“Anger Management” by Lecrae ft. Thi’sh from “Rehab: The Overdose” album
Galatians 5:19-21 (KJV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Works of the Flesh Part IV: About Hatred
Besides being a strong emotion and dangerous mindset, what is hatred? According to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, the original Greek word that was translated here as hatred is “echthra.” Echthra means “hostility; by implication a reason for opposition :- enmity, hatred.” It is derived from the word “echthros,” meaning “to hate; hateful (passive odious, or active hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especially Satan) :- enemy, foe (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary).
A Profound Hatred of Man (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
In the original Greek, the noun form of echthros (meaning to hate) means “adversary, especially Satan.” So Satan is hatred. We can compare this to God, Who is love (1 John 4:8). So when we hate, we reach for the heart of Satan. In order to do this, we have to turn away from God. Satan is the opposite of God and the adversary of Almighty God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and all the children of God through ages past and in ages to come. So in order to reach for the heart of the adversary of God, one’s back has to be turned away from God. In living a life of hatred, one also lives face-to-face with the enemy of the souls of men. That is one exceedingly awful and dangerous position.
Because hatred in the hearts of men is rooted in the evil one, the antidote is as prescribed by Jesus “Bless those that curse you. Pray for those who despitefully use you.” (Matthew 5:44) The only remedy for the fire of hatred is the “washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26). When we return hatred with hatred we take the side of evil and become pawns of the enemy. This gives the devil license to interfere in our lives. The Bible says:
Ephesians 4:26
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
To sleep with anger is to make ourselves vulnerable to hatred.
In the Bible, hatred is associated with murder (Numbers 35:20), rape (2 Samuel 13:15), persecution (Psalm 109 & 139), deceit (Proverbs 26:26), lying (Proverbs 10:18) and strife (Proverbs 10:12). We see here that hatred is a root cause for many of the evils of society, past, present and future. Those who claim the name of Jesus should choose a life of love, for God is love.
Prayer: Father God, forgive me for the many times I have not loved you, and the many ways I have not loved my neighbor. Forgive me for every time I have contemplated hatred, or embraced it as an attitude or way of life. Lord renew my mind, and take the heart of stone far from me. May I this day in every way turn my back on Satan and refuse all born of his hateful spirit. Grant me Lord the mindfulness to never let the sun go down on my wrath. May all that I think say and do reflect Your love. This I ask in Jesus’ precious name. Amen and amen.
© 2012 Verneda Lights
Related articles
- Works of the Flesh Part 3 (e-graphx.com)
- Works of the Flesh: Part II (e-graphx.com)
- Works of the Flesh: Part I (e-graphx.com)
The video “Anger Management” by Lecrae ft. was uploaded on Youtube.com by Dizciple8 on Jan 8, 2011. Verneda Lights and E-graphX Omnimedia have no ownership in this video. It is used for educational purposes only.
