Can You Love God and Hate Another Person

I hear people occasionally say, “I hate you” or “I hate (insert a specific person’s name).” Those same individuals claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. However, can you love God and hate another person?

Possibly, as the reader, you would respond, “Well, yes. Because I do.” I respect that. I know some of you would have to reply “Yes” to that answer because I have heard you say that you follow Jesus Christ, meaning you love God, and you hate someone.

But, can you really? Can you legitimately as a follower of Jesus Christ?

What does Jesus say about love and hate?

Jesus talks about hate in the context of those who do not follow Him or love God hate those who do. For instance:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

Jesus refers to the world as those who hate Him and choose to not have a relationship with Him. He essentially says to expect them to hate you. In this way, hate is a function of the unbeliever’s heart.

Regarding love, Jesus commands those who follow Him to love others who also follow Him. In the same context as the words above, He says:

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:33-35)

Jesus essentially teaches the opposite here than His words above related to hate. Here, He teaches them to love one another as He has loved them. In other words, the love you receive from Jesus transitions into the love followers of Jesus have toward others.

The Christian receives God’s love through Jesus Christ; then, the Christian gives that love to someone else.

Other Christians and the world (who should be the only purveyors of hate) can see that a person is a true disciple of Jesus when that individual has love for one another.

From these selections of Jesus’ words, we would answer our inquiry, No, a Christian cannot hate another person.

What does John, Jesus’ beloved disciple, teach in the Bible?

The Apostle John taught more on this issue than anyone. He certainly does not mix words.

John taught:

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

He further teaches:

 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (1 John 3:13-15)

Notice how in both selections of verses, that the Apostle John interprets and explains Jesus’ teaching in concise detail. Jesus taught John about love; John teaches Jesus’ followers about love.

In John’s words, you cannot love God and hate another follower of God. Period.

These two are contradictory to each other. So much so that John says you can know someone has passed from death (an unbeliever) to life (a believer) because of his or her love of the brethren.

Does Paul help us any?

I guess it depends if you want to hate someone or not if you would say Paul helps us. He does weigh in on this topic. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul explains the importance of love. He does not mention hate.

In Romans 12, you explains how to treat the person who is your enemy. He technically does not use the words love or hate, but summarizes it with the instruction, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21).

If you cannot hate a follower of Jesus, can you hate an unbeliever, then?

Simple answer, No.

You might say, “But what about the verses up above? They say one another which includes fellow followers of Jesus.”

My reply, refer back to Jesus’ teachings of the two great commandments. You can find these in three Gospels.

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Luke 10:27)

Notice in each reference to Jesus’ teaching on love, He refers to loving one’s neighbor. He does not define neighbor as only those who follow Him. Jesus goes even further; He says to love your enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

Jesus clearly makes it off limits to hate anyone.

What Can You Do?

If you are struggling with hating someone and you also claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then something must change in you. For the sake of this blog, let me assume that, in fact, you do love God but have been hurt by another person. What do you do with your feelings of hate?

• Begin by praying to God and admitting your hatred. Explain to Him that you understand what the Bible says, you recognize your hate as sin, and whatever else you are thinking about your sin.
• Explain to Him why you want to hate the other person. Tell Him about your cares.
• Review the Gospel of your salvation. Consider that Jesus loved you when you were His enemy. Take a few moments to rehearse the significance of being saved from your own sins. Recognize the depth, height, length, and breadth of Jesus’ love for you. Consider the love that God demonstrated to you through Jesus Christ.
• Repent of your hate and ask God to replace your hate with His love.
• Begin to make intentional plans to overcome evil with good. Begin by praying for that person you have been hating. Ask God to bless the individual. Consider how you can also show love to that person; the first step may be to stop hating. Talk to a trusted friend who can help you think carefully through your feelings, thoughts, and actions.
• Thank the Holy Spirit for enabling you and giving you the power to do what God asks you to do.

 

Image Credit Simran Sood 

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