Sermon on Hatred in the Bible | Overcoming Hatred*

Sermon on Hatred - Overcoming Hatred

Sermon on Hatred in the Bible | Overcoming hatred is a particular need in today’s world. We are divided by race, class, gender and ideology. The Bible holds the key…

INTRODUCTION

A. Hate is a sin that has caused many atrocities in our world in the past, and in our present time.

B. Hate is a heart ailment forbidden by the Lord in the Old and New Testament.

1. “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart …” (Leviticus 19:17)

2. Matthew 5:43-44

DISCUSSION: (Discussion of this sermon on hatred.)

A. THOSE THAT HAVE OVERCOME HATRED HATE SIN, BUT LOVE THE SINNER

1. God hates sin

a. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

b. Hebrews 1:9

2. But – God loves the sinner

a. 1 John 4:8-11

b. Romans 6:6-8

3. God wants His children to hate sin

a. “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 97:10).

b. “Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph” (Amos 5:15).

4. Explaining how it was possible to hate what a man did but not the man, C.S. Lewis explained, “It occurred to me that there was one man for whom I had been doing this all my life – myself.”

5. We must be careful that we do not transfer our hate for sin to the sinner.

B. WHEN OVERCOMING HATRED WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE NATURE OF HATE

1. Hate is a characteristic of the unregenerate state

a. Titus 3:3

b. Christians are not to be hateful.

2. Hatred is among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21)

a. In this list of sins, hatred is associated with adultery, fornication, murder, drunkenness and other vices.

b. Then, Paul said … Galatians 5:21

3. Hatred is harbored only by fools … “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18).

4. Hatred is cruel

a. “Consider mine enemies; for they are many, and they hate me with cruel hatred” (Psalm 25:19).

b. In its cruelty, hatred led to the murder of Abel(1 John 3:11-15)

5. Hatred is evidence of immaturity

a. Matthew 5:43-48

b. The word “perfect” in this text comes from teleios and means mature.

c. Hence, to be mature we must love, not hate, even our enemies.

d. Conversely, if we hate rather than love, we indicate our spiritual immaturity.

C. FAILURE IN OVERCOMING HATRED LEADS TO MANY OTHER EVILS

1. Hate stirs up trouble

a. “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins” (Proverbs 10:12)

b. The strife that generated between Joseph and his brethren generated from hearts of hate … “And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more (Genesis 37:4-5).

c. Oftentimes congregations are torn asunder by strife and turmoil because brethren, instead of loving one another, hate, detest and despise each other.

2. Hate generates envy and envy generates hate

a. Joseph’s brothers hated him (Genesis 37:8); and, correspondingly, they envied him (Genesis 37:11).

b. In Ezekiel 35:11 God spoke of the envy which Matthew Seir used out of their hatred against Israel.

c. Indeed, malice, envy, jealousy, ill-will and suspicion all are offspring of hate.

3. Hate leads to murder and assassination

a. Because they hated him, Joseph’s brothers said, “Let us slay him”(Genesis 37:20)

b. Too, it is said of him, “The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him” (Genesis 49:23).

c. Absalom hated Amnon and had him killed (2 Samuel 13:21-29).

d. The sins of hatred crucified Jesus (John 15:19-25)

e. 1 John 3:15

4. Hate leads to sins of the tongue

a. David said, “They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause” (Psalm 109:3).

b. Solomon said, “He that hateth dissembleth with his lips” … “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it” (Proverbs 26:24, 28)

c. Lying, gossiping, faultfinding, etc. all too often generate from a heart of hate.

d. Matthew 12:36-37

5. Hate leads to bitterness, resentment and retaliation.

a. God forbids such

1) Romans 12:14, 17-21

2) Matthew 5:38-48

b. It is important to remember that:

1) To render evil for evil is devilish.

2) To render good for good is human.

3) But to return good for evil is Godlike.

D. CONSEQUENCES IF NOT OVERCOMING HATRED

1. Hate will rob you of happiness

a. As long as you hate you will be miserable.

b. Hate and hell dwell in the same heart.

c. If I were going to knock on the door of the most miserable man in town, I know exactly where I would go – to the door of the bitter, resentful, unforgiving hater.

2. Hate will make you a slave

a. Hate someone and they will control your thoughts and dreams

b. Hate someone and he will require you to take medicine for indigestion, headaches, and loss of energy

c. If you want to be a slave to someone, find someone to hate.

3. Hate will harm you physically

a. Men sometimes think that it pays to hate, but later they learn they must pay for hate.

b. Dr. S. I. McMillen speaks of jealousy, envy, self-centeredness, rage, resentment and hatred as “disease producing emotions,” and he says “What a person eats is not as important as the bitter spirit, the hates, and feelings of guilt that eat at him.”

4. Hate will keep you out of heaven

a. Hate is one of the works of the flesh and Paul says, “That they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21).

b. If we hate, we are a murderer and “no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15).

c. Finally in this sermon on hatred…

E. LOVE IS THE WAY OF OVERCOMING HATRED

1. With the Bible writers there is no middle ground between love and hate.

a. It is either love or hate

b. 1 John 2:9-11; 3:14-15

2. Notice the importance and necessity of love:

a. Brotherly love is the badge of discipleship (John 13:35)

b. Brotherly love is a command (John 15:12)

c. Brotherly love is to be maintained above all things(1 Peter 4:8)

d. Brotherly love is the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39)

e. Brotherly love is a fulfilling of the law (Rom 13:8)

f. Brotherly love will prevent stumbling (1 John 2:9-11)

g. Brotherly love is a mark of divine sonship (1 John 3:10)

3. What is the nature of the love we are to have for our brethren?

a. We are love the brethren as the Lord loved us (John 13:34)

b. We are to love the brethren as ourselves (Matthew 22:39)

c. We are to love the brethren fervently (1 Peter 4:8)

d. We are to love the brethren without hypocrisy(1 Peter 1:22-23)

e. We are to love the brethren in deed and not word only (1 John 3:18)

CONCLUSION: [ End of this sermon on hatred ]

A. If we hate someone, to overcome this we should:

1. Pray for the person who is the object of our hate

2. Find something good to do for the person who is resented

3. Try sincerely to understand the person who is disliked and resented

B. Solomon said, “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Proverbs 15:17)

C. With Booker T. Washington let us say, “I will not allow any man to reduce my soul to the level of hatred.”

*Information gathered from Windell Winkle