Tag Archives: hate

Love Jumps In

29 Thursday Oct 2020

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In the earthly / material realm, LOVE and HATE are defined according to the way of thinking that belongs to this world. That means both words are fluid in meaning. In other words, how love is defined today may or may not correspond to how another generation defines it. The same with the word hate. The evidence for this is our current, corrupted society. A Google definition of hate speech reads this way: “abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation.”

Thus, to speak against the moral behavior of a person or a group is to manifest “hate”? This is Satan’s ploy to thwart God’s message in a world of increased wickedness; this illustrates the sentiment of Isaiah 5:20 (“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”).

Fortunately, the Lord does not use the definition of current society (or any society) to define what He means when He uses the words LOVE and HATE in specific contexts.

LOVE, in the context of response to the Lord is related to obeying His will. This makes sense because the word LOVE is seeking that which is best for oneself and others. Is not obeying the Father’s will an example of what is best for oneself and others? It is, and to say otherwise is not to know what love is in relation to its Source or Founder. When one refuses to apply the Father’s definition for their personal salvation, how can this be defined as love? It can’t!

The alternative to the Father’s definition is that which is of the world; how that can be defined as love has really manifested itself in peaceful sort of way, hasn’t it?! Think about it. If you know that you are about to die, would you not seek to save yourself from death? If so, whose standard will you seek to apply? Now, apply this to helping another person; they are drowning in the water in which they can’t swim, you throw them a lifeline or jump in the water to reach them.

A Christian who throws in the life-saving instrument (or jumps in) is showing love from a Source greater than himself. On the other hand, a person who is not a Christian, the source of their love is of their own making. What if their definition of love would change? In our world of selfishness, fluid definitions never work well. There is no anchoring quality wherein each can understand what is meant. With the Lord, His word means the same always and His love is the anchor of our soul in a floundering and fluid world. RT

Love at Home (A Word to the Wise)

25 Friday Sep 2015

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Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a fatted calf with hatred (Proverbs 15:17, NKJV). Have you ever been around a person who longs for acceptance, or love? Certainly you have. The experience of love is that quality in life that encourages a person to walk securely knowing that whatever failures there might be in his or her life there will still be acceptance. On the other hand, those who long from something they feel they do not have (and cannot get) will produce for themselves false security and acceptance. All the while, on the inside, there is bitterness and loneliness. They seek to please, but they do not always know how best to do so, so they love only as they know how – and it is not love at all.

 

A Word to the Wise

09 Friday Jan 2015

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The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends (Proverbs 14:20, ESV). The KJV uses the word “hated.” Certainly a strong word, but what is it that we are to understand? It could be intense dislike, but it is probably more along the line of the actions manifested towards other people than a particular emotion (though it is certainly possible the emotion is in view). In other words, those who are economically poor have little they can offer in the way of material goods toward others that might desire or expect some material hospitality. Consequently, some people stay away from them much more readily than they do others who have money. There may be no intention to do as much, but it happens. The wealthy, or rich, have others gather around him (her), but the substance of that “friendship” is only as lasting as the money. RT

Hating Ways

24 Monday Feb 2014

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“Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:104, NKJV). In our “ecumenical” society today, it is incumbent on all to get along, talking and thinking nothing negative about something or some ideology. This is generally under the moniker of “political correctness.” Political correctness is a vague term that does not mean the same with each person. Whatever good one might think there is about it, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that political correctness is an approach to life and behavior that is damning. There is no chance Paul or Jesus could have lived by its vague idea.

Notice the above passage in Psalms; two things are made plain. First, from the Lord comes understanding; second, with that understanding, everything that stands opposed to the Lord is hated. This means that false religions are hated. Webster’s defines the word hate “To dislike greatly; to have a great aversion to.” In Scripture the word can be understood as “love less,” but not in the sense of which we are talking (cf. “Hate,” The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary, pp.743-744). The “love less” application in various contexts might allow for one to have some degree of loyalty to the thing (person) or things (persons). The Lord, however, will brook no compromise with another ideology; He will not allow any “love less” approach! The sooner we come to accept this the better our lives will be at bringing glory to the Lord’s way.

We don’t want to hate any person, but when the Lord’s way is challenged by the way of any man, then that way (or ideology) of man is to be hated. The apostle John said it this way: “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6) and “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine [the doctrine of Christ], do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds” (2 John 10-11).