HOW TO FORGIVE AND LIVE WITH PERFECTION
Matthew 5:43-48
V.43. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine
enemy."
A. The world's way is to be selective in love.
1. This is a partial quote from Lev 19:18 with man's corruption added.
("'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your
neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD).
2. The world's way is to fit God's Word to their way of thinking. They leave out the
part that does not fit their agenda.
a. Love those who you like and hate those who you don't like.
b. Love your neighbor is required, hate is the corruption.
3. We have to be careful to quote the Word entirely and completely within it's
context.
B. God teaches us to be compassionate and leave revenge to Him.
1. We can hate the conduct of a person, yet love the person as God commands.
a. To love our enemies, we must be able to separate the conduct from the
individual. The individual we love. The conduct we hate.
b. We can pity the madness and foolishness of our enemy yet speak well to him
and of him.
2. We owe a debt of love and forgiveness to our fellowmen because we have never
been so good.
a. Throughout our life time we have hurt others with our mouths and by our actions;
sometimes knowingly and sometime unknowingly.
b. God has forgiven us with a command that we forgive others.
3. We honor the Lord when we life up our enemies in prayer.
a. What great service we do our enemies when we intercede for them when they
know not that they need prayer.
b. What great service other Christians have done us in intercessory prayer.
V.44. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."
A. God teaches us to love those who hate us, which is foolish to the world.
1. God teaches us to seek the best for all including our enemies.
2. God gives us three commands.
a. Love = agapate= an unconditional love. This is what sets us apart from the world,
love rather than hate.
b. Bless (pray)= proseuchesthe= lift them up rather than pull them down,
c. Do good: take the opportunity to be kind to those that hate you.
3. God places misguided folk in our mist so they can be exposed to the Jesus in us.
a. We preach the Gospel with our lifestyle first.
b. Every difficult situation is an opportunity for our faith to be tested and a
opportunity for spiritual growth.
B. When we learn to be meek under adversity pride dissolves and humility is gained.
1. A mature Christian stands out best under persecution.
2. The humility of Jesus glowed on the cross when He said, "Father forgive them, they
know not what to do."
3. Difficult situations drive us to prayer and a closer relationship to the Father.
C. The duty of the Christian is to be the peacemaker, just as Christ made peace for us
with the Father with His shed blood. 2 Cor 5:18
V.45. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."
A. God loves His entire creation pouring grace and mercy upon all mankind.
1. If God had not been merciful to us, we would not have become His children.
2. None of us can claim righteousness for ourselves because it was a gift imputed to
us through the blood of Jesus Christ.
3. While we were evil, Christ died for our justification.
B. Because God has been merciful to us, as children of God, we must be merciful to those
who do us evil. Luke 6:36, Jude 22
C. Only God can provide rain and sunshine. They are for the comfort and provisions of a
all God's creation.
1. Evil works for the good of God's creation. All things work for the good of those
who love the Lord.
2. Some of those who are currently evil have been elected to become good according
God's divine plan.
3. Our job is to never judge, but treats others as Jesus treats us.
V:46. "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same?"
A. It does not take any great effort to love those who love you.
1. This is an emotion that is controlled by the flesh.
2. It takes a strong faith in Jesus to love your enemies
3. There is a reward for doing good to those who mistreat you.
a. The least in this world are those who are spiritually poor or spiritually lacking.
b. Jesus said, "what you did for least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."
Mat. 25:40
4. Believers ought to be the example for the world to follow.
5. The world should not be the example for believers to follow.
B. The Publicans were the tax collectors for the Roman Empire.
1. They were hated by the Jews.
2. Their character was associated with thieves and adulterers.
3. They were oppressive and profane in the execution of their duties.
4. The publicans, the most hated loved those who loved them.
5. God holds believers to a higher standard. We should love the most hated.
V: 47. "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the
publicans so?"
A. The love of a Christian is from a much higher standard than the world.
1. We have as our example the supreme sacrificial love of Jesus
2. In Christ, we can go beyond the actions of the world.
3. We have the grace to go the second mile.
4. We have the resolve to turn the other cheek.
B. We have to be the "church" that the evil of the world sees serving the Father who will
draw them He called to Himself.
1. In everything we do we ought to be sowing seeds of restoration.
2. We never know if we are planting or watering.
3. What we do know by our faith and obedience following God's commands others are
drawn to Christ.
4. By treating our enemies with respect we show our religion to merciful, unselfish
and superior to all other actions.
C. We need to be careful to pray for everyone.
1. We never know when the very one we refused to pray for is in a position to do us
good.
V: 48. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
A. Knowing how we affect the world around us, we have to seek the perfection that is in
Jesus Christ.
1. We are the light that the darken world sees.
2. Some people are comfortable in the dark until they see the light.
B. The standard set by Christ is the standard we seek to achieve and the standard the
world will be drawn to.
C. We may never meet the perfection of Christ, but it is the goal we should strive for.
1. By striving for a higher goal, we will never get to the point where we feel we are
worthy of the free Grace of God.
2. By striving for a higher goal, we are constantly reminded of our sinfulness and the
righteousness of God.
3. By striving for a higher goal of perfection we are constantly growing in the Spirit.
4. By striving for a higher goal we are moving closer to Jesus.
5. By striving for a higher goal we are developing the mind of Christ.
D. We must study to conform ourselves to our heavenly role model, Jesus Christ.
1 Pet1:15-16
1. Perfection in Jesus comes at a cost.
a. Constant study and meditation on the Word.
b. Complete submission to the Holy Spirit.
c. Sacrifice our wants for the wants of Christ.
2. Perfection in Jesus being our goal, Christ will bring us to it.
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