Hate

There is a lot of hate going around in the world today. It makes us consider where hate fits in the life of a Christian. Recently, I read an article by a brother that said that hate has no place in the heart of a Christian. I totally agreed until I remembered that there are things that God hates.

God hates a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren (Proverbs 6:17-19) God also hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). God hates sins and evil attitudes!

Also, Paul tells Christians to “abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

The word hate is neutral, just like love. Perhaps the brother who wrote the article meant that Christians should not have hate in our hearts for a person or persons. That is something we can agree with.

So, what do we do if we have hate in our heart for a person? We must root this hate out and replace it with love. This is much, much harder than it sounds and requires constant vigilance. Satan will work every angle to get us to revert to sin.

One suggestion I have is to read the Sermon on the Mount every week. Consider the extra mile example in Matthew 5:41. Roman soldiers could force a Jew to carry his pack for one mile. This likely caused hatred of Roman soldiers who required this. Jesus says to carry the pack two miles instead of one. He also teaches us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Jesus says to love when our natural tendency is to hate.

Remember also that Jesus taught through the parable of the Good Samaritan that we should love our neighbor even if they do not look or think like us.

This is an extraordinary challenge, but one we must accept as Christians. Let us consider one another to stir up love and good works (Hebrews 10:24). Let us be known as doers of the Word!

For the elders, Dave Benner