Love Your Enemies (2)

Near the end of the last article on Matthew 5:44-45, we noted that Christ certainly does "love," "bless," "do good to" and "pray for" His elect enemies. But the question was raised, Does Christ "love," "bless," "do good to" and "pray for" His reprobate enemies? First, Christ certainly does not pray for them, for He says in His "high priestly prayer:" "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine" (John 17:9). Second, Christ blesses the children of Israel (Gen. 48:16) and His disciples (Luke 24:50-51), but there is no word in Scripture of Christ blessing the reprobate. Third, all agree that Christ did good to the ungodly. He healed 10 lepers though 9 did not return to thank Him, and He fed 5,000 though many of them did not believe on Him. So with respect to the reprobate, Christ did not do two of the four things that we are commanded to do for our neighbors: He did not pray for nor bless the reprobate. He did do one of the four things we are commanded to do: He did good to the reprobate. What about the fourth one? Did He love the reprobate? We say that He did not; those who believe in common grace say that He did. This verse of itself does not determine the issue either way. Other texts will have to decide this question.

What then about God? Does He "love," "bless," "do good to" and "pray for" His reprobate enemies? First, God does not pray for the reprobate, for God does not pray. Second, God blesses His elect (Eph. 1:3), the righteous (Ps. 5:12), His inheritance (Ps. 28:9) and those who fear Him (Ps. 115:13). Each of the beatitudes begins "Blessed are ..." (Matt. 5:3-11), and many Psalms contain the line: "Blessed is the man ..." (e.g., Ps. 1:1) or "Blessed are they ..." (e.g., Ps. 84:4). In each case it is God’s people (the meek, the godly, etc.) who are blessed. God blesses His elect people "with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3-4), who is the One supremely blessed of the Father (Ps. 45:2). Our being blessed in Christ is the realization of the Abrahamic covenant in Christ with His elect (Gen. 12:2-3; Gal. 3:8-9, 14, 16, 29). This is God’s irreversible blessing of salvation (Num. 23:20) which turns us away from our iniquities (Acts 3:26). What then about the reprobate? As those who curse Christ and His people, God curses them (Gen. 12:3; Num. 24:9). Scripture teaches that "the wicked ... blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth" (Ps. 10:3). Proverbs 3:33 declares, "The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just." Third, all agree that God does good to the reprobate wicked in this life. Acts 14:17 states that God "did good" to the pagan nations by giving them "rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." We conclude that with respect to the reprobate, God does not do two of the four things that we are commanded to do for our neighbors: God does not pray for nor bless the reprobate. God does one of the four things we are commanded to do: He does good to the reprobate. What about the fourth one? Does God love the reprobate? We say that he does not; those who believe in common grace say that He does. This verse of itself does not determine the issue either way. Other texts will have to decide this question.