Love, Not Hate

Have you ever experienced a time when someone became angry or upset with you, not because you did anything wrong or evil towards them, but just because you happened to be more talented at something, or were more fortunate than they were?

Why was Cain filled with hate towards Abel? Did Abel do something towards Cain to harm him in some way? No. What was it then that caused Cain to do what he did when he? He hated Abel because Abel’s sacrifice to God was better than his. He was upset because God was pleased with the sacrifice that He had received from Abel, while the sacrifice from Cain God wasn’t pleased with. The feeling that Cain displayed towards Abel was envy.

Envy is defined as the resentful desire of something possessed by another (but not limited to material possessions). The feeling of hatred, enmity, ill-will, or displeasure towards someone for their good fortune or possessions.

Romans 13:13  “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

I think that many die hard sports fans go through this type of feeling each season, as their favorite teams go to the playoffs, only to lose to a better team. This sort of rivalry can often turn into envy, but this is not something that we should feel towards each other as Christians.

1 John 3:11-15  “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Envy is not love, and it was because of envy that the Jews delivered Jesus unto Pilate to be crucified. Why did they hate Him? What evil did He do towards them? Jesus didn’t do anything wrong, but they still were filled with envy towards Him. But it is as Jesus said, they hated me without a cause.

John 15:21-25  “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.

He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.”

Envy is a carnal feeling, not a spiritual one. Envy is not love. It is not a quality that we learn to be in the Bible. We need to be filled with love, not hate. If someone has a great gift or talent we should be happy for and rejoice with them when they use it to the best of their ability.

Love, not hate. Love one another, as Christ has loved you.

In Christ,

Andrew