Hate and Love

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John 15:18

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."

 

Bible Reading for a Year: Psalms 126; John 3; Jeremiah 50-51

What should believers in Jesus be known for? The answer is simple—it is love. As we read the Bible, we can find the word love appears more than 500 times in Scripture. The essence of the gospel is love, as written in (John 3:16). “For God so loved the world...” that Jesus gave His live to save you, me, and every sinner.

It is written in (Galatians 5:13) that Christians are to serve one another in love, and love their neighbors as themselves (Galatians 5:14). Meanwhile, (Ephesians 5:2) tells us that we should live a life of love, and love with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18).

So, if Jesus and His followers are all about love, why do some people love to hate us? Also, according to one estimate, there are so many persecuted believers in the world today.

To His disciples, Jesus told us why. “Everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Jesus is the Light. When He walked this earth, people hated Him because He exposed the darkness of their sin. We are now His light in this world (Matthew 5:14); therefore, the world will also hate us (John 15:19).

Indeed, the answer is so simple. But it’s important to know that our task is to be channels of God’s love and light, even if we are hated in return.

Love in return for love is natural, but love in return for hate is supernatural.

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