Hate makes us blind. The religious leaders of the day hated Jesus so much that they were deaf and blind to who He really was (God incarnate). Hate kills but love gives life.
Had Jesus not loved us enough to go to the cross in our place, where would we be headed today? Are we children of the light or of darkness? Jesus did not condemn us - He forgave us. If we were not condemned, should we condemn others? Are we not judged by how we judge? Do we know a man's heart? Can we make righteous judgments? Jesus loved us and thus we should love others.
John 3:16-21 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. "For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. "But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
Mat 7:1-2 "Judge not, that you be not judged. "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
Mat 23:23-28 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Fear and hate for Satan's tools. We will not be able to judge what is right and what is wrong so long as we allow fear and hate dictate how we vote or live our lives. Are we grieving the Holy Spirit who guides us?
Eph 4:30-32 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.
Notice Let all be put away from you. That is a promise that if you want to be free of bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking & malice, God will remove it from you. All you have to do is ask.
Since you are sealed to the Holy Spirit when you become a Christian, when you grieve the Holy Spirit, you feel grief what He feels.
You feel like when someone you love died. It's called depression today. Some depression is chemically related but most is because of extremes of anger. Are you depressed (feeling grieved, feel like the weight of the world is on you or sad)?
James 1:19-22 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
By this scripture we know the opposite of righteousness is wickedness. Wrath is extreme anger that has made a person bitter toward someone. It also tells us that wrath is a wicked thing.
In context this scripture says that if you are filled with anger that has become bitter and full of wrath, you are hearers of the word and not doers of the word. A person who is a doer of the word forgives and loves unconditionally.
Eph 4:26-27 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
It is not a sin to be angry; but it is a sin to retain it and not forgive. Therefore, be doers of the word and not just hearers of the word.
Love fulfills the law and does no harm. Love is the opposite of hate, impatience, unkindness, jealousy, pride, rudeness, selfishness, anger, rough, unfaithful, meanness, unforgiving, evil thinking or prejudices.
Love is joyful in truth (not in rumors or lies), patient (suffers long/excitedly waits), kindness (forgiving), good (feeds and takes care of needs), faithful (not an idol worshiper or adulterer), gentle (does no harm physically or mentally, always protects) and is self-controlled (slow to anger, slow to speak, not violent).
1 Cor 13:4-13 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Rom 13:8-10 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
So who can attain such a love? Anyone who asks God to love and forgive through them. If we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, then all we have to do is allow the Holy Spirit flow through us and produce the love and forgiveness in and through us.
If you are angry, every thing you touch will feel that anger and you will be blind to the truth.
If you love, every thing you touch will feel that love and you will be able to discern what is good and evil. You will recognize the truth and the truth will set you free from all fear. After all love overcomes evil and casts out fear.
Rom 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.