For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16-17 NKJV).

God loves the world, and each of us in it. People may be our enemies, but they are not His enemies. For example, when a Christian couple divorces, God continues to love both of them. It would be wonderful if they could live together in peace, but sometimes being apart is better than being in pieces. It is much the same with the world; we can choose to have the world in peace or the world in pieces.

A trap and a distraction by the enemy is to entangle us in petty worldly conflicts, causing our love for each other to grow cold and turn into hate and bitterness. When we find ourselves fighting against flesh and blood, we are already in the wrong battle. We have lost our love for our neighbor. The Apostle Paul wrote:

(Ephesians 6:10-12 NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

There is a clear and present danger here when we are wrestling with flesh and blood. The Apostle Paul gave a stern warning to the Corinthians when participating in the Lord's Supper:

(1 Corinthians 11:28-30 NKJV) But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.

Paul said that some of the Christians at Corinth were weak, sick, dying, and dead because they did not discern the Lord's body. Basically, to discern means to recognize that someone else is part of the body of Christ as well. The body of Christ is global and made up of members from around the world.

We now have the Christian Church broken up into over 45,000 denominations because people disagree about anything, but there is only one body of Christ, and God does not recognize man-made divisions. Every denomination is man-made, and most began in anger because of an offense, disagreement, or church split.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

(1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NKJV) For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.

For example, there are more Spanish-speaking Christians than English-speaking Christians worldwide, with Spanish being the leading language of Christianity since 1980. Christians are not just "white-people." Jesus wasn't.

When you start pointing the finger of hate at someone simply because they disagree with you or have a different skin color, then you are opening the door for sickness, disease, and death to visit you. Just as in a human body, when the body begins to attack itself, that part of it has become diseased. God heals that part by removing them and taking them home early. The Lord Jesus told us plainly:

(Luke 6:37-38 NKJV) "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." ... "For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

I see so much hate, judgment, and condemnation coming out of people today. That is not Christ-like, and the measure we use will be measured back to us. Evil people dig up evil treasure because that is what is inside them.

(Luke 6:45 NKJV) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

(James 3:8-10 NKJV) But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.

Jesus Christ was the perfect example of pure love, free from bitterness. They beat Him, spat on Him, mocked Him, and nailed Him to a cross, but they could not take away His love. For even as they were nailing Jesus to the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And when a Pharisee asked Jesus what the most important commandment was in all of scripture, Jesus answered:

(Matthew 22:35-40 NKJV) 'You shall love the LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Jesus said that the two most important commandments in all of scripture are:

1) Love God.

2) Love Others.

Love fully satisfies the requirements of the law, and all the Apostles taught this. Love is a central theme in the Bible, and it is undeniable that we are commanded to show love to others, even our enemies.

• Love: an intense feeling of deep affection.

• Synonyms: fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, endearment; devotion, adoration, compassion, caring, charity, goodwill, sympathy, kindliness, and unselfishness.

Hate: feel intense or passionate dislike for (someone).

• Synonyms: loathe, detest, despise, revolted by, regard with disgust, find intolerable, shudder at, recoil from, shrink from.

Jesus gave us a commandment to love one another just as He loves us. Love is not a choice, an option, a recommendation, or a suggestion; it is a commandment. Jesus Christ said, "A new commandment I give to you," and if we do not love one another, then we are disobeying it.

(John 13:34-35 NKJV) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

(Matthew 5:43-45 NKJV) "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

People often excuse themselves from various commandments in the Bible, but I don't see how anyone can dismiss this statement of Jesus and still consider themselves a Christian. It is a direct commandment given by Jesus Christ Himself. We are to seek the good of others first, just as Jesus did.

The Bible also contains many warnings about hate. John wrote:

(1 John 2:9-11 NKJV) He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

(1 John 4:20-21 NKJV) If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

The Apostle Paul wrote an entire chapter on the importance of love:

(1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NKJV) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

God is so beautiful, and He loves each of us in such a powerful, passionate way. Somehow, He always sees the good inside, and He never gives up on us.

In the past, I have gotten angry at people we tried to help get on their feet because they would not live right. Instead, they chased after their drug addictions and sold everything we had given them until they were back in the gutter again, worse off than before, and so were we.

Then, after getting alone with God and praying for them, when I finally connected with the heart of God, I would feel so dirty, judgmental, and ashamed of my attitude. In a gentle way, the Holy Spirit made it clear that I needed prayer and forgiveness. My love had somehow turned into anger. Has God ever spanked you like that? It is something you remember.

Jesus said that when we have love for one another, everyone will know we are His disciples. When we hate others and try to hurt them, we are less like Jesus and more like someone else:

(1 John 3:15 NKJV) Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me show love to others, especially those who are different. Help me not see others as enemies, and if I do, then help me love them as well. I let go of all the hate I have against anyone. Please cleanse me and release me from judgment. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!