35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:35-36 (LSB)
A couple days ago I watched the memorial service for Charlie Kirk. One of the most moving parts of it for me was when Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, spoke. She spoke how the man who was accused of murdering Charlie was exactly like those who Charlie had dedicated himself to rescue from the evil trap the world system had captured them into. She also tearfully said that she was using Jesus’ example on the cross of forgiving his executioners in forgiving Charlie’s murderer. I had to ask myself if I could do that. Look at our Lord’s command in the passage I posted above (Luke 6:35-36)…. Probably this command from our Lord is the most difficult for us to obey. That is, it is hard or difficult if we are full of pride and are self-focused. However, as the master vinedresser prunes us as we abide in the True Vine and the refiner burns away the fleshly dross from us in the refiner’s fire, we will be humbled as we surrender to the potter, as the clay should. This humbling is what is required for Christlikeness to become manifest in and through us. Why? If we are being driven by pride then we will be self-focused and operate as if we are the center of our universe. However, humble believers, those who are maturing, are those who have given that up as something that hinders their walk with the Lord. Maturing believers see the things of this world, the very things the world runs after, as nothing but dung in comparison to what they have in Christ. He becomes their all-in-all. Their love for Him spills over into all parts of their lives and for the Savior’s sake they love their enemies and are merciful to all just as He was and is. Our Lord demonstrates the epitome of this as He was crucified. <Continue reading post>