1 John 2:9 KJV
[9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
Hatred is a very evil sin. The seeds of hatred may go undetected in the beginning, however, over time it can grow inwardly like a cancer. If this evil seed is cultivated in one’s heart, it can destroy both the individual and those around them. Hatred will produce other sinful seeds such as stubbornness, pride, anger, murder and malice. These are only a few, to say the least.
Remember that hatred doesn’t have to have a cause. Hatred is the cause. Hatred will blind an individual. It will cause you to be blind to the truth, blind to the consequences of your actions and blind to the effects it has on yourself and those whom you love. Hatred can even cause a soul to go to hell. A good example of this would be one of the thieves on the cross. He died blind to his need, blind to his savior and blind to his opportunity to be saved.
There are many today who are walking in the darkness of hatred. Life is too short, and eternity is too long to live one second in this darkness. You must step out of the darkness of hatred and into the light of God’s love. Ask the Lord for mercy and to help you be merciful. Ask him to give you grace and to help you to be graceful. Ask for his forgiveness and ask him to help you show forgiveness.
Our verse makes it clear that a person cannot be walking in the light of God’s love and living in the darkness of hatred. Yet there are those who claim to be in fellowship with God and refuse to fellowship with their brothers in Christ. While they may fool themselves, they are not fooling others. Allow God’s Word to rid any seeds or strands of hatred that may try to grow in your soul. Live each day in the sunlight of his love.