Is hating anyone or anything ever appropriate?
Leviticus 19:17“Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.”
Psalm 97:10You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
Ecclesiastes 3:8A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
Matthew 5:43-44“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!”
Romans 12:9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
1 John 4:20If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
We are to love all people and hate all sin. When we truly love God, we will hate sin because sin separates us from God and damages our relationships with him and with others. Hatred of people, however, is a sin. If we hate a person, we are most likely hating some kind of sin that the person has committed against us or someone else. We should hate the sin but pray for the sinner, asking God to give us love for all people.
Ephesians 6:12We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
1 Peter 5:8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Human beings are not our enemies—they are victims in the war our true enemy is waging. When we respond to others’ sin with hatred of our own, we are playing right into Satan’s hands.
