Bridges of Grace: The Transformative Power of Loving Our Enemies

Scripture (John 3:16-19, NASB)

John 3:16–19 NASB 2020

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.

Introduction

What are they doing here?

”Perhaps you have watched a movie where enemies have had to come together for a common goal, but suspense builds because while bringing them together they didn’t know the other were coming? Perhaps you have experienced this in your life, where someone you view as an enemy joins a social gathering. The Advent season allows us to make room for God’s love in our life and the world. It allows us to make room for enemies. God made room for us at His table. We made room for others who wanted to come to the table. But would we make room for those who we feel don’t belong at God’s table. We have to.

Who is our enemy?

Christian or not, we are very quick to identify impersonal enemies or national enemies. Whether they be opposing political parties or ideologies, or even people we have never had any contact with, we are quick to demonize and view them as the enemy.

How about personal enemies? Like those that you avoid all the time? Those that if you think of, it just makes you mad. One if you talk to, it just goes downhill from the first word. You may not even call them enemies by the term but you know in your heart that at least they are not your most favorite person to be around.

When we identify people as our enemies, it changes things. When I came to identify this young adult as my enemy, it changed how I looked at him, it changed how I prayed for him, and how I acted towards him.

Feel the Love

The love of God has no measure.

It has no beginning and no end.

It can have a limitless impact on someone’s life.

It shows us through the life of Jesus who God really is.

His love cannot change.

Scripture tells us our God does not change.

No matter what you do, He will love you the same.

Does that mean we do whatever we want? No. But what it does mean is when we screw up and turn to Him, He will be there, ready to embrace and love us like He did before. And He will do this again and again and again. What a Heavenly Father we have!

He is the source of all love.

Love is His greatest characteristic next to His holiness.

God’s love can overcome any barrier or obstacle to love others.

This means in His love, we find great power.

His love is one of the greatest tools we have to witness to others.

Without His love shining from us, we cannot be effective in winning souls to Him.

This church has its focus in the correct place.

One person told me: “We are just hear to love each other and our community.” This will grow the church. This will help us minister effectively. Keep the fire stoked and burning. We have our opportunity to love others coming tonight. What an amazing opportunity!

God’s Love is Not Trivial

Christ gave His all so that we could have salvation through Him and what He did on the cross.

John’s Gospel does not offer the world a superficial idea of the love of God in salvation. The verbs for ‘loved’ (ēgapēsen) and ‘gave’ (edōken) here express the genuine self-giving nature of God in having sent (apesteilen) his ‘only Son’ (monogenous huiou) on an unrepeatable mission into the world (3:16; cf. 1:14, 18).

We have another story of self-giving love in Genesis 2 when Abraham took his only son Issac and was going to sacrifice him in obedience to God. But God provided a substitute so that his son would not die.

Jesus’ own life demonstrated the power of this love. The whole Bible is a story of God loving his enemies. You and I were enemies of God in our sin and God constantly and generously loved us even when it hurt him so badly. So much so to the point that he gave his Son, naked on a cross, pierced and became our substitute and subjected himself to death on our behalf. Let us be recognized by God and by our enemies as his children by loving generously without expecting anything back. We go above and beyond for them. We do not do this out of duty but instead out of love for God.

The Gospel is for everyone

We are all in the same predicament here:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Sin separates us from the Holy God.

Sin earns death.

Sin earns punishment.

Sin earns eternal separation from God.

His love has paid the price so everyone can have a place at the table.

This was not for a certain group but for everyone. He gives this free gift to everyone, no strings attached so we must make room for everyone at His table.

Only some accept this love and the gift Jesus gives us. But that does not mean that the love for them is not still waiting and available for them. We will invite many to the table but only some will accept that invitation.

How Do I Love My Enemy?

Thankfully Jesus helps us answer that question too. Jesus are you sure? Do I really have to do this? Jesus gives these four imperatives to those who are listening on how to respond to our enemies. Jesus is once again overturning conventional norms and asking us to respond to our enemies in an unorthodox way.Make Even More Room at the Table

Jesus first calls us to the four commands: to love, do good, bless, and pray.

These commands call us to action. Love is not an intellectual conclusion or strictly a feeling we have. As Bob Goff famously wrote an entire book on the topic, Love Does. Love is an action that we choose to do. When Jesus calls us to love one another as he has loved us, he calls us to live like he lived, to do good to others, and see them elevated and succeed. The love that Jesus calls us to is one that moves, one that does, and one that is generous.Do you have enemies? Maybe not people you would hurt on a battlefield, but people you despise, dislike, or don’t want to be around. Perhaps they wronged you or are from a different group and believe differently than you do? God made room at his table for us, but did he do it for people we view as a foe? If a political figure you dislike walked into the dinner with Jesus, would you wonder why they were invited?

In loving them, we respond with generosity and expect nothing back. We bless them not expecting one back.

How? If they insult us in any way, we respond with generosity. They talk behind our back with gossip, we pray and love them. When they launch the low blow, we take the high road. When people curse us, we bless them.

Within our world there is a commonly understood law of psychology. It is used throughout the business world, but we also see it in our everyday lives. What I’m talking about is the law of reciprocity. This is basically the idea that when someone does something good for us, we have a deep-rooted desire to return the favor. You scratch my back and I scratch yours.

We respond like Jesus does; we give with our hearts that are full of the Holy Spirit and not expect anything back. He gave His all and expects nothing but us giving our life to Him. We do it in the hope that our love and generosity will plant a seed that will draw them to Jesus. This Advent we make room for Jesus, our neighbors, seekers, and our enemies.

In loving them, we forgive others for how they have wronged and hurt us.

Jesus gives us the prime example of being able to do this. If He does this, He does this to show us that by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do this too. At the Last Supper Jesus sat with someone who had betrayed him, and even washed his feet. At Calvary, He forgave those who nailed Him to the cross. Can we make room for our enemies in that way?

If Judas would have come to Jesus like Peter did, Jesus would have forgave Him just like He did Peter. The message of the Gospel hit Peter to the core; he was all in. Judas not so much. Are we a Peter or a Judas? Are we able to show God’s love to everyone, no matter what? This even challenges me and makes me think are you kidding me but would you want that enemy to live like the world or be transformed by Jesus. If you claim to know Jesus, you cannot love God and hate your brother or sister in Christ.

Even with forgiveness, it does not mean things go back to normal like they were before.

Some people are toxic and it is better to stay away from them so that your life isn’t affected by their negativity. God doesn’t want us to continue to endure negative behavior. It is good to have boundaries set up in your life and if they cross those boundaries, there are decisions to be made. So it is possible to forgive and keep your distance from someone for your own sanity and for living a Christlike life.

Even with all of this, we have to make room at the table for them. Is that going to be easy? Many times no. But with God’s grace and strength, we can forgive them and even if they do not forgive us, we have done our part. We have done what God has called us to. We pray for them to have an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to impact their lives so that situation can change. We cannot change anyone. But God can.

Conclusion

The Advent season unfurls as a poignant reminder of divine love manifested in the form of Christ—a profound expression that transcends time and echoes through the ages. As we navigate the narrative of this sacred season, we find woven within its threads the timeless truth that God, in His boundless love, chose to unveil salvation to the world through the gift of Christ, a beacon of hope and forgiveness.

The essence of the Advent season beckons us to not merely witness but to internalize the transformative power of this love. It extends an invitation to each soul, urging us to emulate the divine example by embracing forgiveness in our hearts. The cradle of Christ becomes the symbol of reconciliation, inviting all to partake in the grace that descends from the heavens.

Yet, the profound lesson does not end there. It beckons us further, challenging us to widen the scope of our compassion and understanding. In the radiance of the Advent candles, we discern the imperative to make room at God's table for even those who may stand as adversaries—forging a space where enmity yields to reconciliation.

In the grand tapestry of God's love story, the Advent season becomes a call to extend the table of our hearts, to welcome not only the familiar faces but also those who may seem estranged. It teaches us that in the embrace of forgiveness, we find the truest reflection of divine love. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Christ, may we, too, become bearers of this profound love, creating space for enemies at God's table and embodying the transformative power of forgiveness.