Jesus’ love is for all.
He loved the world and gave His life as a ransom for all.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Luke 5:32
So, love them anyway.
Love people when they love you.
Love them when they don’t.
Love people when they treat you unfairly, even hatefully.
Love them anyway.
If they walk on you, ridicule you, put you down,
persecute you, even harm you,
no matter what they do, love them anyway.
If they hurt your feelings, love them and forgive them.
If they have treated you worse than anyone has ever treated you,
love them anyway.
If they do things you don’t like, things you can’t bear to think about,
do not condemn them, leave that to God.
Jesus reached up and healed the high priest’s ear
when one of the disciples cut it off. If that’s not love for your enemy…
Jesus loved those who crucified Him.
Paul loved those who beat him and locked him up.
Stephen loved those who stoned him to death.
The examples of God’s love through those men
is not to make us feel less than
but to realize God’s love is sufficient
and if we are willing vessels, we can also be instruments of His love.
Wickedness will likely get worse than we can even imagine.
Jesus warned us the love of many will grow cold.
Do not let your heart lose its love, God’s love.
Pray that your love remain warm.
What good is a Christian without being the example of God’s love?
Scriptural References:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus;
Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
He that believeth on Him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:18
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Romans 12:14
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any:
that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:25
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.
Luke 23:34
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God:
and the prisoners heard them.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake,
so that the foundations of the prison were shaken:
and immediately all the doors were opened,
and every one’s bands were loosed.
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep,
and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword,
and would have killed himself,
supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying,
Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling,
and fell down before Paul and Silas,
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord,
and to all that were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;
and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Acts 16:25-34
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice,
Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Acts 7:59-60
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matthew 24:12