I recently started reviewing Introductory Logic for Christian & Home Schools
“[S]ome people believe that Jesus’ command to love your enemies is an absurd requirement because they are defining love to mean ‘believe the other person to be a nice person,’ when in fact they know their enemies to be quite wicked and depraved. But biblically, love means ‘to treat the other person lawfully from the heart,’ which is to be our behavior toward all men.”[1]
That is a very helpful, biblical definition of love. Love is not believing the other person to be nice, and love is not doing whatever the other person wants me to do. Love is also not merely a sentimental or romantic feeling. Further, love is not busybodying around in everybody else’s business, even if you believe it to be for their own good. Rather, love is treating others lawfully from the heart.
A most helpful clarification as we try to obey Jesus by loving our enemies and our neighbors as ourselves.
[1] James B. Nance and Douglas J. Wilson, Introductory Logic for Christian & Home Schools