Hate: The “X”factor

IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE MISSING SOMETHING

Sometimes we struggle with a sinful stronghold in our life that we just can’t seem to overcome. During the struggle, we have brief moments in which we think maybe we’re starting to overcome it. Just as fast, that small window of hope slams shut. We find ourselves right back to where we were…stuck in the muck of sin.

Sometimes we get deliverance. We finally get set free of the demons to which we have been a slave to for so long. We experience real freedom, a great feeling. But then when we attempt to conquer the flesh, we fail. We get infested with demons and we are right back to where we started, maybe even worse. To finally experience freedom, only to lose it again, can be heartbreaking.

Often it feels like there’s a missing element to our game plan for taking down strongholds. It feels like we are too weak because we keep failing. We wonder if maybe it isn’t even us, but rather God just choosing to let us stay stuck in the muck of sin. Self-pity can set in. Sometimes we just feel like throwing our arms up in the air and submitting to the stronghold. We stop fighting. If only we had a little more spiritual power…

POWER COMES THROUGH OBEDIENCE

Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life. He did this by knowing his Father’s will and being obedient to it. How did he know his Father’s will you ask? Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that was in Him. (1) Jesus was a great leader. He led from the front. He didn’t just tell us what to do, He SHOWED us what to do. Being led by the Holy Spirit is one of the most important things, if not THE most important thing, He showed us. Now to our present time…as long as we are submitting ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are remaining sinless and pleasing to Jesus.

When we submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit many things happen. We can read the bible with more depth. This is because the Holy Spirit teaches us the deeper things of God. We can cast out demons and heal the sick. This is because the Holy Spirit is Jesus’ mighty arm here in this world. We can speak in tongues. The Holy Spirit will connect with our spirit and help us pray for what we really need prayer for. We will feel

conviction, which means we will feel the Holy Spirit grieving when we are doing something Jesus doesn’t like. The power, fruit, gifts, miracles, signs, and wonders simply happen in the Holy Spirit’s wake when He is allowed to move. Jesus just can’t help Himself!

Nowadays, many Christian go to church and learn “God is love.” He loves us unconditionally. As long as we “believe,” we will go to heaven. We don’t learn the bible in-depth because we rely mostly on the pastor to teach us such things. We have a general sense of what sin is and we avoid it; therefore, we feel like we are basically good people. After all, “it’s all about love.”

Well, hold on…here comes the hard truth. The above paragraph is watered down Christianity. Incomplete and twisted doctrine makes us feel content with going through life as a typical “churchy” Christian. This scenario is how the devil is currently taking over the world. It ISN’T “all about love.” It IS all about OBEDIENCE. Being obedient is how we show our love to God. (2) Not obedience to this world, but obedience to Him. (3)

Let’s put the following into a logical order…

The Holy Spirit is the wrecking ball that knocks down strongholds.
Jesus is the crane operator who controls the wrecking ball.
We need Jesus to see us as His people, so He’ll have the Holy Spirit move for us. Jesus identifies us as loving Him…“as His people”... through our obedience.
Therefore, to unleash the Holy Spirit’s power to tear down strongholds, the “X” factor must help us be more obedient.

THE “X” FACTOR REVEALED

Let the following scripture reveal what the “X” factor is…

Here we can see something Jesus does…

…You hate all workers of iniquity. Psalm 5:5 (Kj3)
Jehovah tries the righteous one, but His soul hates the wicked ones and the one loving violence. Psalm 11:5 (KJ3)
These six things Jehovah hates; yea, seven are disgusting things to his soul… Proverbs 6:16 (KJ3)
All their evil is in Gilgal, for there I hated them… Hosea 9:15 (KJ3)
You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; because of this God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your fellows. Hebrews 1:9 (KJ3)

Here we can see what we should do towards evil…

You who love Jehovah, hate evil… Psalm 97:10 (KJ3)
The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil… Proverbs 9:13 (KJ3)
The righteous one hates a word of falsehood… Proverbs 13:5 (KJ3)
But you have this, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Revelation 2:6 (KJ3)

Just to be clear, we should feel this way towards sin, NOT PEOPLE

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy (Lev. 19:18), but I say to you, love your enemies; bless those cursing you, do well to those hating you; and pray for those abusing and persecuting you, Matthew 5:43-44 (KJ3)
Everyone hating the brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have everlasting life abiding in him. 1 John 3:15 (KJ3)

Yes, the secret “X” factor is HATE. Hating sin, not people. A hate that engulfs you when you see it. A very deep, thorough hate. An absolute disgust towards it. A hate that allows for deep, genuine repentance when we sin. A hate that prevents us from being reinfected with demons once they are cast out.

We can muster up hate towards sin with our own effort. Like anything else, we need to practice. But the depth of hate we develop on our own, doesn’t compare to the hate that can be unleashed by the Holy Spirit who’s in us.

With this Holy Spirit sourced hate, we will start living more like the original disciples in the bible. The disciples that Jesus trained Himself. Disciples who desired to intercede for others by teaching the Word, casting out demons, healing the sick, and destroying the works of the devil. A hate that doesn’t allow us to tolerate sin any longer in ourselves. A hate that motivates us to be better soldiers for God.

UNLEASHING OUR HATE

How can we put our spiritual hate into action? Here are just a few things we can do when the Holy Spirit moves through us…

Tear down our own and other’s sinful strongholds
Learn and teach the Word more in-depth (5)
Prove the Word is true (6)
Cast out demons
Heal ourselves and others (physically, mentally, emotionally)
Speak in tongues (the Holy Spirit assists us in praying for what we really need)
Develop an assembly (church) that walks in power to destroy the works of the devil (7)

Notice none of the above include counseling, prescribing drugs, or other worldly means? Rather, it’s through the mighty power of God that such things are accomplished. (8)

A good place to start our offensive attack is against the pride and ego within ourselves. This prevents our hatred for sin from becoming self-righteous or condescending. We must hate the sin of staying offended over anything. We must hate feeling entitled or justified to harbor ANY sin. We need to always see self-pity for what it is…sin.

We know what God loves. We must also learn to love such things. We know what God hates. We must also learn to hate such things.

NOTE: This spiritual hate can’t lead to violence. There is a time for violence, but it should never be fueled by hate. Violence fueled by hate leads to a racy mind, loss of motor skills, bad tactical decisions, overreaction, legal troubles, PTSD, etc. Violence must only be carried out when it’s the correct tactical thing to do, decided by an unemotional mind.

(1) Hebrews 9:14

(2) John 14:15-21

(3) James 4:4

(4) Personally, I first looked at hate being a gift after listening to Michael Smith at Hardcore Christianity talk about it.

(5) John 14:26, John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:11

(6) Mark 16:20

(7) 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (avoid churches that deny the power of God)

(8) 2 Corinthians 10:3-6