“I have recently come to understand the teaching of the Protestant Reformed Churches on common grace to be in harmony with Scripture. Having read much of the Church's literature on the subject I still struggle a little with the exegesis of Matthew 5:43ff that I have encountered. The problem is probably mine but I would love to see these verses expounded clearly, in context, particularly as they relate to "loving our enemies" as a reflection of God's perfection.”

Rev. R. Smit Responds:

Dear Sir,
     Here is our answer from a book called Ready to Give an Answer, by Herman Hoeksema and Herman Hanko.   This is an Reformed Free Publishing Association publication (see  www.rfpa.org).
    This book, which is a catechism on the doctrinal history of the Protestant Reformed Churches in
America in 1924 and 1953, has a series of pertinent questions and answers which answer your question.   The section dealing with the question you ask is found in connection with the Theory of Three Points of Common Grace adopted by the Christian Reformed Church  in 1924.  That is the reference to "synod" in the following text.
    I will quote the text in question and then from this book (pages 71-73) quote the questions and answers.

"20. But does not Matthew 5:44,45 prove the point synod (the Christian Reformed Church Synod of 1924, RJS) made in its first declaration?

     If the synod's interpretation of this text were the correct one, it would prove far too much and, besides, it would lead to absurdity.  It is deplorable that synod merely quoted, without even an attempt at explanation; otherwise synod would have soon realized how untenable is the position that in these verses we have proof that God is gracious to all men.  The interpretation which, evidently, synod would offer runs as follows:
          a. We must love our enemies.
          b. If we do, we will be children of God and reflect His love, for He loves all His
     enemies, as well as the good, in this present life.
          c. This love to all men is manifested in the rain and sunshine on all without
     distinction.

    Of this interpretation we assert that, first, it proves too much and, secondly, it leads to absurdity and is untenable. It proves too much, for the Scriptures witness that God does not love, but hates His enemies and purposes to destroy them, except those He chose in Christ Jesus and whom He loves, not as His enemies but as His redeemed people, justified and sanctified in Christ. God does indeed love His enemies, not as such,
but as His children in Christ.
    And it leads to absurdity, for if rain and sunshine are a manifestation of God's love to all men, the just and the unjust, what are floods and droughts, pestilences and earthquakes and all destructive forces and evils sent to all through nature, but manifestations of His hatred for all, the just and the unjust? But it is absurd to say that
God hates the just, for He loves them. It is also absurd to say that God changes, now loving the just and the unjust and manifesting this love in rain and sunshine, now hating them and revealing His hatred in upheavals and destruction.
    Hence, this interpretation that leads to this evident absurdity is itself absurd.  Besides, it must not be overlooked that the text does not at all state that God is gracious to the just and to the unjust, but
that He rains and causes His sun to shine on all."
 

"21. How, then, must the text be interpreted?
     We must take our starting point from verse 44. The Lord admonishes His people that they shall love their enemies. Now, love is not a sentimental feeling or emotion or affection. It is, according to Scripture, the bond of perfectness (Col. 3:14). It is therefore the bond between two parties or persons who are ethically perfect, who seek each other and find delight in each other because of their ethical perfection, and who, in the sphere
of ethical perfection, seek each other's good. It is in this true sense that God is love.
    However, it stands to reason that, in the case of loving our enemies that despitefully use us, curse us, and persecute us, love must needs be one-sided. There cannot be a bond of fellowship between the wicked and the perfect in Christ.
    To love our enemy, therefore, is not to flatter him, to have fellowship with him, to play games with him, and to speak sweetly with him; but rather to rebuke him, and to demand that he leave his wicked way, and thus to bless him and to pray for him. It is to bestow good things upon him with the demand of true love that he leave his wicked way, walk in the light, and thus have fellowship with us. If he heed our love, which will be the case if he be of God's elect and receive grace, he will turn from darkness into light, and our love will assume the
nature of a bond of perfectness. If he despise our love, our very act of love will be to his greater condemnation. But the cursing and the persecution of the wicked may never tempt the child of God to love and act from the principle of hatred, to reward evil for evil, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
     As a single illustration from actual life and experience, the Lord points to the fact that so God rains and causes His sun to shine upon the just and the unjust, thus bestowing good things upon them all, demanding that they shall employ them as means to walk in righteousness and light.  For with God love is delight in perfection in the highest sense of the word.
     If now the wicked receive grace with rain and sunshine, they will walk in the light and have fellowship with God. If they do not receive grace, they will employ the rain and the sunshine in the service of sin and receive the greater damnation.
    But rain and sunshine are never grace and Matthew 5:44,45 does not prove the contention of the first point."
 

"22. But does not Luke 6:35, 36 plainly speak of God being kind to the unthankful and the evil?
     This text is far more simple than that of Matthew 5, because it merely speaks of the unthankful and evil.  No one denies that God is kind to the unthankful and evil.  Only, He is not kind to the reprobate unthankful and evil. The entire context of Luke 6:35,36 shows clearly that the Lord purposes to teach:
          a. That His own people tasted the goodness and the kindness of God toward them while they were and often still unthankful and evil.
          b. That having tasted the love of God as a love that reveals itself as grace and kindness toward the unthankful and evil, they must reveal that same kindness toward their enemies, lending and giving without ever hoping to receive again.

    That God loves and is gracious to the ungodly in Christ does not at all prove that He loves and is gracious to all the ungodly, even those who are outside of Christ."

Rev. R. Smit
 

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