God Continually Works Actively in His World

It is very easy to overlook great truths in the most familiar Biblical passages. One such passage is Jesus' teaching that his followers are to love their enemies in Matthew 5:43-48. Let us notice the reason Jesus gives to Christians for doing this in verses 43-45:

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, SO THAT YOU MAY BE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN; FOR HE MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND ON THE UNRIGHTEOUS."

The argument Jesus gives here to persuade and motivate his disciples to love their enemies is that when they do this, they are imitating their Father in heaven. The assumption behind this argument is that good, obedient, loving children desire to and actually do imitate their parents.

But what does God do to love his enemies, as an example to his children [Jesus' followers] to love their enemies? Jesus names TWO specific things:
1. Some human opposes God by blaspheming God's name or disobeying one of God's commands or pretending to love God when he or she really does not or in some other way, and God ACTIVELY MAKES HIS SUN RISE ON THAT ENEMY OF HIS, thereby blessing that person who has ridiculed God.
2. Some human takes God's name in vain or denounces God for doing something that person does not like or the like, and God ACTIVELY SENDS RAIN ON THAT ENEMY OF HIS, thus empowering his or her crops to flourish and giving him or her a wonderful day.

But these two examples of Jesus "will not stand up in court," "cannot bear the heat of careful scrutiny," if God does not ACTIVELY WORK IN HIS WORLD--by causing the sun to rise each day and by sending rain.

Many Christians CLAIM the Bible is their authority for beliefs and practices and worship, but are VERY HESITANT to accept the Biblical teaching that God ACTIVELY WORKS IN HIS WORLD, even though Jesus Himself claims that His Father does.

John Willis