How We Love Our Enemies

Insights From Cole Richards, President Of The Voice Of The Martyrs, On Loving those who persecute Us

The following reflection is written by Cole Richards, President of The Voice of the Martyrs. In this insightful passage, he dives into the power of the gospel to forgive even our worst enemies.

Beware of the prevalent “take-it-or- leave-it” mentality. While skepticism may seem understandable among members of our individualistic culture, we must never put ourselves in a place of criticism or judgment toward any of our Lord’s commands. As I minister to persecuted Christians in restricted nations, I am struck by their willingness to suffer in order to obey Christ’s commands — immediately and without qualification. Their example leads me to ask: Have I unwittingly fallen into a trap of obeying only those commands that I understand and with which I agree?

In the face of violent attacks by Islamic extremists, our persecuted Christian family members are showing us how to follow Christ. Our Lord has said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44–45). Since loving our enemies is such a clear command — one that Jesus identifies as a distinctive trait of God’s children — we must not allow ourselves to avoid it. From VOM’s founding fifty-six years ago until today, reaching persecutors for Christ has been one of the organization’s foundational purposes. We “equip persecuted Christians to love and win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel” (vom.org/about).

Since loving our enemies, even our persecutors, is one of the five purposes of the organization where I have served for nearly seventeen years and that I have led for five, I talk about this scriptural principle more frequently than most Christian leaders. I suppose the feedback I receive has even made me a sort of thermometer that measures people’s attitudes toward this command of Christ. I am sorry to report that our collective temperature runs low and is trending lower, as far too many avoid the topic altogether. People sense that if they engage with Christ’s words, their overarching attitudes and behaviors toward the lost will be forced to change. And they are right.

Since loving our enemies is such a clear command — one that Jesus identifies as a distinctive trait of God’s children — we must not allow ourselves to avoid it.

Cole richards, vom president

I trust that you are among those who seek to obey Christ on this point. We love him, so we obey his commands. As we move forward in obedience, the fog begins to clear and we can see how to love our enemies. Since they are lost and face eternal separation from their creator, the most loving act possible is to reach them with the gospel, the truth of Christ that the Holy Spirit can use to lead them to repentance and eternal life.

Some have rejected Christ’s command to love our enemies because they have misinterpreted it to mean that we must “be nice” to people who intend to harm us. But being kind to lost people in any way that leaves them lost is the opposite of loving them. We ultimately obey Christ’s command to pray for those who persecute us by praying for their salvation, and then we ultimately obey his command to love our enemies by bringing them the only truth that can set them free. Our persecuted Christian family members are showing us the way. May we be encouraged to follow in their footsteps.