Friday... So, is it ok to hate your brother?

And you might say that you have your right to hate him. But do you?

There are some truths that we as Christ followers believe that comes from the outside world that just don't hold for us and hating your brother who might be is a fellow believer is one of them. And some of us may need a reminder.

1 John 2:9-11 (NLT) says, "If anyone claims, 'I am living in the light,' but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble." Have you ever thought about the fact that the stuff we sometimes put on the internet that shows our dislike of other believers can cause someone who is young in the faith to stumble? Again, "Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble." We need to be reminded of that sometimes, don't we?

He goes on, "But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness." And there is so much darkness all around us.

Now in verses 7-8 John writes, "Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment - to love one another - is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining."

And then verses 25-26 says, "So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he has promised us." That's another great reminder.

And verses 28-29 says, "And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we all know that all who do right are God's children."

And back to verses 5-6, "But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who says they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did."

So maybe we need to quit hating our brother. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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