Can a Christian hate others seems to be an easy one to answer to me, but it does not seem to be an easy one for many Christians to understand? I hear Christians making remarks like “I hate them” or “I can never forgive them.” These are statements that should not come from the mouth of a Christian. While the Christians I come in contact with know that this is not biblical living, they make excuses and I suppose they think God accepts them. However, God will never violate His word or His character. With that as our guideline let’s get an answer from the only one that matters, and that is God.
The word hate in Greek means to detest. This is a strong feeling that causes an emotional response that causes the blood pressure to rise, the heart rate to speed up, and our thinking to be skewed. It can also affect our immune system. It may cause sudden outburst that is embarrassing which causes other emotional problems. In the Old Testament which is written in Hebrew, it means enemy. In other words, our response to those we hate is to treat them as an enemy.
In the New Testament Jesus speaks much about hate for others. In Luke 6:27, Jesus makes it clear how we should respond to those who are our enemies. We are to do good to those who hate us, not return hate to them. I Peter 3:9 teaches us this truth of not returning evil or hate to those who have shown evil to us. Instead, we are to bless them. With those actions, we will inherit a blessing. In Romans 12:17, Paul gives the same command of not doing evil or hate toward those who have done it to us. He teaches here to be honest and treat all people the same, with honesty.
Luke 6:27 “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you”
1 Peter 3:9 “Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
Romans 12:17 “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”
The opposite of hate is love. This is the action and attitude we are to have toward all men everywhere. Not because they have exhibited love toward us, but because God commands it. Love is not an emotion it is a decision. When you decide to love someone instead of allowing your emotions to rule you are following the leadership of Jesus. He teaches us in I John 4:7 that love is of God and if we are born of God, saved, and know God, we will love one another. The next verse teaches us that God is love! In I John 4:11 because God loves us, we should love others. We are to emulate the one who made us in His image.
1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knows God.”
1 John 4:8 “He that loveth not knowest not God; for God is love.”
1 John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”
Do we deserve God’s love? Absolutely not! Because of His holiness and our sin, we are His enemies. Sin is an enemy of God. It is of Satan, His chief enemy. Because of our sins, we cannot come into His presence. Yet, because of His love for us, He made a way possible for us to be with Him. He gave His Son to die in our place, to provide a covering for our sins. God hates sin, but He never hated the sinner. To those who will repent and accept the provision made for them at the cross, they are no longer His enemy. Romans 5:10 teaches us that while we were His enemies, He reconciled us to Himself by the death of His Son.
Romans 5:10 “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
We are to always follow the example that God has shown us in scripture. God loves those who hate Him, and we should love those who hate us. It is never right to retaliate and hate others. If Jesus, while hanging on a cross in agony, can ask the Father to forgive those who placed Him there, then we should be able, with the Spirit’s help, to do the same. Jesus said Father forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing. When others treat us badly or do things that are detestable, we must understand they don’t understand what they are doing to their eternal soul. They are hurting themselves far greater than they could ever hurt us. We can decide to love them and pray for them. We can love the person without loving their actions. We can love the soul that was made in the image of God. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you prayed for someone that had hurt you or hated you, and they gave their life to Christ?
I can’t help but think of Stephen in Acts chapter 7 when he was being stoned to death for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. They gnashed on him with their teeth, threw him out of the city, and stoned him to death. As they were stoning him, he prayed for God not to count this sin against them. He could have hated them, but he chose to love as Christ loved.
Act 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
So, to answer our original question “Can A Christian Hate Others,” the answer is no. If they are to be in the right relationship with God, they must love as Christ loves them. You may think you can’t love some people but that is a decision. God will never require us to do anything that He doesn’t empower us to do. Step out in faith and make up your mind to love as you are allowing God’s love to flow through you.
