For when outsiders hear the sayings of God from our mouths they are astonished at their beauty and greatness. Then when they discover that our actions do not match our words, they turn from astonishment to blasphemy, saying that our faith is some kind of myth and error. For, on the one hand, they hear from us that God has said, “It is no great accomplishment for you to love those who love you; it is great if you love your enemies and those who hate you.” And when they hear these things they are astonished by their extraordinary goodness. But when they see that we fail to love not only those who hate us, but even those who love us, they ridicule us and the name is blasphemed.
Second Clement 13:3-24
note: The letter known as second Clement is overwhelmingly considered to not have been written by Clement of Rome and was more than likely a simple homiletic exhortation to an Egyptian Christian community sometime in the second century. It contains a strong emphasis on works, coupled with mysticism of the flesh that could indicate the presence of teachings that would eventually be associated with gnostic movements later,in the second and third centuries.
Any postings from outside of scripture do not mean that I endorse the reading of these materials as supplemental to scripture, in this case they are informative of early Christian thought (would one want to think of what would happen if Joel Osteen’s books were the only surviving Christian material from our era?)