DCLM Higher Everyday 25 February 2024 — Love and Hate Contrasted
Topic: Love and Hate Contrasted
Text: 1 John 3:11-18
11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16Hereby 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.
17But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
Key Verse: “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death” (1 John 3:14).
Message
The word love involves attracting people and inspiring the spirit of give and take, caring and sharing. Hate on the other hand is the opposite of all these, repelling and eliciting the spirit of fear and distrust. Martin Luther King Jr. equates hate with darkness and love with light, saying, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” In our memory verse, love is equated with life while hate is equated with death. We see then that love symbolizes light and life but hate symbolizes darkness and death. More importantly, God is love. If you love, then you are born of God and you know Him. Anyone who lacks love is not God’s child and does not know Him (1 John 4:7, 8).
Friend, what passion dominates you? Is it love or hate? Chaos, wickedness, violence and killings occur in families, communities and nations where people take to hate instead of love. But where love is the ruling principle, there is peace. In Christ there is love and peace. Receive Him
Quote: Love symbolizes light and life
Challenge: Haters are in darkness, the camp of Satan
Prayer for today: I’d rather love than hate, so help me, God.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
