As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Hatred of any human being is never an option for a believer in Jesus Christ.
It is easy to sinfully justify hatred, especially when the world, the community around us, encourages it. Hatred, a lust that already exists in the human heart in seminal form, doesn’t need a lot of stoking to bring it to a raging flame.
“How do we square Jesus’s command to ‘love our enemies’ with David saying ‘I hate … my enemies’? Four realities from Psalm 139 help us see that Jesus and David aren’t in conflict” - TGC
“during the Plague of Cyprian in the third century…. Christians stayed behind in the cities to provide medical care, community support, and God-centered conversation for sufferers. Pagans ran away from their neighbors. Christians moved near.” - TGC
“Such daily showing up, Dyck argues, may not look like much at first glance, but it is quietly revolutionary. It is the key for healthy marriage and family life, for building friendships, and for growing spiritually.” - Mere Orthodoxy
“As one who greatly benefited from those in this role following the untimely death of my wife of 50 years in December 2021, here are a few suggestions based on what was most helpful to me.” - Lifeway
“In whatever role they are carrying out, the point in Matthew 18:10 is that God cares deeply about what is happening to his children, so we should as well.” - DBTS Blog
“Consider 12 ways to improve your listening and make others feel heard. (My advice: Pick one or two to apply in your next interaction. Once you’ve done that, return to this article and pick another one or two to add.)” - TGC
“Love shows its depth, not in loving those who deserve our love or in loving those who are easy to love, but in loving the unlovable, which is exactly who God loves. He loves the weak, the ungodly, sinners, and even his enemies (Rom. 5:6, 8, 10).” - Ref21
“Jude had a preference: ‘Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). He wanted to agree, celebrating God’s grace in their ‘common salvation.’ But he needed to confront” - 9 Marks
“what if someone knows they’ve wronged you, yet doesn’t ask your forgiveness. Surely that justifies holding a grudge! Doesn’t their refusal to repent legitimize my bitterness?” - BJU Seminary
Discussion