Haters

Everyone, bar none, is a hater. It is instinctual. Hate is an outcome of our defense mechanism. Just as gods must be appeased, gods also must be protected. We are "as gods" (Gen 3:5) because of knowledge. Before that, mankind were servants, and were content with that (Gen 2:15). Hatred, then, is the desire to sin. We "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23).  Thus, all have hatred which is not what God intended.

If we think we are without sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8). Thus, if anyone believes they are without hatred, they deceive themselves. Take note that for those who scream "haters", their disposition is one of  hatred! That's because they too are haters. Calling another person "hater" is not applying the same metric to ourselves as we do others.

Mat 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

"Judging not" isn't having opinions; it is harsh condemnation as we find in the following verse:

Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned...

Calling one a "hater" is the worst accusation that can be made because hatred is the basis of sin:

1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 

Hence, in calling a brother - a fellow man, a "hater" is a two-fold sin: it is hatred itself, and harsh condemnation! The loud-mouthed one who condemns is one who judges harshly. Judging harshly is sinful, and sin is hatred!  What is the first thing a person who is angry does? That person hates! Let is look at this Pavlovian dilemma with which mankind is plagued.

People enjoy amelioration. Some of our best presents to another person is kindness, consideration, tolerance, validation, and other such positive expressions of approval. Everyone wants approval, but no one wants reproof. Any type of disagreement upsets others, who just like you, must be appeased. Yes, human "gods" must be appeased just as God does! God doesn't appreciate it when mankind disagrees with Him, and just as God, humans don't like others to disagree with us! As self-proclaimed gods, just as God, we become angry. The emotion of our anger is hatred!

On the other hand, God's expression of anger is to love us in spite of that, but since men are not really gods, our emotion is hatred. False gods cannot love anyone other than themselves without God's intervention. The main outcome of rebirth is the ability to love again, just as little children love (Mat 18:3).

I have written much on the mechanism of hatred but have not really defined it. We know what it is because we all have experienced it. However, we must stop to recognize our virus! Everyone is born with the virus; it's called original sin. It lies dormant until contact is made with other humans. As an infant matures, so does the virus. In infancy, without the wisdom to discern good knowledge from bad, infants are not held accountable. Whenever they know the difference between good and bad, they are accountable and the virus must be inoculated. The remedy was poured out in the blood of Jesus (Rom 3:25), and the Spirit which flowed with it, is the living water (John 4:10) which heals!

Mat 13:15 ...that they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

What is it that the converted - born-again, will be healed? Hatred! Rather than despising God and others, the regenerated person is commanded to love.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

The idea was there all the time! Love was not new but mankind just failed to recognize the importance of love. The Ten Commandments were how to love, but this new commandment identified it clearly. Because love is "commanded", it is work which we must do! It is not even easy work. It's extremely hard work, and like anything done with effort, it is by the "sweat of our brow" (Gen 3:19). Hard work is not only to obtain nourishment but for spiritual generosity. "As gods" we are selfish, and to be charitable, takes extremely hard work.

Hatred is the reciprocal of love. Since love is a variable, so is hatred. Work is always a variable, and the command is to grow our love. As love increases, hatred decreases - reciprocals. Perfect love is total lack of hatred. We will never be perfect for "only God is good" (Mat 19:17), but we endeavor to be as good as mankind can be! We are called to be perfect (Mat 5:38) but there is none that is (Ecc 7:20). Even David, a man after God's own heart, sinned greatly. He murdered to obtain appeasement - to get what his heart really desired.

You see, hatred is more than anger at another person. It is selfishness - doing our will rather than God's will. Hatred is setting ourselves up as gods. All sins are expressions of hatred. Many claim they do not hate!  Let's see what scripture says about that:

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We are all haters, so cease the name-calling. When we sin, that is an expression of disdain for God and others. God, with His commandments, knows that if we fail to love others, we don't really love Him. Hence, the degree we work to love others is a measurement of how much we love God!

God's will is love. Conversely, Satan's will is that people hate God and others. Ironically, since love comes with great effort, and is impossible without God, hatred is natural and even instinctual. Our very nature is to hate others. The "old creature" which we must put away is the beast in us, who murders others instinctually. Beasts follow "the law of sin":

Rom 7:23 But I (Paul - a Christian) see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

We struggle between the law of God and the law of sin (Rom 7:25).  One law is as easily called "the law of hatred" and the other "the law of love".

Get over it, name-callers: you too are haters. I am a hater as well! Even with the Holy Spirit, although Paul had much love, which he demonstrated, within him was also hatred. Sanctification is growing in love and dying in hatred. That is our "living sacrifice" (Rom 12:1) - to quit being "as gods', and demanding our way - the way of hatred which is self-aggrandizement.

Yesterday, I was in a discussion with a gentleman. Yes, he really is a civil human being but has never proclaimed that he is a believer. We were discussing Islam and Judaism. He sided with the Muslims vehemently so! After many heated points, his answer came forth: "I just hate the Jews!" he said. When I asked him why, he didn't know except to say, "I guess, because my father did." That is a great admission. We don't need a reason to hate. it is genetic. His father hated Jews because hatred is instinctual. The same goes for his father's father back to Adam.

We don't need reasons to hate. Hatred comes from others not being like us. It comes naturally when others disagree with our defense. My friend was protecting his belief that Jews were arrogant by the emotion of hatred. Unlike love which is work, hatred is an emotion and is proportional to anger - not having what one wants. This man wanted me to agree with his false premises, and in the heat of the moment, he hated me because I support the Jews. He wanted me to hate just as he does! I refuse to do that!

You might say that I hate Muslims. I admit, when people are different than me, my desire is that I want others to be just like my own god, which if you have forgotten, is just like me. We all have that roadblock to love but I admit it. However, I also admit, that since I am NOT God, that would be unwise to mimic. I have no desire that you become clones of me, but followers of Jesus. If one merely follows me, then that would be a ticket to hate.

On the other hand, I do not accept the Islamic religion as truth. I also believe it is dangerous and ideologically hateful if the Islamic believer believes it all. Since I am a Christian, and Islam is contrary to Christianity, it is rebellion against God. It is God's place to punish, and not mine. My tendency is to strike out. Vengeance is not mine  but belongs to the Lord (Deut 32:41). If I strike out, that is hatred. Unless in immediate physical harm's way, I must let God be the one who strikes. My striking-out would be hatred, but His is justice.

The context of the entire Bible is "hate the sin but love the sinner". Where would the reader find that idea? Everywhere in Holy Scripture!