Results 1 - 2 of 2
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Hatred..Am I truly a Christian?? | Matt 5:44 | Lissamz | 202831 | ||
I have a problem in my life and I can't get over it. I've cried out to God for help and tried to get over it, but it hasn't happened. I actually truly and fully hate someone in my life right now. I have even questioned whether or not I am a true Christian because of this. I can't shake this sin in my life. The person i hate is very close to me and I can't seem to get away. I question if I am to be damned because of this hatred. Please someone answer and give me a place in the Word that I can go to, that I can find my way back to love and not hate. Lissamz |
||||||
2 | Hatred..Am I truly a Christian?? | Matt 5:44 | DocTrinsograce | 202832 | ||
Dear Lissamz... Although on the forum we try to avoid offering counsel, this is a very good and practical question. You have good reason to be concerned about the issue. Indeed, your concern over it is a very good indicator. Every one of us deals with these kinds of things. My roots are Jewish, so I've dealt with feeling hatred to those who hate and have persecuted Jews. The Lord clearly commands us to love our enemies, not hate them. It is a crucial matter in our redemption. Now, before I go on, just because I may have found ways to love my enemy rather than hate them, you will not find me foolishly trusting my enemy! We are to be wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. So the following may be helpful to you: First, you must understand that God has not given you a choice in this matter. You are commanded to be loving and forgiving (Luke 6:37), just as He is loving and forgiving (Psalm 86:5). If you are a believer, it is not an option (Matthew 6:15). Second, you must realize the enormous debt forgiven us through Christ (Isaiah 53:5), even when you hated Him (Romans 5:8). You need to meditate on this daily. This is absolutely essential in the process. Those who are forgiven much, love much; but those who are forgiven little, love little (Luke 7:37-50). Third, realize that nothing this person has done to you is anything near as bad as what you've done to the Lord Jesus Christ. Your sin deserves an eternity in Hell. Christ paid that debt. No one will ever harm you to that degree, no matter what happens to you! Fourth, you must understand that this hatred is a sin, particularly if the one you hate is a believer (1 John 3:15). Therefore, every time you feel the hatred, carry it before the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:5), ask forgiveness (1 John 1:9), and trust Him to empower you to do as He's commanded (2 Peter 1:3). Fifth, once you have these things firmly in mind, you must act as though they are true (Colossians 2:6-7). In other words, figure out ways to live out your forgiveness. The measure of your success won't come from how you feel. Feelings come and go. So use your feelings as I suggested above, as a signal to carry everything to the Lord again, and lay all that ugliness before Him, crying out for mercy, and affirming that you still need a Savior. Sixth, be encouraged. You are struggling with all of this because the Holy Spirit is convicting you. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? What is more amazing, is that the Holy Spirit never prompts a person, and then sits back with His arms folded, waiting for you to respond. No, He is active in our lives. Those arms aren't folded, He's got His sleeves rolled up and He's hard at work to transform us into the image of Christ. So respond to His prompting now, so that He won't have to use a Hebrews 12 method. In the mean time, those reading this post will be praying for you. Please pray for all of us, too. You've confessed a fault before us. Imagine how many of your brothers and sisters are struggling with the very same thing. I assure you there are many of us. So lift us up to the Lord just as we lift you up. In Him, Doc |
||||||