Matthew 5:43-48

Being perfect children of the heavenly Father

  1. Love your enemies.

    1. Christ does not answer the question "who is my enemy?"

    2. Christ answers the question "how do I relate to my enemy."

    3. Christ is teaching what he taught in the Law of Moses.

Exodus 23:4-5

  1. Christ does answer the question "who is my neighbor?"

Luke 10:33

  1. Love as your Father in heaven loves.

    1. The righteous and the unrighteous live in the heavenly Father's world.

Romans 3:9-12, Romans 5:8-10

  1. The righteous and the unrighteous are blessed in the heavenly Father's world.

  1. God offers goodness and kindness to all that they might seek him, that they might love Him!

Acts 17:26-27, Acts 17:26-27, Jeremiah 29:11-13, Ps 104:10-15, Ps 145:15

  1. If they reject Him, He will reject them, but He has done much good to them.

Ps 145:18-20, Matthew 7:21

  1. Practice perfect love and perfect obedience to the Lord.

    1. "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."

Luke 6:35-36, Acts 7:60

  1. "In order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven."

Luke 23:34, 1Peter 4:19

  1. "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

Matthew 19:21, 26; Luke 11:13