Ever thought about this?…how “for salvation in Christ — hating is life changing”? Part of Jesus’ message says:
1 John 3:14
We know
that we have passed
out of death into Life,
because we love the brothers and sisters.
He who does not love
remains in [spiritual] death.
Hate is “eternal-life-changing”. Scary thought.
Are you hating on someone?
- Hating Ruth Bader Ginsburg and other abortion lawmakers?
- Hating Trump like “Never-Trumpers” do?
- Do you hate Trump so much that you would throw the November 2020 election to the liberal’s godless agenda side?
- Hating those on “the other side of the aisle”?
- Hating your neighbor, your sibling, that crumb-bum who hurt you?
- You letting hate float your boat and decide your vote?
If you hate your brother
-Source: One Human Race
Jesus said hate is very serious: If you hate your brother (“neighbor” or blood brother, etc. Or President?) then you absolutely (as in “impossible”!) cannot love Me. The Bible teaches that love and hate are mutually exclusive. Habitually hating anyone is totally anathema. 1
Habitual Hate: 1 John 4:20; Luke 6:27; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 2:11
Jesus’ actual words are a very stern warning, very precise. To paraphrase, Jesus said this: This is so very very serious. You must be born again. If not, if you are not reborn by my Holy Spirit, if you allow hate to run your life, then you cannot ever see the Kingdom of God (My Kingdom). Ever. You will never experience My Kingdom (Heaven).
His actual words (John 3:3; John 3:7)
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you,
unless a person is born again
[reborn from above—
spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified],
he cannot [ever]
see and experience
the kingdom of God.”
– John 3 verse 3
Do not be surprised
that I have told you,
‘You must be born again
[reborn from above
—spiritually transformed,
renewed, sanctified].’
– John 3:7
Hate by a Professing Christian
The habitual hate by a professing believer (or habitual sin of any kind), is evidence of a dichotomous heart. And the message of the Bible is: No dichotomous heart gets to heaven. Not a one. That is what Christ died for – that we might have changed hearts. You can’t go on living like “before Christ”, like the world.
Hating a sinner can become quite addictive. We see it all the time in the news. And in churches too. Gossip goes on a rampage when a church member or other Christian fails, falls, and sins. “We shoot our wounded.” I’ve been on both sides. You too?
We create a habit of hate
When our little ones sin against us, we love them anyway, so much so that we forgive them – and continue right along our way – loving them. But adults – NOT so much. It’s the horribleness of sin that breaks us, and we put up a wall, and give-in to sinning, hating the sinner who acted so wrongfully.
We create a habit of hate towards those who got so weak they fell. How so easily we hate them. (What what WHAT?)
As God has mercy and love and forgiveness towards all (Thank you Lord!), to save us from our sins (Thank you Lord!), and love us even in our sinning (Thank you Lord!)… so we must towards all (Oh no, can’t do THAT).
God’s powerful words of love and forgiveness: (in one link) 1 John 3:14; 2 John 1:3; 1 John 5:1; 2 Corinthians 6:6; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 1:8; Psalm 31:23; Philippians 2:1-14
We can create a habit of love
Through Jesus – love can win! We can reject hate, and choose love over condemning anyone who sins (everyone?) The sinner wins in the end, through Jesus (John 3:16; Romans 8:1).
* Does the sinner EVER win in the end – with you? Got a lifetime habit of passing guilty verdicts, passing out punishment, thinking like – “You’ll never be my friend again? Opting Out?
* Or do you guard a heart of love, maintain that special love in the Spirit, think rightly, forgive, and with caution… help restore – with gentleness and meekness? (Galatians 6:1-5; 2 Peter 3:17)
There is nothing automatic in my soul, however. My will always comes into play, multiple times every hour. I am no android, after all. Moment by moment I must choose righteousness. I have options (to sin – to not sin). My desire moves me. And my desire is Christ. I choose to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. My focus is: living for Him.
– Excerpt: The well-guarded soul
It is too easy to conform to the hateful ways and practices of the world, the hateful ways of our culture, or perhaps even of our “oikos” circle of family and friends. We must constantly examine ourselves, our habits and state of mind, our practice when someone else sins. To what have you conformed? What’s living rent-free inside your head?
– Source: What’s living rent-free inside your head?
There’s a whole bunch of ornery characters taking up space inside ya’lls head. True? Or False?
➡ True. Just as good and ornery Trump, and good ways of thinking and acting can “get in our head” for good (Romans 12:6-21; Ephesians 4:24-32), there’s bad and ornery already inside our insides working for evil (2 Corinthians 12:20-21; Galatians 5:19-21). I’m workin’ to conform to the good ones (Romans 12:2; 1 Peter 1:14).
Maybe you don’t even know the freeloaders are up there. But know this: they are. (Maybe you’ve even invited them in and made them comfortable in there!) It’s part of being alive. Even as believers, all peoples have old nature creatures residing in that often unexplored cavern of our soul on top our neck.
This is true faith:
“the one who does the will of God
and carries out His purposes lives forever.”
-Verse 17 of 1 John 2:15-17
1 John 3:14
We know
that we have passed
out of death into Life,
because we love the brothers and sisters.
He who does not love
remains in [spiritual] death.
This is a stark, harsh statement, but our “loving God” is also our Damning God. He is not just “loving”. The One True God is also holy and just. God requires a definite change of heart (called “repentance” – to turn around and go the other way). No ordinary church, nor some ordinary religious leader initiated this statement. Men inspired by the Holy Spirit said this.
1 John 2:11 11 But the one who habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:3-6 3 And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if we habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings). 4 Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him. 5 But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him: 6 whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walk and conduct himself just as He walked and conducted Himself.
Habitual Hate is a damning thing that reveals your true heart:
1 John 4:20; Luke 6:27; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 2:11
But there is a repentance that leads to salvation.
Walk away from hate. Jesus saves sinners. I know because He saved me. Has He saved you? Walk your heart to Jesus in prayer:
Oh Lord my God,
I repent of my sin. Save me. Make me born again from above.
I accept you as my Lord, my God come to earth for me.
“Create in me a clean heart,
renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.”
(verse 10 of Psalm 51:1-10)
– a heart of love for all peoples,
especially those I tend to
look askance upon.
No one is a lacky in your eyes.
All are equal – one human race.
No one deserves my hate.
You love them, died to save them.
Thank you for your love.
Thank you for saving me.
Give me your eyes, to not look down
scornfully upon another life,
to not work against another brother, sister –
with spoken gossip, arrows of hate,
disapproval, and distrust,
with darts of suspicion and of doubt.
Help me forgive,
be merciful,
be kind to all around me.
In Your strength I will be accepting,
say true words of encouragement, and
be sincere and truthful in my heart.
Yes, I can – I can stand strong
FOR MORE:
The Christian’s mission of love every day
Are you one of the 18% percenters?
The Bible is able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation
Getting right with God …What happens if/when I finally reconcile with God?
Fearing God with awe-filled reverence
Yes, I can – I can stand strong
1 John 2:15-17 Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father, but are from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of God and carries out His purposes lives forever.
“It’s like as if we are all – that wannabe….”
Excerpt from: Me, When I Die, still in sin
We need forgiveness by God, because we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards. It’s like as if we are all that wannabe who failed to make the football team. The wannabe doesn’t make the team, so he will not ever play the game. The wannabe never cut the grade, never qualified for the team, never was approved by the coach, never got to wear the uniform, never made it to the huddle, never heard the play call, never lined-up, never hears the signals, never runs a play, and will never hear the coach say, “Well done.”
1 John 4:20; Luke 6:27; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 2:11
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
27 “But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you,
9 The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yet [a]habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now.
11 But the one who habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Footnotes
- “anathema = “accursed”; “anything devoted to destruction” – https://biblehub.com/topical/a/anathema.htm.
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