'Hatred'
from a Biblical Perspective
In our politically-correct and
progressively-corrupt culture, Liberal forces are redefining practices
once thought of as abnormal as the new normal. Sodomites and lesbians
now have a civil right to marry and practice their
perversion, as do all members of the LBGT community. Our
culture has, in essence and on purpose, exchanged the God of scripture
for one of their own making. Even some Baptist groups with a
fundamentalist track record on same-sex sin have announced they are
going to revisit their heretofore strict biblical views on
homosexuality, lesbianism, etc.
We who embrace the scriptures as the final authority in all matters of
faith and practice are bound by faith to adopt the mind of God as
expressed in his Word. That means identifying all sexual sin, whether
fornication, adultery, homosexuality, transsexualism or transgenderism,
as deviancy, morally corrupt and abominable behavior.
Proponents of sexual deviancy argue that it should be allowed since it
harms no one but the parties involved. Such logic
presupposes an absentee God. Yet the scriptures, which
chronicle God's role as Creator, who made mankind as male and female,
as well as his Omnipresence and Omniscience say he hates this stuff.
It's offensive to him as a flagrant violation of divine design. If God
hates sexual sin, why would anyone want to like it? The answer to that
question can be found in John 3:19.
If God and a believer have the same mind about sexual deviancy, the PC
world will wrongfully brand that individual as a hater. The
scriptures portray hatred in three basic ways. First, there is 'hatred'
which is a “work of the flesh” (Galatians 5:20). It's visceral
ill-will towards someone that wishes them harm and thus
rejoices in their misfortune. Such visceral, fleshly hatred is
strictly subjective in nature.
Secondly, there is “hatred” in the sense of rejection, which is
objective in nature. Jesus taught followers to “hate” their fathers and
mothers as a prerequisite for discipleship (Luke 14:26). That is, Jesus
is the ultimate authority for the believer, not his parents. Believers
are to honor father-mother and honor Jesus at the same time. It's an
authority thing. Jesus illustrated this truth at Cana of
Galilee when he changed water into wine. He said to his mother Mary:
“Woman, what have I to do with thee?” (John 2:4). There was no
disrespect in our Lord's words, but a loving assertion he was operating
under an authority higher than hers. To hate one's
father and mother is to reject their ultimate authority to call the
shots in life. For the true disciple, Jesus is the ultimate
and final authority.
We see this second usage in Romans 9:13: “Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated.” In the context, the Lord's hatred of Esau
was the rejection of firstborn Esau in the Messianic line. He
elected Jacob for that purpose. God's hatred (rejection) of Esau had
NOTHING to do with his personal salvation. This interpretation is
bouyed by the prophecy given to Rebecca: "The elder shall serve the younger" (Romans
9:12). The fact that elder Esau NEVER served the younger Jacob means that the
descendents of each man were in view. The purpose of God according to
election was fulfilled in the Messianic seed of promise, the Lord Jesus
Christ, coming through the line of second-born Isaac and second-born
Jacob. It was God's sovereign prerrogotive to
reject Ishmael and Esau, both firstborns, in bringing Messiah
to Israel and a Saviour the world.
Thirdly, there is “hatred” that flows from the holiness of God and has
to do primarily with sin. It is neither subjective nor objective, but
integral to the very person of a Holy God. The old adage “God hates
sin, but loves the sinner” is absolutely true. The scripture admonishes
the believer: "Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have
compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the
flesh” (Jude 1:21-23). This abhorrence of sin is rooted in the
indwelling Spirit of God. In fact,
the verse makes this divine disdain for sin a
motivating factor for true evangelism.
In considering these three types of biblical hatred, we
conclude that only one is negative, the fleshly one. The other two
types of biblical hated are totally legitimate and requisite to a life
committed to serving Christ and saving men! We should NEVER expect a
politically-correct world EVER to buy into the
biblical view of hatred for same-sex sin as a reflection of the mind of God.
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