Strong dislike, disregard, or even indifference toward someone or something. As such, hate may be seated in a person's emotions or will. Various degrees and types of hatred are described in the Bible. This makes it difficult to define hatred in simple, absolute terms.
The people of God are to hate what God Himself hates with an absolute hatred Sin (Deu 2:31; Is 61:8; Heb 1:9).
But God is also said to hate human beings, as when He declared "Jacob I have loved but Esau I have hated" (Rom 9:13). This is a relative hatred. It is not the opposite of love but a diminished love. God loved Jacob so much that He chose him to become the father of the nation Israel; He did not love Esau in the same way.
To hate our relatives for the sake of Christ (Luke 14:26) means to love them less than we love Christ (Matt 10:37); it does not mean to hate them absolutely. Believers ought to love their enemies (Matt 5:43-44) but hate their enemies' sins (Eph 5:3-14; Rev 2:6).
Wicked people, living under the power of satan, will hate the Lord Jesus, His followers, and their righteous deeds (John 3:20; 8:44). It is the Christians duty not to strike back but to do good to his enemies (Matt 4:43-44; Luke 6:27).
*Again I have much to add to this, hope you do also*
Posted By: WILLIAM W. HEMMANS III
Thursday, January 19th 2006 at 8:19PM
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