“You shall love your neighbor” (Matthew 5:43)

If you’re a new creature in Christ, bad feelings toward someone is an indication you must go to God and ask forgiveness, and learn what’s wrong with your attitude. This is hard to do if someone’s hurt you. But what’s impossible for the sinner, is expected of a saint. Christ commands us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

This is where Christian salvation is categorically different from man-made religion. “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect”(Matthew 5:48) is a command, not a suggestion. Christ purchased for you the ability to love unconditionally. If God has regenerated your heart and filled you with the Holy Spirit, you not only know from Scripture that Christ commanded you to love your enemy, He’s given you a new heart and the indwelling Holy Spirit, so you have the ability to do so.

Perhaps you know all this in your head, but you don’t feel like loving people that hurt you. You are not God. Only God can condemn your enemy to Hell. You’re commanded to pray for him to be saved. Christ commanded, “bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). If you can’t do this, you’re not saved. But if God has given you the ability to love your enemy, “to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

By the way, when you honestly pray for your enemy to be saved, an emotional bridge is created inside you toward that person, so you’ll be more likely to not hide from him when you see him on the street or in a store. You’ll be able to say “hello”, and be much more  likely to share the Gospel with him. Sinners know intuitively if you love them. If your enemy knows you care for them, and not just because you’re obeying Scripture, he’ll be more likely to listen to what you say. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).