16 love your enemies verses to help you transform hatred to grace
Loving your enemies might seem the hardest thing to do, but that is what the Bible commands. Holding a grudge serves no meaningful purpose, and forgiving your enemies remains the best thing to do, no matter how difficult. Choosing love brings relief and lightens your heart by transforming the heavy hatred burden into peaceful grace. Reading "love your enemies" verses help you in the journey of mending your relationship with an enemy.
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Hatred is an unnecessary burden on your heart, so repairing your broken relationship with your enemies should be a priority. It is not an easy journey; for guidance, you need to read Bible verses about love to make peace with them. This compilation of love your enemies verses will help you find peace in your heart and welcome them into your life.
"Love your enemies" verses from the Bible
The Bible verses address various social issues, including love and relationships. Therefore, it is the ideal book to read when trying to mend a broken relationship with your enemies. Knowing which Bible verse is dedicated to loving your enemies can be challenging, but below are verses you can read to start loving your enemies.
Bible verse about loving your enemies
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Which Bible verses should you read to start loving your enemies? Making peace with your foes is never easy, but if you are determined to do that, these Bible verses will spearhead mending your relationship.
- If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. – Exodus 23:4-5
- You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, “Do not resist the one who is evil.” But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. – Matthew 5:38-42
- Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. They repay me evil for good; my soul is bereft. But when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with my head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning. – Psalm 35:11-14
- Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honour; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord. – Romans 12:9-11
- Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. – Matthew 18:32-34
"Living at peace with everyone" Bible verses
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A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body, so you should strive to make peace with everyone around you. The following Bible verses will motivate you to have a cordial relationship with everyone.
- But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. – James 3:17-18
- Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:17-21
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7
- This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Just as I had determined to bring disaster on you and showed no pity when your ancestors angered me," says the LORD Almighty, "so now I have determined to do good again to Jerusalem and Judah. Do not be afraid. These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment in your courts; do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this," declares the LORD – Zechariah 8:14-17
- For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. – Ephesians 2:14–16
- Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all, these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:12–15
Bible verses about kindness
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Choosing to do good things should be your mantra if you want to love your enemies. A kind heart leaves an enemy with no choice but to love you. These Bible verses about kinds will give you a reason to do good to your enemies.
- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22–24
- But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:4–7
- Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3:8-9
- When you are harvesting in your field, and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. – Deuteronomy 24:19
- Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:5-8
What Bible verse says "love your enemies"?
The Bible verse that expresses loving your enemies is Luke 6:27-28: "But to you who are listening, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
What Psalm is protection against enemies?
Psalm 59:1-2 talks about protection against enemies. It reads: "Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men."
Hatred is hurtful, and its only antidote is love. By reading "love your enemies" verses, you can overcome hatred and embrace grace and understanding. Forgiving your enemies can be difficult, but the inner peace and cordial relationship it yields are immeasurable.
Legit.ng recently published Bible verses about the tongue. While the tongue is an important body part, it can lead you to unnecessary trouble if you are not careful. Therefore, Bible verses about the tongue remind you of how careful you should be so as not to cause trouble with what you say.
The Bible has several verses about the tongue. The scriptures warn about many evils that the tongue can cause. Here are Bible verses to help you control your tongue.
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