I HATE YOU!

“I hate you!” Is this a phrase you’ve used or had said to you? Chances are if you have a teenager, or been one, you’re aquatinted with this phrase. As kids growing up in church, we were told, “You’re not supposed to hate anything!” Is that true? Does the Bible condemn hate, or is it something that has its place. Let’s define our term. What exactly do I mean by hate? I would define hate as; “to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest:” (dictionary.com) so, it’s a deep seated emotion, not one that would be considered neutral.

To use it in context, so as to understand where I’m going with this, I will tell one of the things I hate most. I hate goats. Simply, I detest and despise the sight of a goat. I hate the way they smell. I hate their ways. I hate their appearance. It is no strange thing, to me; a goat is used as the symbol of the devil. This hatred of goats can be traced to a long forgotten, childhood, repressed memory. Is that what we are discussing, and of course I say yes. One place it seems strange that it’s used is in Luke 14:26, Jesus said we are to ‘hate’ our mothers, fathers, and other family members. I am certain that this verse is talking IN COMPARISON to our love for Christ, everything else should pail. Other verses (i.e. Matt 10:37) spin a different light on it.

So, is the scriptures opposed to hate or is there ever a time to hate? What does the Bible teach, for us to do? Revelations 2:6, Jesus is commending the church for; “But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Jesus praises the hate that this verse talks about; a hate for the doctrine (vs. 15 of same chapter) of this particular group. Hate is not the opposite of love, but the by-product of it... so if hate is not its opposite, what is? I would propose, indifference is the opposite. “I could care less.” These words proceeded from a heart empty of love. No, hate is a natural conclusion of love, let me explain.

There are just certain things that, if you love ‘this’, you will hate ‘that’. If love of righteousness permeated your life, you would naturally (yes, naturally) hate evil. In Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT) is described things that God hates, “16 There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, 18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, 19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.” This list, though not meant to be exhaustive, is intriguing. I want you to notice the things that the writer describes; lying, murderers, evil hearts, and family splitters.

In Amos 5:13-15 (KJV), the prophet lays out a simple instruction (though, admittedly, hard to follow) “13 Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time. 14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. 15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” We are to seek good hate evil. It is really that simple.

Again, let me reiterate, hate is not the opposite of love, indifference is. A favorite passage is Amos 6:1 (KJV) “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!” In this verse, God is speaking to a indifferent, relaxed, at ease people, who care not for evil or good, for that matter (as is described later in this same chapter, see above). This indifference expresses itself in the church of Laodicea, in Revelations chapter 3. Jesus tells the church, (Revelation 3:15 (KJV)) “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.” Lukewarmness is condemned by Christ. It is the church TODAY, here these words, Revelation 3:17 (KJV) “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”

We’ve lost our hate, because we lost our LOVE, Revelation 2:4 (KJV) “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” It is a naturally reflection of our love that we would hate. I’m not advocating hating anyone, no, 1 John 4:20 (KJV) “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” No, loving God won’t produce hate for others, but it will produce hate for the things of this world, James 4:4 (KJV) “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” Let us hate that which we should, as we love that which we must!