Stefan MolyneuxVerified account

I gained an understanding of what it means to love your enemies by praying for my parents. If they never repent to me, I don't believe I owe them a relationship. But praying for them has released me from a great deal of pain and bitterness. How can I honor my parents? Pray.

I think it's more along the lines of - there is nothing for you, or society, to gain through hating. Most bad things started as hate. You can love someone without actively being involved in them - and that's how you should work with enemies.

Prior to the cross, love was an assignment to man under Law, a demand. Post-cross, the Holy Spirit came to impart and reveal the Father's love in man through newness of Life not present in man prior to the cross. We now love because He first loved us and gave Himself for us.

This is great wisdom and advice, and something I need to learn as well.

Agape and phileo. Agape is how Christ loved the world, died for all mankinds sins. Its a verb, requires thought and application, supercedes emotion. Phileo is personal love for the subject of the matter. Relationships founded on this fail due to inconsistencies in human nature.

"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you." Proverbs 25:21, 22 Nobody ever bothers the mention the second half.

Christians define love as "willing the good of the other" - willing the other to be good and have good things happen to them. That's why they can love enemies.

My enemies did awful things to me that were so bad they must have been under some kind of demonic influence, so I "love" them and pray for their soul. (I do not like them with any kind of affection whatsoever, though).

Love them as you would a misguided family member you hoped to guide back into the light.