Hate. It’s everywhere! And I guess I never realized how rampant it would become. But I’m not referring to the hatred in the world, although that applies. I am referring to the hatred I am seeing among those who claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
I’m finding racism and hatred in local churches and among ministers of the gospel. I’m finding it operating in the ministry of helps, and proudly presented by Christians on their social media sites where they arrogantly vomit their bile for others to wade through.
But really, I’m not sure why I should have been surprised by it because when you read the Bible you find that it’s not a new problem. I guess I just believed, perhaps naively, that if real Christians read their Bible, they would know to get hatred and prejudice completely out of their lives. However, based upon recent statistics I have looked at, most Christians no longer read their Bible in any significant way, and an even fewer number seem to apply what they read or hear preached. Of course, then you have preachers who are either too weak to deal with such issues among the believers in their local congregations, or who themselves are filled with prejudices and are sowing discord among the brethren (see Proverbs 6:16-19).
And to take this further, if believers understood that their hatred and racism in the Body of Christ was providing an open door to evil spirits, I would hope that they would have enough sense to repent and put off this wicked activity. But I’m not too sure about that anymore either, since so many in the Church have come to hate and mock repentance.
Hatred and prejudices of any kind can manifest through jealousy, envy, strife, and a variety of other forms. And according to the Word of God, those who are participating in these things have rejected the wisdom of God and are operating by wisdom from another source.
“14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” James 3:14-16 KJV
Those who operate in racism and hatred are arrogant and defiant against the truth of God’s Word. And they are positioning themselves under the influence of evil spirits. And when people continue to yield to the influence of demons, they will live in confusion and eventually involve themselves in “every evil work.”
It’s just disgusting to witness so many who claim to be Christians who are splitting churches, maiming pastors, destroying marriages and families, and hurting the businesses of their employers. And all of this is caused by those within the Church who are now embracing hatred and prejudice even though the Lord through scripture after scripture commands that we have no part in these things.
How many times have you heard people say about someone after they did some wicked deed, I would have never thought he could do such a thing? But strife and prejudice opened their lives up to demonic activity. And once you begin to sow hatred and racism, you will reap a harvest of it in your own life and in your own home.
“But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:11 NASU
Racism and hatred are the gateway to confusion. And confused people live oblivious to the obvious. And no matter how much you explain what would seem impossible to miss, they still can’t see it because they are walking in darkness.
These people live their lives in a devilish thick fog. And now nothing that makes sense can be understood by the racist and the hater because they chose to turn the light off in their lives. And by choosing to extinguish the light of God’s love, they live in confusion to the point where they can no longer even distinguish what’s right and wrong.
“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” 1 John 2:9 KJV
If you are a racist and a hater, then you are either not born again at all, or you have backslidden and rejected Jesus Christ, and are even now clinging to satan’s kingdom of darkness.
According to the Bible, hatred and racism is the spirit of murder.
“15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:15-16 KJV
The Bible also tells us that it is impossible to love the Lord and hate others.
“20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” 1 John 4:20-21 KJV
Jesus came to give life; it’s the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy (see John 10:10). So, who are you being like when you are prejudice and hateful? Hatred and racism involve you with demonic activity. Never, ever forget that. Repent and give this evil no place in your life.