If Anyone Hates a Brother

As we begin this new year, we like to emphasize one significant thought from God’s word – – this year, we intend to emphasize the love that God has for us and how it causes us to love. We like to kick off the year with a particular emphasis on the passage that teaches that motto – .

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19–21 ESV

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

I) John begins with the negative

He has already written much about the love of God – – explaining how the love of God is different than love from the worldly minded

He then declares that our love is based on the love He first showed us –

But, then John switches to consider the hypocrite who declares his love for God, yet does not have that same love for his brother – v.20

II) Love for God with words and actions

If anyone says is a common phrase from John to identify inconsistency in words and actions (or feelings) – 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9 – it leads to the truism that actions speak louder than words –

1 John 3:18 ESV

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

There is a contrast of the lesser and the greater – v.20b – it is an easier thing to love our brothers whom we can see (experience with the flesh), than it is to love God whom we cannot see (except by faith), if one cannot accomplish the easier task, they have no hope of the more difficult; John also inverts the clauses putting emphasis on love for his brother first, but not seeing God first in the contrasting clause

Love is a task, it does not happen by chance, but by choice; it is easier to hate than to love

Hate means “to detest” (regard with less value), it is sometime translated by not love, or love less, which only gives a portion of the full meaning – – hatred is not sinful itself – – we must hate our own family to become a disciple of Jesus

John 12:25 ESV

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Luke 14:26 ESV

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Brother(s) is likely speaking of those with whom we share a relationship with God – – not that we should take this as license to hate those of the world – – but there is an unbreakable connection to the value we give to God’s children based on the value God has placed on us

Matthew 5:46–48 ESV

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

1 John 3:13–14 ESV

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

Matthew 5:46–48 ESV

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Concl: If we find an excuse to detest (regard as less valuable) any brother, we admit that we are liars when we claim to love God.