Brian Ross wrote on Oct 21
st, 2016 at 5:12pm:
Matthew 5:44:
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;
Matthew 5:45:
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.
Brian,
Once more i ask, do Jesus words compel us to love and to excuse the actions of rampant criminals and to love and to excuse the actions of rampant murderers ?
Psalms 97:10
Ye that love the LORD,
hate evil:...
Psalms 106:3
Blessed are they that
keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil:..
Proverbs 15:9
The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.
Proverbs 17:15
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
Proverbs 21:15
It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
Proverbs 28:4
They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
5
Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
Proverbs 29:27
An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation.
Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Proverbs 26:24
He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26
Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.
.
Matthew 22:36
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Q.
What was
Jesus 'message' ?
A.
#1, Love God. Matthew 22:36-37
#2, Obey God's !!laws!!, study the scriptures. Matthew 19:16-19, John 14:15-21, Luke 24:45
#3, Love your fellow man. Matthew 22:39, Leviticus 19:18
Luke 8:19
Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear
the word of God, and do it.
.
God's mercy was always extended to us, it was always offered to us, ....even in the 'Old Covenant'.
Isaiah 55:6
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him
while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
As it is also, in the new covenant....
Luke 17:3
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him;
and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
But God's forgiveness and mercy, was never a 'blank cheque', as many Christians today seem to believe, and as many Christians today dearly 'wish' to believe.
Those who believe that God's forgiveness and mercy will fall upon all of mankind are sadly mistaken, imo.
The word of God is clear.....
God's forgiveness and mercy, is, and always was, joined with a requirement for ongoing repentance and remorse on our part, for our mistakes and bad behaviour.
That 'message' to men [which was also Jesus message] is there, throughout the Bible.
Jesus words......
Luke 3:8
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees:
every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.