Loving Enemies?

Question

If you love your enemies, do you have to like them too?

Answer 1

Loving enemies has bounds.

Clearly God does not want us to love Satan.

Just leave the wrath to God... and you should be safe.

We are told to preach the Gospel to enemies... and certainly treat them as children of God.

Some people would twist this into "we have our noses in their buisness because we preach" But it is Love. You dont want them to go to Hell right? It is not our words, it is Gods Word that we are faithfully reciting.

You want them to know God, realize their sins, and accept Jesus as Savior? To save them from Hell?

Love is patient with sin, not enabling of sins.

God Bless you.

Answer 2

All answers so far sound good & are correct. Yet, if I am just starting my Spiritual journey the most basic of all reasons to work on loving my enemies would be that all that hate, all that anger, & all that venom comes thru me first. I would get most of it & as I release it thinking it will "attack" my supposed enemy, it is killing me. It effects me first physically before enviroment or my "enemy". I know this is not a "selfless" answer, but again I am not sure there is one in the beginning. Hopefully, by attempting to not harm myself with poison thoughts to the one I consider my enemy, thru selfish reasons I will also learn something about my nature & perhaps the nature of the enemy, then as I change, my motives will change. Interesting Q. Blessings!

Answer 3

For me, you can love you enemies-as to wish them have happiness and have the cause of happiness, however need not really have to like them, in the sense that like and agree the way they do things.

Answer 4

For me, enemies should be treated as if you're not enemies. Treat your enemies like your best friend because that's the way Jesus likes.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, Jesus got that one wrong, that's probably the main reason he ended up dead so young in his life.

I love myself too much to love someone who hates me.
It 's called having a survival instinct. Unfortunately, Jesus didn't have one of those. What can you say about someone who tells his followers to let someone hit them in the face over and over again without fighting back. That is just pure stupidity (and if you please, naivete).

I'd rather hate my enemies and keep living than love my enemies and get killed. I'm just funny that way I guess.

Answer 6

My enemies are strangers that will never be in my life again. Love or hate them? That would be a waste of time. I simply find better people to be in my life and give them the love they deserve.

Answer 7

No. You can even hate the things they do, but you are commanded to love them, because they are God's children, too.

I struggle with this as well. Actually, I have a bigger problem with forgiving those that have sinned against me. But God can help you, if you let Him. He will always be with you. And I like to think that it counts in God's eyes that you want to be able to grow to the point where you can sincerely love your enemies. I have blessed those who cursed me, only to find myself cursing them under my breath, and then praying for forgiveness... God knows it is hard. I am forgiven, and so are you.

God Bless.

Answer 8

I'm an atheist but i truly love Jesus' message that you should love your enemy. you dont have to like them but you should realize that they are human and can feel just like you and i can.
sadly many of his devout followers don't feel that this is one of his more important rules.

Answer 9

A smart man once said:
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer!"

Answer 10

Nope. It's perfectly ok to 'love' them while denying certain ones of your choosing (of course) their human rights and seeking to create division. Liking 'them' isn't even a consideration.