It is difficult to reconcile the language of faith with the spirit of bitterness, anger, and contempt that so often marks public and private life. A people may speak the name of Christ, invoke Scripture, and claim devotion to God, yet still harbor a posture that stands opposed to the very character of Jesus. Scripture speaks with sobering clarity on this point: bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, hatred, and malice do not belong to the wisdom that comes from above (James 3:14–16). They are signs not of holiness, but of spiritual disorder. If Christ truly reigns among his people, then mercy should shape our words, humility should steady our convictions, and love should mark our witness.
Hatred Is Not Holiness
The Christian faith does not permit us to baptize resentment and call it righteousness. James warns that where bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are allowed to take root, confusion and every vile practice follow (James 3:14–16). The heart that clings to contempt cannot reflect the heart of Christ. The apostle John is equally direct: whoever claims to love God while hating a brother or sister is walking in falsehood (1 John 4:20). Hatred is not a minor flaw that can be excused by strong convictions or cultural loyalty. It is a corruption of the soul, a denial of the love believers confess with their lips. To carry hatred and still claim the name of Jesus is not a sign of courage or moral seriousness, but a contradiction that Scripture refuses to soften.
The Difference Between Hating People and Hating Evil
At the same time, Scripture does make an important distinction: believers are never called to hate people, but they are called to hate evil. The Bible condemns personal hatred as spiritually deadly. John writes that anyone who hates a brother is a murderer in heart (1 John 3:15), and Jesus commands his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44). Yet the same Scriptures teach that to love the Lord is to hate evil (Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13). This is not a hatred rooted in spite, revenge, or cruelty, but a moral opposition to all that destroys what God loves. Evil must be resisted because it distorts human life, wounds communities, and defies the goodness of God. Christians therefore must learn to oppose wickedness without surrendering to hatred, to name sin truthfully without denying the dignity of those made in God’s image.
God’s Judgment and the Call to Repentance
When Scripture speaks of God hating evil or rejecting the wicked, it is not describing the unstable passions that often govern human anger. God’s judgment is holy, just, and entirely free from malice. His opposition to evil is the necessary expression of his righteousness. Even so, the testimony of Scripture is that God desires repentance and extends mercy, calling sinners to turn and live (Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11). That truth should humble the church. We are not free to weaponize divine judgment in defense of our own bitterness. Rather, we are called to examine ourselves, lay down pride, and return to the Lord with sincerity. True faith does not make peace with hatred. It brings hatred to the cross, where sinful anger is exposed, repentance begins, and grace teaches the heart a better way.
The church must hear this plainly. God is not honored by hearts that cling to resentment while speaking his name. If we would bear witness to Christ faithfully, then our lives must be marked not by contempt, but by charity; not by self-righteous fury, but by humility and mercy. Christians are called to hate what is evil, but never to delight in the downfall of others or to nurture hatred against them. The gospel calls us to something harder and holier: to resist evil without becoming its servant, to love our enemies without excusing sin, and to let the character of Christ govern both our convictions and our conduct.
Minister A Francine Green I May 2026