Romans Chapter 12 Vs. 14

 

Marks of the True Christian

Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rom 12:14

Bless them which... Bless your habitual persecutors.

Here we are told to treat enemies as if they were your friends.

One of the most important teachings on this subject is found in Jesus’ own words in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.

Mat. 5:44 “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;”

A Christian’s greatest desire should be to be like Jesus. The one thing that set Jesus aside from other people was that He loved us enough to die on the cross for us while we were yet in sin. He blessed us when we really deserved to be persecuted.

1Pet. 2:23 “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:”

Paul’s exhortations in this section relate to a believer’s reactions to the actions and emotions of others, whether Christians or not. The hatred displayed in persecution usually evokes response in kind, but Paul commanded, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (cf. Mat. 5:44). Perhaps Paul thought of Stephen (Acts 7:59-60) and of Jesus Christ (Luke 23:34). They both modeled these words and responded to persecution even to death by praying for God’s forgiveness of their persecutors.