{"id":409,"date":"2014-10-01T12:00:51","date_gmt":"2014-10-01T12:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/forbiblestudynerds\/?p=409"},"modified":"2014-08-30T21:45:55","modified_gmt":"2014-08-30T21:45:55","slug":"matthew-543-48-love-for-enemies-theological-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/forbiblestudynerds\/2014\/10\/matthew-543-48-love-for-enemies-theological-commentary.html","title":{"rendered":"Matthew 5:43-48; Love for Enemies (Theological Commentary)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHe causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,\u201d Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 5:44-55, \u201cand sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Theologians point to this statement as evidence of a doctrine called \u201cCommon Grace,\u201d or the idea that \u201cGod\u2019s love extends even to his enemies.\u201d However, Common Grace is more than just an assumption that God does nice things for people. It vividly demonstrates elements of his perfect Person constantly acting on behalf of the holy and hell-bent alike.<\/p>\n

First, as theologians Michael Horton explains, \u201cGod\u2019s common grace restrains his judgment, sending rain upon the just and unjust alike\u2026It is a kingdom of grace rather than of power and glory. It is the reprieve for repentance and faith\u2026before the coming Day of the Lord.\u201d As such, the simplest rain shower or tomorrow\u2019s sunrise is testimony of God\u2019s divine character, of his patience, mercy, and boundary-breaching love for all of humanity.<\/p>\n

Second, it\u2019s no accident that Jesus describes our sun with a possessive pronoun for God. It is HIS sun, and as its creator and owner, only he has the authority to decide its use. The fact that he freely lavishes life-giving sunshine on humankind, day in and day out, age after age, is constant testimony to our Maker\u2019s generosity toward friend and foe\u00a0alike. After all, no one can compel God to give a sunrise or to send rain. \u201cGod loves absolutely,\u201d Horton says, \u201cand without any compulsion from the objects of his love.\u201d He does this of his own will and accord, without discrimination, and with faithfulness that has lasted beyond uncountable lifetimes.<\/p>\n

Third, God\u2019s Common Grace is permanently active, always expressing care and provision for those who love him\u2014and those who hate him. It is he who keeps oxygen abundant in our atmosphere, who takes a buried kernel and turns it into a bumper crop of food, who instructs the body to recover from illness and bathes our lives in overabundant beauty. As theologian, Millard Erickson, reminds, \u201cGod inherently not only feels in a particular positive way toward the objects of his love, but he acts for their welfare. [His] love is an active matter\u2026God supplies us with undeserved favors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, theologians call this doctrine, \u201cCommon Grace\u201d\u2014but to my ear that seems a misnomer. God\u2019s unbridled generosity is a most uncommon<\/em> expression of love in our universe. We are, every single one of us, truly blessed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Works Cited<\/a>:<\/p>\n

[MAC, 1383; CHF, 265, 546; CHT, 320-321]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2126\u2126\u2126<\/p>\n

About: For Bible Study Nerds\u2122<\/a><\/p>\n

About: Mike Nappa<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2014 to present by\u00a0Nappaland Communications Inc<\/a>. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHe causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,\u201d Jesus said, as recorded in Matthew 5:44-55, \u201cand sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.\u201d Theologians point to this statement as evidence of a doctrine called \u201cCommon Grace,\u201d or the idea that \u201cGod\u2019s love extends even to his enemies.\u201d However, Common Grace…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":571,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,14],"tags":[170,171,172,111],"class_list":["post-409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-matthew","category-theologicalcommentary","tag-common-grace","tag-michael-horton","tag-millard-erickson","tag-sermon-on-the-mount"],"yoast_head":"\nMatthew 5:43-48; Love for Enemies (Theological Commentary) - For Bible Study Nerds<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Matthew 5:43-48; 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