Would you turn with me to Matthew
chapter 5? As we were singing that last
song out of the bulletin there that was written by Brother Don,
and I think he truly means those
words. Matthew chapter 5, I want to
continue this morning for a few minutes in our Lord's Sermon
on the Mount. And in the sermon which our Lord
preached, He deals with the subject, verses 43 to 48, with our attitude,
with the believer's attitude toward our neighbor. And he deals, starting off with
what men have been told, and then he sets the record straight
according to his own commandment. And he tells his hearers in verse
43, Matthew 5, 43, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. Now, what he actually
was doing is he was telling them, he said, you've been taught a
combination of two things. You've been taught a partial
quote of a scripture and then you've been also taught That
teaching is coupled with something that was never found in Scripture,
is what He's told them. Now, what the Lord taught out
of Leviticus 19.18, and He said this was the partial part of
what you've been taught. This is what the Scripture says,
Leviticus 19.18, Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against
the children of thy people. But thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself. I am the Lord." Now that's what
the Scripture said. But there was no mention of hating
our enemies. Now I want you to hold your place
right there. Turn with me to Psalm 139. Reading over my notes this morning,
and I got to thinking about this passage of Scripture, Psalm 139.
And I want to read something to you, because it uses some
terminology that I think we need to consider. Psalm 139. Now listen
to these verses of Scripture. Psalm 139, verses 21 to 24. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that
hate Thee? And am not I grieved with those
that rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Search
me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts,
and see if there be any wicked way in me. and lead me in the
way everlasting. Again, I must confess I wanted
to look these words up because I don't want to say something
that's not correct. Verse 21, He said, Do not I hate,
and that is hate utterly. I despise. Utterly. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate
thee? And am not I grieved? Do I not loathe? Am I not cut
off? Have I not cut off? Let me say
it like that. Them are those that rise up against
thee. Look at verse 22. He said, I
hate them, I utterly hate them with perfect hatred. I hate them in perfection. I hate them perfectly. Now let me ask you something.
Who could say those words? but the Lord Jesus Christ. Not us. We've never done anything
of ourselves perfectly. We've never done anything of
ourselves but sin against God. That's the only thing we've ever
done, you know, completely. Only the Lord. So here's what
I know for a fact. The Lord meant concerning Himself
in those words right there concerning, Do I not hate them, O Lord, that
hate Thee? And I not grieve with those that
rise up against Thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Whatever
the Lord meant in those scriptures right there is right. And secondly,
I know this. It's not whatever we would think
concerning ourselves, because the Lord, back in Matthew 5,
gave interpretation of what the Lord set forth. Here's what He
said. He said, Ye have heard that it
hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine
enemy. The Jews Their teachers put their
own meaning upon the term neighbor. Here's what they restricted it
to mean. Friends, relatives, and those
of their own nation. Jews. And the enemy was anybody
that didn't fit those three categories. That's enemies. But considering
the word of the Lord at the time when the nation of Israel was
being brought out of Egypt, considering the Lord's words, one would certainly
see that the meaning placed upon the word neighbor couldn't mean
what the Jews had taught that it meant. He said, you've heard
it said, thou shalt love thy neighbor, your friends, your
relatives, and those that are of this nation. That's only neighbors
there are, the Jews said. You've heard it said, but I say
to you. Listen to the words in Exodus
11, 2. Here's the Lord speaking. He said, Speak now in the ears
of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor. jewels of silver and jewels of
gold. Now let me ask you this. Who
did the borrowing the Jews? Who did they borrow from the
Egyptians? What did the Lord say that they
were doing? The Lord said they were borrowing
from their neighbors. So therefore, based on the word
of the Lord, neighbors are human beings. That's what the Lord said. The
Lord said, you tell the people of Israel to borrow from their
neighbors jewels, silver, gold. And so adamant were the Jews
concerning the meaning. There was even a lawyer that
stood up one day and asked the Lord, who is our neighbor? Why
don't you go ahead and explain to us, then, who our neighbor
is. That was in Luke 10. And our
Lord gave His answer by giving this revelation about a man that
was traveling on a road one day from Jerusalem down to Jericho,
and he fell among thieves. And I'll tell you, you know the
story. For the sake of time, he was stripped of his raiment,
left for half dead. A priest saw him, a Levite saw
him, both of them passed by, but there was a certain Samaritan. Now this Samaritan was half-breeds,
you know, and the Jews hated him. Put him right in there with
the category with harlots and tax collectors, publicans. You know, who are the most despised
people to a Jew. Well, I tell you what, it would
be a Samaritan and a harlot, tax collector, publican. A certain
Samaritan saw this man and went to him, bound up his wounds,
poured in oil and wine, set him on his own beast, brought him
to an inn, took care of him. What was the Lord doing there?
He was preaching the gospel to him. He was setting forth himself
himself, that one that came, saw his people oppressed, rescued
them, bound them up. Then after he told that story
to this Jewish lawyer that called the Lord to task, won't you tell
us who a neighbor is? Who is our neighbor? That's what
he asked him. Who is our neighbor? After he told him that story,
then the Lord asked this question, which of these three, the Samaritan,
the priest, the Levite. Which of these three was a neighbor
unto him that fell among the thieves? And he answered, this
is what the lawyer said, he that showed mercy on him. And the
Lord said unto him, go and do thou likewise. That's right. There's your neighbor. Now, though
the scriptures are distorted by religious hucksters trying
to make our own personal feelings fit what God has revealed. Though men rest, twist the Scriptures,
and though our old man is prone to agree, our old man, our carnal,
that old man, though that old man is prone to agree with the
twisted, I mean, humanly speaking, I understand You know, I love
those that I get along with, and this, that, and the other,
and I don't like those that I don't. Humanly speaking, I understand
that. But, though our old man naturally agrees with that distorted
view of divine revelation, God's Word stands sure. The law, this is what the Lord
said, you've heard that it has been said, thou shalt love thy
neighbor, and hate thine enemy." We are to love our neighbor. Now who is that? Everybody else. Everybody else. We're all neighbors
right here. We're all born from the same source. We all came
out of the loins of Adam. There's not an ounce of difference
in any of us. were all cut out of the same lump. Therefore,
according to these scriptures, we're neighbors, all neighbors.
And the scripture, the law, commands us to love our neighbor as we
love ourself. Now you know, I don't have a
problem, I have no problem whatsoever loving myself. I don't have a
problem. I find that whenever I I do things
that immediately I know is not right. It's things that just
bother me. That I do and they bother me. But do you know what? I don't
have a problem soon forgiving myself. No problem. And the wrongs that
I commit against Myself, which is what I do, I have no problem
continuing to love myself. I still, I don't have a problem
with that. I don't have a problem forgiving
myself, loving myself. I don't have a problem making
allowances for myself. Well, you know what, I mean,
look, I'm tired, you know. I just, you know, well, I tell
you what, it's been a long day. You know what, I deserve this. I have no problem considering
my own feelings. I have no problem whatsoever,
my own safety. And do you know I always put
the best twist on everything that I do or say? Well, this
is what I really meant. I have no problem. Why is that? Because I love me. I love me. The scripture says, we are to
love our neighbors as we love ourselves. The Lord said, verse
43, you've heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy
neighbor and hate thine enemy. But he said, I'm gonna clarify
what God has to say. He says, but I say. This is what
God says. I say unto you, love your enemies. Love your enemies. Desire the
best for them as you do for yourself. Make all the allowances. Now,
this is what He is saying. Love is a gift from Him who is
love. God is love. And with the importation
of life from above, when God Almighty births from above, do
you know what is birthed within that new man? Love. Love. With that importation of
life, love is found. That's the characteristic of
a believer. The evidence of regeneration. is that distinguishing quality
called love, forgiveness, kindness, meekness, long-suffering, gentleness,
forbearance. This is what the Lord said concerning
the love that believers have for believers. By this shall
all men know you are my disciples. You have love for one another. The Lord said, love your enemies. I think I told you this one time. I heard Brother Henry say one
time that somebody had told him. The man, he and his wife were
having some problems. He said, I hate my wife. Henry
said, well, you are an unbeliever. He said, what do you mean? He
said, well, we're commanded to love our enemies. He said, what
do you mean, you hate? You know? No. No, no, no, no.
Love your enemies. Now, I admit that our ill tempers
and passions against those that we come in contact with is the
evidence of the presence of sin, but it's still contrary. To God's word, a believer never
excuses it. How do you excuse blatant rebellion
against God? Here's what I'm going to say.
Do you know what the first thing I'm going to recognize about this sermon
when the Lord was setting forth the explanation of the spirit
of the law? I know this, by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified because none of us have ever
done this. None of us have. I'm not saying
we don't strive after it. We do. Paul says, to will is
present with me. But how to perform that which
is good, I found not. And then a believer is going
to admit with his failure to do so. Oh, wretched man that
I am. You may say, well, you know what,
there's still a little... A believer says, no, there's
not. No, there's not. Don't pamper me. Don't try to
tell me. No. I've got an old man about
me that's just absolutely rebellious. And I know it. The Lord says,
I say unto you, love your enemies. Now, I'd like to know, Lord,
would you expound on that a little bit? And He did. He did. Look
what He said. Love your enemies. And when we
do, how will it be exhibited? And this is what a believer wants
to know. Tell me, what does the Lord have to say? Lord, tell
me the spirit of this. He said, this is what you've
heard. You've heard, love your neighbor and hate your enemies.
He said, but I say to you, love your enemies. Here's a manifestation
of it. Bless them that curse you. What does that mean? Speak well
of, to, and of. Speak well of, and speak well
to. Bless, that's what it means,
bless them. Bless them that curse you. Bless them that express
great loathing and resentment towards you. Those that despise
you for what you believe. I mean, I got an old man that
just says, you know what? To heck with you. I'll just be
honest. I'll go ahead and say what you're
thinking. Because we all think the same thing, you know. Blessed,
speak well of and speak well to those that despise you. Here's another exhibition characteristic
of loving your enemies. Do good to them that hate you. Give the one that has cursed
you Give them every reason to believe that you do desire their
best. Who's sufficient for these things? I mean, those that see themselves
as able to please God, He said, you've heard it said, I say it,
this is what I say to you. Do good to them. And what's another
manifestation? And pray for them, which despitefully
use you and persecute you. Pray for them. Those who are
making continual war with you, continually harassing you. Pray
for them. Pray for them. And I know this, we don't have
the ability to change somebody's heart, those that hate us and
despise us for what we believe. I understand that, but while
that heart of rebellion that they have against a believer
may continue to harass, the Lord said you pray for them. Pray
for them. Pray for them. Pray that God
might be pleased to change them. Do you know they're only doing
what their wicked heart dictates? That's what they're thinking.
They despise. They despise. The Lord said,
they hated me before they hated you. They hated me. Don't you
know they're going to hate you? Man by nature does not bow to
this glorious message of God's sovereignty. He doesn't bow to
that. But it doesn't change the truth. And the Lord said, I'm
saying to you, He said, you love them. You love them. This is
what the Lord did to us while we were yet enemies in our mind. Against Him. We were children
of wrath while we were yet in trespasses and sins. Unconverted. What did He do? He blessed them. He did good
to them. Prayed for them. And all of these things that
He's commanded us to do and obey, look at verse 45. Why? Why? That you may be the children
of God or that people may behold. That it might be evidenced, that
you might show yourselves that there's been life, there's a
difference, there's a spirit of of love that exists there. That's what it is. So I just
can't do that. Lord help us. It doesn't change
the fact. Does not the Lord of glory in
manifesting His love toward His people, does it not give evidence that there's a
benefit even for those that despise him? Look what he said, that
you may be the children of your father which is in heaven because,
for, he maketh his son to rise on the evil and on the good and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Do you know why
the sun comes up? Do you know why there's still
seasons? Do you know why it's getting to be winter now? Do
you know why it rains? Do you know why? For the benefit
of God's people. for the benefit of God's people.
All things work together for good to them that love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose. But do you know
that there's people that hate and despise the gospel of God's
free grace in the glorious Lord Jesus Christ? There's people
that despise God's people for it. Talk about them, stab them
in the back. But do you know what? The benefits
of God toward His people are still enjoyed by those that hate
the Lord. He said, you love your enemies,
you bless them that curse you, you do good to them that hate
you, you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you, that
you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, because
He maketh His reign, His Son, to shine on the good and reign
on the unjust. For if you, verse 46, if you
love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the
publicans the same? Hold your place and look at Luke.
This is how Luke was moved upon by the Spirit. Luke 6, 32. This
is how the Spirit of God instructed Luke to say it. Luke 6, 32. If you love them which love you, What thank have ye? For sinners also love those that
love them. What our Lord was saying, in
loving those who love you only. What evidence is there of a new
principle? What evidence is there? He said
the worst of men do that. Even publicans, even sinners,
even harlots do that. They'll show kindness and love
them that love them. And if you salute your brethren
only, those that you say are your brethren, your friends,
your relatives, and those of your country, just you. If you
salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not
even the publicans? So if you salute, what does that
mean? If you welcome or greet someone,
only those. If you just shun everybody else,
sneer at them, you know. If you salute your brethren only, well, all you're doing is you're
just treating them with common mark of those that only love
those that love them. I'll be nice to you, you be nice
to me. You don't want to be nice to me, I ain't being nice to
you. I'll tell you that right now. So here our Lord says the
worst of men, even the publicans do that. As a believer, we have
a different spirit. We're exhorted to treat our enemies,
we're exhorted to treat our enemies as well as wicked people do their
friends. That's what he said. And then
in this last verse he commands us to perfection in doing these
things. 48, Be ye therefore perfect. Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your father which is in heaven is perfect. Now there's a high
order. He commands us to be complete
in character as God Himself is complete. Be perfect as your
Father in heaven is perfect. Now I want us to be reminded
of something as I close this up that we ever need to hear
over and over and over again. I mentioned it already. Therefore
by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. You know what this law
that he said this is the law of God right here. Do you know
what that law was given for? for two reasons. Number one,
to show us the perfection of God, and number two, to show
us that we can't do it. We can't do it. We can have the
most sincere, I want to, but Carl, I have no control over
my feelings. I try to bring my spirit into
subjection, by the deeds of the law, what
the law requires. And here, the law requires not
our best efforts. The law requires perfection,
as God is perfect. Perfect love. According to the
scriptures back in 139 Psalms, if there's any hatred accepted
of God, it better be perfect hatred. Perfect! I don't even know what that is.
But the Lord does. And He said, this is what I command
you to do. By the demand for obedience, God requires righteousness. No deeds of the law which man
tries to perform is going to justify him in the sight of God. What the law does is it applies
a rule of conduct to our actions and therefore it shows us what
we are. Sinners. Sinners. But thanks
be unto God. That's the kind of people that
Christ Jesus came to this world to save. He came to save sinners. The best intentions of men fall
miserably short. There was one man. who did this. One man that did what Almighty
God and His Law required, and it is the God-Man Mediator, the
Lord of Glory Himself. Only He, in absolute perfection
and obedience, loved His enemies, loved His people, fallen creatures
in Adam. enemies in our minds by our wicked
works. Only He truly loved and blessed
us, as I said a moment ago that cursed Him. Only He did good,
laying down His life while we were yet in trespasses and sins,
and hated Him without a cause. Only He prayed for us, who despitefully
insulted and slandered and falsely accused Him, and now whoever
liveth to make intercession for us. Only He, deserving in Himself,
receives all the honor and the glory and the praise for His
obedience before the Father. But let me tell you what God
demands right here, what the Law demands. What the Law demands. The gospel sets forth as accomplished
in Christ. What this law right here demands,
this is what the law demands, love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them
that spitefully use you and persecute you. What the law demands, the
gospel reveals has been accomplished in the Lord Jesus Christ. Here it is, 1 John 4, 17. Herein
is our love made perfect. Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your Father which is heaven is perfect. Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have boldness in
the day of judgment stand before God in the Lord Jesus Christ
and truthfully it be said of us we have obeyed perfectly in
Him that which the law requires because as He is so are we in
this world. What Almighty God has required
of His people Love your enemies. And I don't want to have an attitude,
well, I can't do that, so I'm not gonna do it. I don't want
that. I do want to strive after, but I can tell you this, when
I've done everything I can do, I can tell you this, I'm but
an unprofitable servant. But being found in Him, the scripture
reveals, in Him, we are perfect. holy, without blame, before God
in love. Only in Him. Apart from Him,
I'm an outcast. Lord, teach me afresh. May I strive for obedience. I heard Don Portman tell me this
one time. He said, Marvin, he said we are to strive for obedience,
strive to do all that we can, and don't you put any confidence
in it at all. May the Lord bless our hearts
for Christ's sake, amen.