Do You Hate Your Brother?

I was reading Love is the Way to Victory by Kenneth E. Hagin and came across 1 John 3:15 and went on to look up the whole chapter and read the passage in its entirety. Anyway it caused me to really think about some things....


Have you ever harbored feelings of hatred towards someone, because of something they did to you OR because of something you perceived they did to you? This seems to happen more often than it should in the church! 


I know we are probably all guilty of "hating" someone at some point in our christian walk, I mean we are human after all and completely capable of tripping and falling every now and then. But, do you know what the Word says about hating someone? It equates hating someone to MURDER! Yep, you heard me right, murder! You may say, "Oh, but Jess, you don't know what they've done to me! You have no idea how bad it is! They did...." Maybe so, maybe I don't know what they did to you because my experiences are different, and maybe what they did to you is worse than anything that has ever happened to me, BUT the God's love is UNCONDITIONAL! And we are supposed to exemplify God's love to humanity (Psst, even the people we don't like!). Love is something you just decide to do because you feel like it, it is a daily decision you make because it is what God wants you to do!



Have you ever thought about the fact that the person you just can't stand would maybe treat you better if YOU took the initiative to shower them with the love of God??? Imagine, you could be the very vessel God is trying to reach them through! You could be the person God wants to use to change their life and, intern, change your life! So many times we allow our pride and hurt to trap us and hold us down... we humans like our baggage of woe-is-me, unforgiveness, hatred, you-just-dont-know, and so forth. We like to play the sympathy card and make people feel sorry for our hurts and wounds, when all we are doing is re-opening the wounds and allowing the devil to move us out of a position of love into a position of bitterness and hate. If he can get us out of love, he can get us out of the will of God and drive a wedge between us and our ability to approach God. Love is the key to victory and so many times it gets thrown out and never really dealt with in the church. When love is one of the most important facets of our walk. It is the key to living a life of victory!

If we are ever going to be the people God called us to be we HAVE to walk in love with others.... and especially the people we don't like. The Bible says that, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." (1 Jn. 3:15). Wow, that is profound. Now, if you are guilty of hating someone, don't panic! God also tells us that, "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9). So if you haven't been walking in love toward your brother/sister there is forgiveness, if you admit that you were wrong, accept God's forgiveness and move on by walking in love towards EVERYONE! (That means, brothers, sisters, fellow christians, in-laws, enemies, etc.) Shower them with the love of God be the opposite of a murderer (someone who takes life) and make a decision to give life by showing people the love of God! 

Love is more than just lip service, it is an ACT! You can't say, "I love you brother!" one minute and then turn around and talk about how that "brother" is an idiot, annoying, etc. In addition you can't say you love someone, but never show them that love. What would you think of a husband that told his wife that he loved her, but he sat on his couch all the time watching sports and never offering to help his wife, but always demanding to have things done perfectly and never showed her that he loved her? He sounds like a pretty sorry husband, doesn't he? So, why should we christians treat our love walk that way? Shouldn't we act like we really do love people? Love is an action, a decision, and a state of being! God is Love, and that should be our endeavor, to be so full of love toward our fellow man that we become a beacon of God's love! 
So, it is time for some spring-cleaning, open up the closet, pull out all those skeletons of hate, unforgiveness, and anger and just turn them over to God. Get them out of your hands and make a decision to have a fresh start to walk in love, exemplify love, and show love to all you come in contact with! 


The following passage of scripture is what really spoke to me on this topic of LOVE. 


Please Read:

1 John 3

 ¹SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

    ²Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is.

    ³And everyone who has this hope [resting] on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

    ⁴Everyone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for [that is what] sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God's law by transgression or neglect--being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).

    ⁵You know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away [upon Himself] sins, and in Him there is no sin [essentially and forever].

    ⁶No one who abides in Him [who lives and remains in communion with and in obedience to Him--deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him [recognized, perceived, or understood Him, or has had an experiential acquaintance with Him].

    ⁷Boys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness [who is upright, conforming to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action, living a consistently conscientious life] is righteous, even as He is righteous.

    ⁸[But] he who commits sin [who practices evildoing] is of the devil [takes his character from the evil one], for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done].

    ⁹No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.

    ¹⁰By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

    ¹¹For this is the message (the announcement) which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another,

    ¹²[And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother's were righteous (virtuous).

    ¹³Do not be surprised and wonder, brethren, that the world detests and pursues you with hatred.

    ¹⁴We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death.

    ¹⁵Anyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding (persevering) within him.

    ¹⁶By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him].

    ¹⁷But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?

    ¹⁸Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).

    ¹⁹By this we shall come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we are of the Truth, and can reassure (quiet, conciliate, and pacify) our hearts in His presence,

    ²⁰Whenever our hearts in [tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. [For we are in God's hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything [nothing is hidden from Him].

    ²¹And, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us [if they do not make us feel guilty and condemn us], we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God,

    ²²And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him.

    ²³And this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us.

    ²⁴All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.

So Full of Love,

JRT