KEY SCRIPTURES: Various
RELEVANCE What is the premise of the mantra Hate Speech?
Governments worldwide, the United Nations and some transnational organisations have been legislating against hate speech. Once upon a time, we'd never heard the term, but now it's everywhere.
God doesn't like hate speech, either. He expects us to love others more profoundly and purposefully than to engage in hateful remarks or malice, whether verbal, written, or even thoughts. It helps stop us from ridiculing the physically or mentally disadvantaged or discriminating against people by race or colour just because they might look different. I'm all for that. These changes are godly and need to happen.
In 1 John 2:9, God warns us about holding hatred for people. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. God is saying we're not just in the dark about hatred but without Christ. 1 John 3:15, Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
We see that God already has penalties for hatred that align with some hate speech legislation. But what about behaviours of iniquity and sin? What about hate in the Bible? The Bible states that God hates some things.
Hebrews 1:9 says God will promote us if we maintain our hatred of iniquity. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Likewise, when God wrote to the churches of Ephesus and Pergamos in Revelation, He stated His hatred for certain practices and doctrines.
Ephesus (Revelation 2:6 ) But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
Pergamos. (Revelation 2:15) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
Conversely, many people hate the God of the Bible and seek to change it wherever they can. For instance, if you read a modern version of the Bible (other than KJV), try and find Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Most will not find it. The translators deleted that essential key to Christ's spiritual power and many scriptures like it. Most new versions are based on Westcott and Hort's interpretation, and their faith was distorted. Some of these Bibles are Trojan horses subtly returning us to the false system the reformation freed us from.
Slowly but surely, essential things that affect faith, belief and understanding are changing. Hate speech is another Trojan horse—some unholy changes lie inside the concept of hate speech. Right is becoming wrong, and wrong behaviours are respected and even revered, to the point that righteousness, Jesus Christ and Christians, and everything we stand for are hated.
Yet Jesus already told us that would happen. Mark 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But how do we endure? Through love.
Do you think it's a strange society that hates people who base their entire life on love? Only the lost do that, and Jesus came to save the lost. Luke 19:10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Speaking out against sin isn't hate speech but a divine love they don't yet understand.
Throughout all the changes we see happening, our first purpose must be to love those who don't know they are lost. We've all been lost to sin and are just a few steps in front of the lost. We were enemies of Christ regardless of how we like to think of ourselves.
At times they might seem like the enemy. But Jesus Christ told us that if we want to be like Him—the children of our Father—we must love our enemies, bless them that curse us in so many ways, do well to them that hate us, and pray for them who express hatred or wish to harm, punish or harass us.
Why are we called to this big step? If we don't do this, we are prideful, thinking we're the doorkeepers to an exclusive Jesus Club.
We mustn't cease differentiating between the person and behaviour. We love the person as God does, with the same undeniable and unconditional love that got us through the door. But we reject the behaviour. Hopefully, some might be saved to reap the joy we do and enjoy the promise of a glorious future.
PRAYER Dear Lord, as events out of my control change, please help me never forget that I was once as lost as anybody on earth. So please pour your love into me so I can pour it out to others.
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