“If
someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar;
for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot
see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their
fellow believers.” 1 John 4:20-21
This
scripture is designed to instruct Christians that it’s not okay to hate or
disregard one of our brethren in the faith. Frankly, we shouldn’t hate anyone. Hate
is an ugly emotion. The definition
doesn’t quite do it justice, for hatred is far worse than simply having a strong dislike for someone. Having a hostile attitude toward someone is
getting closer. It’s the opposite of
love. It’s selfish and
self-serving. It is offensive and
repulsive. If a person says they love
God, yet have a distinctly hostile attitude toward one of like faith, then that
person is kidding themselves and the love of God is not in them.
Scripture
teaches us that the world will know we are Christians by our love for one
another (John 13:35 NLT*), so why do we have so
much trouble loving one another. We can
love those that agree with us doctrinally or that are pleasant to be with, but
what of all the others in life that may rub us the wrong way? Does God not love them as well? You never
know how many folks have turned their back on Christ and all He stands for
because he felt shunned by the church he attended. This is not a suggestion. God
commands us to love all those in the body of Christ regardless of how we may
feel about them.
How can we
say we love a God we cannot see, yet have distain for those who live all around
us and worship together with us each Sunday?
This is something we must diligently work on. This is part of being like Christ in our
daily life. If we don’t imitate Christ,
then what’s the point of saying we’re a Christian? Until next time, walk with the King and be a
blessing!
NOTE: New Living Translation (NLT)
* “Your love for one another will prove to
the world that you are my disciples.”
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