Читать книгу The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of Christianity - Charles Ebert Orr - Страница 29

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“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Mat. 5:48. The perfection which God designs that Christians shall have equal with his own relates to the purity of his nature and affection. In the immediate preceding verses the Savior commands Christians to love their enemies, bless them that curse them, do good to them that hate them, and pray for them which despitefully use them and persecute them. As Christians this is our nature. We will not “render evil for evil.” We will befriend our persecutors, feed our enemy when he hungers, and give him drink when he thirsts. In verse forty-five the Savior tells us of the Father's behavior toward his enemies: “He maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Here we behold [pg 088] the merciful nature of God and how he does good for evil. If we love only those who love us and do good only to those who do good to us (ver. 46, 47) we are not in the nature of God; we are no more than publicans and sinners. But if we love our enemies and do good to those who hate us, we are reflecting the character of God. In this respect he would have us to be “perfect, even as he is perfect.” O beloved, see that you entertain right feelings toward all men. Do good to your enemies; love them, pray for them, and convince them that you are more than the ordinary sinful man, and God will bless you now and eternally.

In the parable of the sower and its explanation the Savior said the seed which fell among thorns are they which hear the word and go forth and are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Luke 8:14. Christian fruit is loving our enemies, doing them good, doing good unto all men, speaking evil of none, manifesting love, faith, meekness, gentleness, joy, etc. This is Christian fruit, and may God help every reader to bring it forth to the highest degree of perfection.