The world says hate only destroys and can never bring hope. Is that what you believe? Have you ever hated someone? Have you ever hated something? Have you ever hated behaviors? I have. Does God ever hate? What do you think? Good questions, are you ready to let me tell you what God has taught me about how hate can bring hope?
The world has so twisted righteous thinking leaving most people to believe that there is no place for hate, and it is always bad. I say this is not the case. I believe that God is always good and that there is no evil in Him so if God hates then there is a good reason to hate as well. The Bible says that God hates. Proverbs 6:16-19 says,
There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (ESV)
It is clear to me that God hates. But does God hate people? Psalms 11:5 says, “The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” (ESV) Well according to the Psalmist it appears that He does. Psalms 26:5 continues the same thought, “I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.” (ESV) The most direct statement of God’s hatred for an individual and a Nation can be found in Malachi 1. In the particular verses 2-3, “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ ‘Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ declares the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.’” (ESV)
Jesus also says we are supposed to hate in Luke 14:26 He says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (ESV) I believe that the meaning of this is more about placing anybody or anything before Him. Thus, a true disciple of Christ places Christ first above all else. I know this will bring hope. Jesus also talks about hate in the Sermon on the Mount, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24 (ESV) Jesus is again saying we can only have one master I believe that it is implied that that master should be God.
However, it is very clear to me that we should never hate our fellow believers “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” 1 John 2:9 (ESV) It is so clear that John would even question the faith of a believer that hates his brother.
Therefore, it seems to me that there are certain actions we should hate, certain people we should hate. But there are certain things we should never hate and certain people we should never hate. By following the directions of God, we find in The Bible we can know what and whom we should hate and what and whom we should love. If I were to summarize my thoughts, we should hate what and whom God hates and love what and whom God loves. The answer to my question is yes hate can bring hope. I believe there is always hope when we follow the actions of God,
I pray you will start hating everything that God hates because in doing that you will find hope. Hope because in learning to hate sin like Him we will always have hope because we know God will bless us when we avoid sin. We will better understand Jesus is the only source of true hope. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for my sins and yours as well. It satisfied all my sins from the past, in the present, and in the future. My penalty and yours were satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because wisdom shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here. You can watch a book trailer about my book. You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here. eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press
