Sep. 28, 2026

What does it really mean to love our enemies?

In Matthew 5:43–48, Jesus gives us a command that reaches far beyond ordinary human affection: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Guest speaker Roy Combs challenged us to consider what that kind of love looks like when it moves from Scripture into everyday life.

Roy reminded us that biblical love is more than a feeling. It is a deliberate choice to act for the good of another person—even when that person is difficult, different, hostile, or has wronged us. Drawing from his experiences in the military, Roy reflected on the challenge of loving those we might consider enemies and the importance of showing compassion even in the midst of conflict.

From there, the message moved much closer to home.

How do we respond to the person who has hurt us? The person whose choices we strongly disagree with? The person whose beliefs, lifestyle, or worldview are completely different from our own? And perhaps most importantly, how do we respond to the person who has sinned against us?

Roy pointed us to 1 Corinthians 13:4–7, reminding us that love is patient, kind, enduring, and unwilling to give up. Biblical love does not require us to call sin acceptable or to abandon truth. Rather, we can speak truth without hatred, uphold righteousness without self-righteousness, and extend grace because we ourselves have received grace.

One of the most powerful challenges of the message was the distinction between sympathy and empathy. We may not approve of someone's choices, but we can seek to understand the pain, circumstances, and story behind the person standing in front of us. Instead of beginning with condemnation, we can begin with compassion.

And that challenge extends beyond the church.

Roy reminded us that Christianity is not merely demonstrated by how we treat one another inside the church building. Our Christian witness is revealed by how we treat people when we leave these walls. The stranger at the store. The difficult neighbor. The hurting person. The person who doesn't share our beliefs. The person society has written off.

We may never know what someone is carrying beneath the surface—or what a single act of kindness might accomplish in that person's life. What seems like a small gesture to us may become a mustard seed of hope in someone else's life.

Jesus said, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” We are called to love people without compromising truth, to show mercy without excusing sin, and to point people toward Christ rather than simply pointing out their failures.

The challenge from Roy’s message is simple:

Love isn't just what we say inside the church. Love is what we demonstrate when we walk outside its doors.

May Calvary Baptist Church be known not only for what we believe, but for how faithfully we demonstrate the love, grace, truth, and mercy of Jesus Christ to a world that desperately needs Him.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:35