Taking a Look at 1 John

“If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.”-1 John 2:9-11 New Living Translation

            Hate is such an ugly word. One definition is, “To feel strong dislike for or hostility toward”. That, in and of itself, is so contrary to God’s way. God hates sin, but doesn’t hate the sinner. We, however, take it upon ourselves to hate a variety of people. Those we encounter daily, those we don’t even know, those in the family of God, those in our earthly family and those who our outside the faith. We hate because of what someone says or does. We hate because they don’t agree with us. We hate just because we feel we can. This is wrong behavior for anyone, but it is especially wrong for those who consider themselves ambassadors of Christ. 

            Jesus displayed anger towards the moneychangers in the temple courtyard and towards the religious leaders of his time, but he never displayed anger towards the unsaved or his disciples. They either didn’t yet know the truth or were still learning what it meant to be a follower of Christ. The Pharisees and Sadducees were learned men who should have known better. They aimed their anger and hatred at God in the flesh, although they didn’t recognize him.

            And what about us today? We hate too. The chorus goes, “They shall know we are Christians by our love”… for one another; not They shall know we are Christians by the way we judge others. Loving others is how we will win individuals to Christ. Love translates into any language. Passivity isn’t weakness, but rather strength thru self-control. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  rlkeller

Resources: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language; www.biblegateway.comand The Life Application Study Bible.