The Cost of Hate is Why We Must Love

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

When hate moves, love must meet and exceed its works! In this week’s sermon, Pastor McCrary calls out Christianity that moves absent of love and the love needed to meet the needs of the day.

Introduction

As I was planning out this series of sermons (In Spirit and Truth), knowing this sermon would fall on Mother’s Day, I wanted to share a message with mothers in mind.  I was thinking about my mom, my aunts, and my grandma, and the Spirit directed me to 1 Corinthians 13 – the chapter that defines what love is.

Since I have been preaching about walking in spirit and truth, I must say this:  There is nothing truer than the uplifting power of love.  (I am a living testimony of what love can do.)  Yet, there is a present truth in that we are drifting further and further away from love, if we ever were moving in it in this land, and look at what the absence of love has begotten.  So, I want to share with all of you scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a.

In that scripture, Paul stated that love never fails.  Do you agree that love never fails?  I feel most people would agree with that notion.  So, then, why are we as a people, a land, a nation, a world, failing to move in love?  Why are we in a free fall of bitter hatred today?

In my sermon today, I want to focus on:

1. Answering the question of why we are in a free fall to certain destruction.
2. What Christianity is without love.
3. What is necessary for mankind to escape certain destruction.

Behind a Great Fall

There are three reasons why I believe that we are free-falling into darkness, bitterness, and hatred, especially in this land today.  

Reason One:  Apostasy – mankind’s falling away from the Lord and His way.  As we move further away from the way of God, we have become more and more spiritually bankrupt in our way.

Reason Two:  Because we are spiritually bankrupt, there is no sense of what is good and what is wicked and evil.  Being spiritually bankrupt has led to corrupt and immoral living being the norm.

Reason Three:  Foolish pride.  Mankind has become so prideful in its way that it believes it doesn’t need the way of God, and again, this is foolish.  You see, pride blinds one to truths they don’t want to see or hear.  Therefore, there is no growth and no progress in pride because pride never makes corrections.  

Where there is no growth, no progress, and no correction, there is floundering.  Take a fish out of water, and all it does is flop and flounder on dry ground until there is no life left in it.  We, mankind, are that fish out of water when we pridefully disregard the way of God.  There is only death in pridefully and foolishly disregarding the way of God.

Proverbs 1:7,32 supports this thought, as the proverb states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction [from the Lord] … The complacency of fools will destroy them.”

The Way That Prospers

Now, destruction does not have to be the way that any of us, mankind, goes in.  As you probably figured, to avoid certain destruction, all one must do is heed the wisdom and instruction from the Lord – go in His way!

The way of the Lord commands that we love Him wholeheartedly, and that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matt. 22:36-40).  In Matthew 5:41, Christ taught that when someone compels you to go one mile, you ought to go with them two miles–the extra mile.

In Matthew 5:44, Christ taught that we should love our enemies, not despise/hate them!  Christ taught that we should bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us.   This, you should understand, is the way that prospers!

Moreover, in Matthew 6:1-4, Christ taught that when you do a good deed, don’t do it to be praised and glorified by anyone!  Christ taught that you don’t need to blow your own horn so that others will see and applaud you!  You see, that would be doing a good deed in a self-serving manner.  When you do a good deed, Christ said that the deed should be done in secret.  This, again, you should understand is the way that prospers!

When we move in God’s way, loving each other, Jesus said that those around us will know that we are followers of His (John 13:35).  When we love each other, we stir up good works in one another and in our neighbors as well!  When we love each other, we comfort and build up one another, and we do the same for our neighbors as well.  This, again, I say to you, is the way that prospers, not just yourself, but mankind.

What Is Christianity Absent of Love?

So, should one who proclaims to be a child of God, a Christian, disregard God’s way to live by another way of doctrine?  I ask that question because many lay claim to Christianity today, but the doctrine they live by is not of God.  You see, they do not move out of love dwelling in their hearts.

As Paul pointed out to the Corinthian believers in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, one can have all of the gifts and the good works, but without love, it is all for nothing and is unprofitable.  Without love, one’s Christianity is for nothing–it is meaningless.

As John wrote in 1 John 4:20, when one does not love their neighbor, they are a liar, they don’t know God, and His truth does not dwell in them.  As James said in James 2, without works (living in obedience to God’s way of love), one’s faith is dead (inactive).

Something that must be understood today is that many people are practicing religion rather than faith.  Without love, the Christianity of those who are Christians in name only is dead religion – it stands at odds with the Lord and profits nobody.

So, the racists who proclaim Christianity are still racists because they hate.  Bigots who proclaim to be a child of God are still bigots because they hate.  Liars who proclaim Christianity but never go to God are still liars because they hate.  The wicked who go to church service every Sunday morning are still wicked because they hate the way of God.

Christ’s Warning About Love’s Absence

I wish to share a couple of warnings from Christ about the cost of lacking love–the cost of hatred.

Remember when you first loved Christ

The first warning we will find in Revelation 2:1-7, when Christ had a word sent to the Ephesians, in the church of Ephesus.  The church of Ephesus, as the scripture describes it, was made up of believers who didn’t tolerate those who were liars and false apostles.

While Jesus commended those of the church for their labor, He also shared a warning with them.  In Revelation 2:4, Christ warned that they had left (abandoned) their first love when they had first fallen in love with Him and His way.  

You know how it is when you first fall in love with someone; there is fervor and zeal.  The Ephesians once had great zeal for Christ and His way, but over time, that fervor waned.  The Ephesians had grown used to being surrounded by wickedness, constantly dealing with false teachers, lying apostles, and their love began to grow cold.  

I genuinely believe that is something happening today, as part of the tactics that Satan employs against all of God’s children.  To be clear, Satan wants your love for the Lord and His way to wane and grow cold.  You see, how can one love others when they don’t even love the Lord?

So, Christ encouraged those in the church of Ephesus to turn away from their bitterness and remember when they first loved Him and His way.  We must always remember when we first believed and fell in love with Christ and try to move with that zeal daily!  We cannot let Satan and the wicked cause our love for Christ and His way to wane and grow cold.

Remain faithful and hopeful in God’s truth

The second warning for us today is found in Revelation 3:1-6.  In this scripture, we will see that Christ sent a word to the church in Sardis.

The church in Sardis, Christ said, had a name that said it was alive and active.  You see, the doors of the church would open, and congregants would file into the church, read their Bibles, sing their songs, hear the preacher preach, and go on their way.  However, while the church was active, Christ said that the church in Sardis was dead.

To explain the meaning of this warning, I must speak of the work of the Holy Spirit.  The believer was once dead in their trespasses and sins against God.  However, God gave His only begotten to die for us.  Upon believing in Him, we received the Holy Spirit, who has activated and made alive our souls, which were once dead in sin.  When one heeds the Holy Spirit’s direction, one is able to bear much fruit, producing a good work.

The church in Sardis was dead, in that it did not bear any fruit – nothing came from its service.  The reason why this church didn’t bear any fruit is because this church did not actively heed the Spirit; therefore, it did not move in accordance with God’s instructions.

Yes, the church opened its doors each Sunday, but there was no faith present in the church.  The congregants gathered out of religion, having all of their religious traditions, but there was no spiritual growth, no works that profited their spirits.  

This is quite concerning to me because I often wonder what we, as individuals and congregants of the church, are bearing in the world today.  Again, I ask:  How can we bear fruit without moving in accordance with the way of God?  We cannot bear any fruit without love (Jas. 1:19-20).

In Revelation 3:2, we will see that Christ directed the church in Sardis to be watchful and strengthen the things that remain.  I believe that is certainly a word that must be shared with believers today, especially when the wicked are trying to beat the desire of loving others out of us.  

The way of the Lord is holy, and it is profitable to bear good fruit.  Love does not fail!  We, as believers, must be aware of the day, its apathy and wickedness, and we must redeem the day–showing the world the power of love that we claim to believe in.  We must look to the Spirit for guidance!  We must not lose the faith and the hope that remains in God’s truth, being profitable and good for the soul!

The Cost of Hatred

The reason why we must remain faithful and hopeful in God’s truth is because religion, absent of the Spirit, and dead faith, absent of love, is costing us in more ways than one.  

You see, there has been a physical cost to all of the false/dead religion that we have seen taking place recently.  The divide between races and nations continues to grow.  There has been more violence, and on top of that, a senseless war because of false/dead religion. Currently, many are struggling to even live because the cost of living has gone through the roof!

On these notes, there has been a greater cost due to false/dead religion that has been spiritual.  Innocent lives, young and old, are being lost and cannot be replaced.  Souls of generations are being driven away and lost to God because of false/dead religion!

The cruelty of hate should have been a big driver of change decades and centuries ago, but look at where we are today.  The hate of old is still present in our world today, blowing out fire.  Today’s cruelty ought to be an even greater revelation for why we must love one another, because how can we make if we don’t love each other?

The Kind of Love Needed Today

Now, I don’t want you to have the wrong idea about the kind of love that is needed, because how man defines love is far from the love that is needed.  

As Paul said, “Love is patient and kind, not selfish, rejoices in the truth, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures.”  This definition of love wasn’t one that Paul came up with according to his own fruition, but rather, he defined love by the love God had shown him.  When I think of this love, I think of my mom, my aunts, and my grandmom.

My grandmom truly was the sweetest woman I have ever known.  She was always concerned, always thinking of, and caring about others.  She never knew when to sit down, no matter how much she was urged to do so.  Even when she was being celebrated, she would always find something to do to help!  Yet, when the time came, she also knew when to tell Robert, my granddad, to shut up!

My aunts, like my grandmom, are always aware, always concerned, and so supportive.  When I say supportive, they are don’t miss a birthday supportive.  When I say supportive, I’m talking about being supportive of not just their children, not just their grandchildren, but also supportive of nieces and nephews. 

When I say supportive, I want you to understand they are the supportive that never backs off from disciplining and correcting when one has gotten out of line.  They will joke, they will laugh, but don’t you cross that line, even to this day.

Then there is my mom, whose love is a hundred times better than what mine ever will be.  My mom’s love is at a level that I don’t believe I can ever reach.  She is constantly putting the needs of others before her own needs, to the point that I often feel it necessary to tell her to think about yourself sometimes.  When she she see or perceives something isn’t proper or right, the little woman fills up with fire to see that what is crooked is made right!

All of those women are, or in my grandmother’s case, were spiritually driven and filled with the kind of love that is filled with grace, compassion, and fire.  Their love is the kind of love that is effectual and inspires us to love in like manner.

Care and Be Concerned for Your Neighbor

Something I hope you noticed about the love all of these wonderful women shared in common is the care and concern they have for others.

You see, care and concern is the starting point for if we are going to stop the free fall brought on by foolish and prideful apathy.  True love cannot be absent of care and concern!  

We’ve seen what happens when people stop caring and being concerned for others, and only think of themselves.  People are dehumanized.  Aid is ended.  Gold ballrooms and wealth are put ahead of the livelihood of others.  Wars are fought.  Lives are thrown into turmoil and are lost.  Lies continue to be told.

Don’t let the wickedness of today drown out your compassion!  When we care and are concerned for others, we have seen what happens:  Burdens are lifted; Eyes are opened to the truth.  Souls are restored and lifted.   Without love, we are destined to fail, but with love, we are destined to flourish and prosper.  This is why we must love, care, and be concerned for each other and all those around us.