God is Love! If you are a believer and follow scripture you know that this is from the word of God. He is Love! So if God is the creator and sustainer of life an the very definition of Him is love, where does hate come from in our world?
Hate comes from evil, brokenness, darkness, demons, satan, and the stirring of Hell.
Due to spiritual warfare we are never exempt from the pain of the world or the activity of the darkness. This is not to say that the power of God does not overcome evil, because it does. We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12 that God is in control and through John 1:1-5 that God overcomes..
"7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." -2 Corinthians 4:7-12
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." -John 1:1-5
As people who follow Jesus there is no room in the Kingdom for hate. We cannot hate people or the things that people do. We have a common phrase that goes something like this, "Hate the sin and love the sinner." But honestly the reality of this doesn't work. Read an article here for more on this: John Pavlovitz
We are not people who are to love our friends and hate our enemies. We are to love everyone. For most this means that we can "love" people and not "like" them. There are definitely levels of relationship. We may not have the necessary compatible components to deeply love and like everyone in the world. But if we are going to be the people Christ called us to be, then we must LOVE everyone. And that kind of love is an unconditional type of love. And when we LOVE them we love everything about them. And whatever we cannot reconcile with others, we simply leave that up to God. When we are in relationship with others, then we have a voice into their lives and can speak wisdom and accountability.
Loving others looks like this:
Kindness, goodness, gentleness, peace, joy, self-control, patience, and faithfulness
Hating others looks like this:
judgment, criticism, gossip, slander, isolation, spite, malice, violence, and divisiveness
In the Kingdom of God there is no room for hate.
Love the Lord Your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.
Hate comes from evil, brokenness, darkness, demons, satan, and the stirring of Hell.
Due to spiritual warfare we are never exempt from the pain of the world or the activity of the darkness. This is not to say that the power of God does not overcome evil, because it does. We are reminded in 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12 that God is in control and through John 1:1-5 that God overcomes..
"7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you." -2 Corinthians 4:7-12
"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." -John 1:1-5
As people who follow Jesus there is no room in the Kingdom for hate. We cannot hate people or the things that people do. We have a common phrase that goes something like this, "Hate the sin and love the sinner." But honestly the reality of this doesn't work. Read an article here for more on this: John Pavlovitz
We are not people who are to love our friends and hate our enemies. We are to love everyone. For most this means that we can "love" people and not "like" them. There are definitely levels of relationship. We may not have the necessary compatible components to deeply love and like everyone in the world. But if we are going to be the people Christ called us to be, then we must LOVE everyone. And that kind of love is an unconditional type of love. And when we LOVE them we love everything about them. And whatever we cannot reconcile with others, we simply leave that up to God. When we are in relationship with others, then we have a voice into their lives and can speak wisdom and accountability.
Loving others looks like this:
Kindness, goodness, gentleness, peace, joy, self-control, patience, and faithfulness
Hating others looks like this:
judgment, criticism, gossip, slander, isolation, spite, malice, violence, and divisiveness
In the Kingdom of God there is no room for hate.
Love the Lord Your God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.
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