Matthew 5:43-45 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

There is a very interesting catch phrase in these verses and you might miss it if you are bothered terribly about having to love those who curse, despise, and persecute you. It is the line that says “That ye may be children of your father which is in heaven”.

Now let us go back to “If you love me obey my commandments.” What is the first  commandment with a blessing attached?

Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

You honor your Father in Heaven if you follow the example set by Him in Matthew 5:45 by treating all alike, showing favoritism to no one. The reason is simple if you will just accept its truth.

Nothing changes a person more than being loved.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

What do you owe the One who has saved your life, has given you life?

A Chinese proverbs says you owe your life to the one who saves your life. I suppose that is a worldly wisdom, a debt to repay. What does Jesus ask in return for saving you? Paul comments here that you should offer up your body as reasonable service. Service is very much a part of the Christian life, as described by Paul in his epistles that give structure to this church age. His focus has always been about how the church should act and meet the needs of the body of Christ. Needs are not wants.

When it comes to things Jesus asked of us, I always think of this one verse.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The only valid reason to obey is love.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Then we get into the argument of who is your neighbor. The answer the Spirit will answer for you is “All mankind.”

Do I owe that to Him who saved me?

He did ask!