Get ready to start a journey…a journey through the pages of the Bible and the pages of your life.
I have lived long enough to know that talk is cheap. From politicians to preachers, many words can flow from the mouth without ever resulting in meaningful action. My mom taught me early on that actions speak louder than words. So we are spending a few days considering the premier parenting passage in Scripture.
Our passage today is an answer to a question … actually, two questions. So let’s check them out.
I can relate to the reasoning of Matthew 5:43. I love hanging out with neighbors. That’s a good time. Joking around. Laughing. Investing in the lives of people you like. I can handle that. And my enemy?
We are sinners, and our sin separates us from God. The penalty of our sin is death. But driven by perfect love, the just God became the Justifier. Being fully God, Jesus was the only One who could provide a sinless sacrifice.
A great teacher uses different methods to drive home the point. That’s what God did in the Old Testament. He communicated his message in a variety of ways. Sometimes he used visions, dreams, and supernatural interventions. Other times he wrote the law on tablets of stone and delivered it to the people by his servant Moses. Then there were occasions when God spoke through the prophets by sending warnings and encouragement.