DO
YOU HATE YOUR BROTHER?
In his first letter, the Apostle John often refers to neglect of our brother’s physical
and material needs as evidence that we do not have God’s love in us. We cannot,
therefore, be God’s children if we have no love for a needy brother, since only
the Holy Spirit in us can pour God’s love into our hearts.
1 John 2:9 NLT
[9] “If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow
believer, that person is still living in darkness.”
However, what do we mean by “hatred”? Hatred seems a strong word
to describe neglect of a fellow-believer’s needs. In the Hebrew language, there
is no word for “more” than or “less”. Jesus used the same
word “hate” to explain to His disciples that our love for Him must be
more than our love for our parents and family members.
Luke 14:26 NLT
[26] “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone
else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even
your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.”
So, to hate a Christian brother in essence means to think less and care less
about him than we do about ourselves. This attitude touches on the core
struggle every believer in Jesus endures throughout our lives, the struggle
against the selfishness of our old nature.
Paul sounds a warning against the ravages of the flesh in almost all of his
letters. It’s a moment-by-moment war that we must take seriously if we are to
receive the crown of righteousness we anticipate at the end of our journey.
This battle is much more than a skirmish here and there.
Galatians 5:17 NLT
[17] “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of
what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of
what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each
other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”
How does this battle play out? The deeds of the flesh are all directed towards
self, satisfying selfish desires, or promoting self in one way or another.
Elevating ourselves above others leads us to” hate” those who need
our help, whatever that need might be.
We can only gain victory over the flesh by recognising its ruthless demands,
humbly submitting to the Holy Spirit’s leading, putting to death the deeds of
the flesh through the Spirit’s power in us,
Romans 8:5-6 NLT
[5] “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful
things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that
please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to
death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace….
[12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what
your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you
will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of
your sinful nature, you will live.”
…and by heeding Paul’s instructions to follow Christ’s example.
Philippians 2:1-4 NLT
[1] “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from
his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and
compassionate? [2] Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with
each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
[3] Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others
as better than yourselves. [4] Don’t look out only for your own interests, but
take an interest in others, too.”
Dealing with the persistent demands of the flesh boils down to one thing. Say
an emphatic “NO!” to the flesh and mean it. The Holy Spirit will
empower us to carry out our resolve and, with it, the decision to
“love” by doing something practical for another.
Only those who have the Spirit in them through their faith in Jesus can
overcome their old sinful nature. They can grow in grace and love. They can
increase in their love and concern for others. It’s a lifetime of warring
against the flesh and losing and winning until winning gains the upper hand…
… And, in the mix, is our Advocate, the Lord Jesus, who won the war for us so
that we can win the battles we face daily.
Hebrews 2:18 NLT
[18] “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able
to help us when we are being tested.”
Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT
[14] “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. [15] This High
Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testing
we do, yet he did not sin. [16] So let us come boldly to the throne of our
gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help
us when we need it most.”
So, dear reader, never lose heart in your battle against the flesh. Press on in
your resolve to pay it forward as much and as often as you can. You have an
Advocate for you and an Advocate in you that guarantee your final victory.
Thankfully, God has not abandoned us or thrown us to the wolves in our battle
against the flesh. He has not said, “This is how it is. Get on with
it!”
Instead, He has provided every resource we need to be real overcomers.
2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT
[3] “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a
godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who
called us to himself by means of his marvellous glory and excellence. [4] And
because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious
promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and
escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
It’s up to us to join hands with Him through His Spirit and to truly love one
another as He has loved us.
Tag Archives: hates a fellow believer
LIAR!
LIAR!
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.”
1 John 4:20-21 NLT
Once again, repetition of an earlier instruction! The “apostle of love” must have had good reason to bring up the same subject more than once. Is it possible that the church in Ephesus, where he served, according to tradition, had members who were experiencing troubled relationships?
John gives no details but the fact that he had to address the issue more than once suggests that it was a real problem in this church. Since loving one another and unity among believers are the most powerful witnesses to the coming of Jesus to earth from the Father, any disturbance in relationships among God’s people threatened their witness to the unbelieving world.
John wants his readers to understand that there is a clear distinction between believers and unbelievers depending on the way they treat each other. Real believers sacrificially serve one another and work at preserving unity by their mutual submission. Ungodly people don’t! They expose their hearts by words and actions that divide, compete, and/or belittle others.
God’s children build others up in every possible way. Care for each other benefits the whole body. Those who care more for themselves than others, tear down, and fracture the fellowship, are exposing the condition of their hearts.
John would concur with Paul’s words…
Colossians 3:14 NLT
[14] Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
… since loving one another is Jesus’ command to His disciples. Obedience to any command in the New Covenant is empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to obey. Without the Spirit, obedience is impossible.
So, we can conclude, anyone who claims to love God but diminishes a brother or sister in any way, is a liar. It’s as simple as that!
WHAT IS “DARKNESS”?
WHAT IS “DARKNESS”?
“If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but 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 NLT
Darkness is only the absence of light. Darkness cannot stand by itself. It disappears as soon as light appears. Sunrise dispels darkness. Even the tiny light of a candle makes a pool of light in a dark room.
Spiritual darkness is also the absence of light in another realm. In the first chapter of this letter, John stated that “God is light, and there is no darkness in Him.” Darkness, here, is figurative as well as literal. As much as He is the source of all physical light in the universe, God is also the source of all truth and wisdom, the light that enlightens us about Himself, us, and how to live in this world.
Conversely, sin has taken God’s light from us and plunged us into the darkness of spiritual death. We are separated from God and live in the realm of darkness, the realm ruled by the prince of darkness, the devil.
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
How does God communicate His “light” to us who are in spiritual “darkness” because of our sin?
He sent His “light” into the world to show and declare God’s truth to us.
“God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
John 1:6-9 NLT
However, we no longer have physical access to Jesus, since He is at the right hand of the Father in heaven. How can we know and receive the light that will take away our darkness?
The psalmist wrote,
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Psalms 119:105 NLT
God has provided a way for us to access this light so that we can find the way to the Father. He has inspired and preserved a written record of that Light for us to read, believe, and experience.
The light of God’s Word leads us to Jesus, the true light that enlightens everyone who comes into the world.
“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 8:12 NLT
Simply put, when we believe and receive the message about Jesus,
“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”
Romans 10:17 NLT
“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts…
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 NLT
The teachings of Jesus, the true Light, encompasses life in all its facets. When we follow Him, we walk in the light is His word as He walked in obedience to the Father’s word. Then we have fellowship with Him and with His people.
But…. to claim allegiance to Jesus and, at the same time, to hate a fellow believer is a contradiction. Our claim and behaviour make us liars. We can only be one with God and one another if we walk in God’s word.
“So, we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
1 John 1:6-7 NLT