No Room For Hate

There seems to be a lot of hate going around these days—hatred toward people who are “different,” hatred toward political opponents, and even hatred toward friends or family members for a variety of reasons.

But Christians must have no room in their hearts for such hatred. We are called to love, not hate.

Love is a constant theme in the New Testament. Jesus told us that the second most important commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself.”[1] Then he gave us a new commandment which is similar: “love one another.”[2] Paul said the same thing,[3] as did Peter[4] and John.[5] Indeed, John implies that anyone who hates other people cannot truly be a Christian.[6]

To anyone who objects that these verses only pertain to love of other Christians, and that they shouldn’t—or don’t—apply to unbelievers or to people who are evil, Jesus had an answer: “love your enemies.”[7]

As I have said in an earlier blog entry, most of the time in the New Testament, “love” is the Greek word agape—or a form of it—which refers to the kind of selfless love that seeks the best the person who is the object of that love, without expecting anything in return.

For Christians, unkindness is not an option, and vengeance is out of the question.[8] We must instead treat other people the way we want to be treated[9]—with kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

Are we to oppose evil? Of course. But we oppose it with truth and love and the power of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus did.

[1]. Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27

[2]. John 13:34-35, 15:12, 15:17

[3]. Romans 12:10, 13:8; Galatians 5:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9

[4]. 1 Peter 1:22, 4:8

[5]. 1 John 3:11, 3:23, 4:7, 4:11-12; 2 John 1:5

[6]. 1 John 2:9, 2:11, 4:20

[7]. Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27, 6:35

[8]. See Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19.

[9]. Matthew 7:12