A Short Sermon On Hate

Only through hate can we understand the profundity of love. Only through love can we grasp the fury of hate.

Asking to give up hate is to give up your humanity, to strip love of all its force and make it no more important than a preference.

Without room for hate you have no reason to love. Without love, you aren’t human.

The Bible exhorts Christians to pray for our enemies, to not hate our brothers and neighbors.

We’re also told we will be hated by the world.

Biblical, sound hate isn’t aimed a specific person but at concepts. The Lord has called us to hate sin, hate wickedness, hate all the works of the Devil and his followers but to not hate specific people.

(All references are from the New International Version.)

Exodus 18:21
But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.

Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.

Psalm 5:5
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;

Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 8:13
To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

Proverbs 13:5
The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked make themselves a stench
and bring shame on themselves.

Amos 5:15
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.

Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[a] is still in the darkness.

[a] adelphos – A believer, another member of the faith.


Christians need their hate, need it as tool, honed and aimed at the right targets. To lay down your hate against family, a brother in the faith, or a neighbor is wisdom. To lay down your hate against wickedness is to surrender to the forces of evil.

And always be wary of those asking you to disarm.