Reflections

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4: 7-11

The command that we have been given by Jesus is to love one another, to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We should never disguise hate with holiness.  Some will justify condemnation or hatred toward another person or group of people by claiming holiness.  But the scriptures teach us that those who belong to God love because love comes from God.  If we claim to be Christians and operate in hatred and not love then we really do not know God.

We have heard the saying “hate the sin, not the sinner.”  We must remember that when we deal with unbelievers or wicked men that we must show the reconciliation that God desires with all.  We are not to sit in judgment of others but we should direct them to Jesus Christ.  We do this through love and showing mercy.  Let us not forget that one time we were sinners and counted among the wicked and evil.  But praise God for His mercy and love that He showed us and saved us.  We are called to love everyone including our neighbors and enemies.