly. You cannot serve (or love) 2 masters. Your heart can't naturally or even be forced to love both at the same time. God cannot love good and evil at the same time, so how could we? If we did, it would be our flesh loving Satan and our spirit loving God. But understand, if that were true, the saved and renewed us will never love and cannot love Satan, for we are not our flesh anymore and we are no longer dead in spirit. Our living spirit will only love the things of the Lord and the Lord Himself.

 

That's my beliefs.

[appy]

Several posts in this thread give the impression that an excuse to not love certain people is being sought as well as a justification to satisfy one's own sense of justice of retaliation (retribution) for a personal insult. This goes in direct disobedience to the command in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Love your neighbor is repeated over 7 times in the New Testament.

Leviticus 19: 18   'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19: 34   You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself,

This is NOT saying we must allow sinful behavior to take place or even applaud it, or act like those that are sinning. Absolutely not. Jesus himself commanded that we are to love others in the new testament and gave the reason for it. For God sends rain on the just and the unjust alike and that we would be acting like him by loving others. Every Christian was once an unbeliever. Many unbeliever's may never crack open a bible; but a Christian that is loving other people without applauding sin is a living testimony of God's love and sacrifice through our love.

In the Old Testament foreigners were considered unbeliever's so to speak and yet God is commanding the Israelites to love them as themselves. Jesus was reiterating this when he tells his listeners to “love those who persecute you and revile you. Do good to them.

The old saying is true... you can draw more flies with honey, than vinegar.

[Ogner]

14 hours ago, brotherdon said:

David loved his enemies those that hated him, Saul and Absalom and wept and lamented over both of their deaths. Both Saul and Absalom wanted to kill David. 2 Samuel 1 tells of how David reacted to the death of Saul, and 2 Samuel 18 tells of the death of Absalom. Absalom was Davids son but still hated David.

Jesus loved His enemies and asked Father to forgive them after they had beaten and scorned Him while He was hanging on cross, Luke 23.

It seems the more we stick with Jesus the more like Him we will become. Mercy and not sacrifice.

'Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord , that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. '

Psalms 139:19-22

'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.'

John 3:36

Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

David hated them from the bottom of his heart.
God’s wrath remains on them because they reject Jesus.
Do you love them?

[brotherdon]

Maybe the ways of life, and actions David hated.

¹³ As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Romans 9

 

Do you think God actually hated Esau? Or was it Esau's way of life?

[Ogner]

16 hours ago, other one said:

People change Ogner….   and yes of course we can love and forgive criminals if/when they repent and ask for forgiveness...   Jesus tells us that hating someone for no reason is the same as murder...   think about that for a while...      You should get involved with a prison ministry for some time and see how the gospel can change people...     I don't wish bad on anyone.

To talk with convicts in prison it's like looking at a shark in an aquarium.

Sometimes, when you cage the beast, the beast look like a pretty.

Have you ever encountered any shark in the open ocean? I wouldn't advise this.

Some criminals never change, some criminals change in prison.

What if there never was any prison but just wildlife? think about that for a while ...

 

[brotherdon]

²⁷ But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

²⁸ Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

²⁹ And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also.

³⁰ Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

³¹ And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

³² For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

³³ And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

³⁴ And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

³⁵ But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

³⁶ Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Luke6