Bible Studies

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Hate
The third person ever to live on this earth killed the fourth, and a long history of man-to-man hatred began. Why? Why do so many human relationships descend into hate? What’s wrong with us? “Can we all get along?” Obviously, we can’t all get along. The fellowship between God and man and between man and man was damaged in the fall. That’s not to say that mankind has no ability to love and must only hate. The ability to love, under some definitions, is given freely by God to all people, and gifts such as this are called “common grace”. Jesus mentioned this in Matthew 7:9-10 when He said “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?” In other words, parents love and provide for their children without prompting – it’s written on their hearts to do so.
The problem isn’t that love is rare or unavailable, but that it’s so readily spoiled and displaced by hate. Here’s one way it happens: “And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him” (John 13:2) We have an adversary who would like nothing better than to infiltrate hearts and minds, damage and destroy lives, and separate us from God and each other. Hate started with rebellion against God and has continued as just that until today. There is no real defense against the attacks of the devil except the protection offered by God. “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Ephesians 6:16). The darts are metaphorical; the attacks are real. Submitting yourself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ unlocks the power to dispel hate and manifest God’s love in us. “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

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