43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[g] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,[h] 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren[i] only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors[j] do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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joyindestructible 
This is hard. Actually, this is impossible to do without the Holy Spirit of Christ living in our hearts.
But we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. Even… love our enemies.
And they will know we are Christians by our love.
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Loving them won’t change them unless, they open their hearts to receive it but loving them is reliance upon the mind of Christ that preserves our integrity. Jesus is such a radical! Truth is radical in a world ruled by Death. Still, Life is greater, simple arithmetic tells us 1+0=1 but 0+o=0. Death eats itself . Aligning one’s self with it is a sure way to get eaten.
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Very true. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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It’s really only by the intervention of The Grace of the Lord that we can achieve this, because it is not easy.
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No, It isn’t but true love is a choice in how we treat others and I can choose not to retaliate and behave in a loving manner. I want to be like Jesus and love an enemy even when I have the power to fight back and destroy them. I know I have that power available to me in Christ and I believe He gives His saints amazing grace and strength to turn the other cheek in testimony of Him. It’s the right thing to do.
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I’m sleepy, Jacqueline…I meant “no it isn’t easy”…I agree with you. It takes more than human strength.
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I totally agree with you Pam. Personally, I will keep striving to overcome through Grace.
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This command above all others seem to me to be one that really show how far from perfection we are.
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Yes, and how spiritually needy human beings are.
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Amen
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