As we make our way through the marks of a true Christian mentioned in Romans 12:14, the central theme is to love all people, Christian and non-Christian. This is a challenging task because our flesh naturally wants to love those who love us and not love those who do not love us. However, this is not the message Jesus gave us to follow. A true Christian must follow the example of Christ if he is to be part of the heavenly kingdom. We must seek to bless others, whether friend or foe. We are not to curse or speak evil, pronounce judgment, or be happy, when those who are against us, and God suffer.
In Romans 12:14 Paul reminds us to bless those who persecute us. Persecution is when you have been verbally or physically abused for doing what is right. This is a hard thing to do, but Jesus tells us in 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;” Jesus includes blessing those that curse you but goes a step further and says we must love our enemies. It is not a matter of neutrality or avoidance. We must do good to them in a loving way and pray blessings upon them. Wow, could Jesus have made it any more difficult for His followers to live by His words? I think not. Yet, Jesus never requires something from us that is not possible to accomplish with His help and the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
Romans 12:14 “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
The love that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:44 is a different love than we have for family or friends. We are not to love in a way that approves of the conduct of a person who mocks Christianity, harms us, or violates the laws of God. Yet, we are to love the way God loves. God pities the man who does not accept His Son because He knows the outcome disbelief will bring. While we may be hurt deeply, we can still speak kindly to and about someone who has wronged us. Jesus himself said from the cross in Luke 23:34 “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” It is through loving them the way God does that will prompt us to pray for them. It is when we do good to them that they see Jesus in us. They do not understand why or how we can pray for them, wish them well, and do good to them, but our actions can open a door of opportunity to witness to them.
I believe this simple command in Romans 12:14 is the greatest test of our love for Christ and our desire to reach those who do not know Him. Obeying this verse makes us the opposite of the world. It is unexpected by our enemies, and they cannot comprehend how we can do it.
Before you lay this command aside and determine you cannot do it, let me remind you that we too were once enemies of God. In Romans 5:6 we could not help ourselves to gain eternal life. We could never be good enough to measure up to the perfection that is required to gain Heaven. Yet, Christ died for the ungodly, that includes you and me. In Romans 5:10, we were His enemies but He loved us enough to die for us so we could be reconciled to His Father.
Romans 5:6-10 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”
While it would be easy to justify our negative behavior and wish bad upon those who have been cruel or caused negative actions against those we love or ourselves, it is never right to do so. To curse someone is to pronounce judgment on them or wish evil on them as a consequence of their behavior. This is the common ordinary thing to do, and no one would think bad of us for doing so, but we must remember this is unlike Christ. He is to be our example and He expects us to follow and obey. Where obedience is lacking so is love. John teaches us that our love equals our obedience in John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This command will not be grievous or burdensome. It is also proof we are a child of God as noted in 1 John 5:2-3 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
Do you have this mark of a true Christian in your life? If it is a struggle humble yourself before God and He will help you.
