Can a Christian fear and hate?

All of us here have things about the future that are uncertain. And when you think about uncertainty, or what might happen, you feel anxious, fearful, scared.

That’s a natural response. But why is that a natural response?

All of us here have been hurt and wronged by other people. And when you think about the hurt and wrong you have faced, you feel frustrated, angry, maybe even bitter. That’s a natural response. But why is that a natural response?

For the rest of your life, you are going to be living with uncertainty, and experiencing unjust suffering.

And a natural response to those that will always bubble up, will be what John labels in this passage fear and hate.

But, can—or should—a Christian fear and hate?

John tells us three things.

1) Fear is expecting punishment you deserve (vv. 17-18)
2) Hate is demanding punishment others deserve (vv. 20-21)
3) God’s love is that Christ has already borne the punishment we deserve (vv. 16, 19; 2:2)

First, 1) Fear is expecting punishment you deserve (vv. 17-18)

Please look with me at vv. 17-18:

¹⁷ By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Why does uncertainty create fear?
Why do things you can’t predict make you anxious?
Why do we get scared about the future?

The Apostles Creed starts like this: I believe in God, the Father, Almighty…

God is God, so I don’t know or understand everything he does.

But he is your Father, so everything he does is because he loves you.

And he is Almighty, so he controls everything that happens to you.

So, if God is God, your Father and Almighty… …why fear what is uncertain?

Nothing can happen outside of his loving oversight and control.

John tells us the answer in these verses: The reason we fear the future, the reason we fear uncertainty, is the same reason we fear final judgment, when Jesus will return to judge the world.

That’s what John says in verse 18:

fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

On the day of judgment Jesus will give people what they deserve. But you and I are bad people. We only deserve punishment. If we get what we deserve—that is terrifying.

And all of my fear and anxiety is just an echo of that.

Do you have a fear of dying? You’re scared of getting the death your sin deserves.

Do you fear your future? You’re scared of being punished in this life.

Do you fear uncertainty? You’re scared of punishment you can’t predict.

Fear is expecting punishment you deserve

That anxiety you feel: over sickness, your future, your career, over money …is the feeling that God—the one who controls all things—is going to punish you, and give you what you deserve.

And John’s second point is connected to this:

2) Hate is demanding punishment others deserve (vv. 20-21)

Please look at vv. 20-21:

²⁰ 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. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

None of us like to think that we are hateful people.

But here, John describes hate for others as the opposite of love, and love is defined by what God has done for us.

God loves you—which means he doesn’t punish you as you deserve.

We fear because we expect him to punish us, but he sent his Son to die for you, so that he won’t punish you.

Insisting that others be punished… …that others get what they deserve… …is what it means to hate them.

And John says that all of us operate on one of two principles: either on the principle of God’s love, forgiveness, or on the principle of punishment, which is hatred.

The person who cannot confess their sin, will not receive forgiveness.

They live by the law, and so will be punished by the law.

And the person who hates his brother, who insists on punishing others, will not receive forgiveness.

Because they live by the law, and so will be punished by the law.

Hate is demanding punishment others deserve and this is why if you hate someone else, the love of God does not live in you.

On the final day of judgment: Christ will give you what you want. Do you want him to render to everyone as they deserve? Do you want him to give people what they don’t deserve?

Now, I know some of us here have extremely sensitive consciences.

But, John is not saying that every time you feel frustration or anger at others that means you’re not a Christian.

John uses really strong language, because he’s writing about false teachers. Back in 2:18-19 he wrote:

many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us

He calls them antichrists, because just to look at them, you wouldn’t be able to tell they’re false teachers.

The look Christian. They sound like Christ. They have status and standing in the Christian church.

You can’t identify false teachers simply by their outward works. Not every false teacher is a blatant adulterer or murderer.

You have to test whether their words are consistent with the Gospel.

John writes about hatred to warn us to be deeply wary of people who claim to be teachers of the Gospel, but say the word of forgiveness is not enough.

Or try to add something on after Absolution.

John is saying beware anyone who publicly demands that sinners be dealt with according to works rather than according to the forgiveness Christ has won.

That’s how you test the spirits: you test what they say against the Gospel of grace.

Now, while John is especially warning us about false teachers, what he says applies to all of us:

Because Jesus has given all of us the Keys of the kingdom to use privately.

What you say to another person about sin, punishment, binding and loosing sin really matters.

So, while not every vengeful thought disqualifies you as a Christian, be careful what you harbour in your heart.

If you indulge yourself in thoughts of fear, or revenge and hatred, they will take over, you’ll become defined by thoughts of punishment, and this is how you’ll speak and relate to others.

And be especially careful what we say in public places. Every time we post on social media, we are making public statements about Christ.

So, be very careful not to mix Law and Gospel, not to make false claims about what the Bible says, and especially not to publicly demand that others be treated according to works, not according to forgiveness.

All of us should be careful what we wish for. And be especially careful what you call for publicly.

Because, Fear is expecting punishment you deserve

And Hate is demanding punishment others deserve

So how do you want to be defined—and treated by Christ on the last day? If I were treated the way I deserve, I couldn’t stand.

Which leads us to John’s final point: God’s love is that Christ has already borne the punishment we deserve

That’s what he means in v. 19 when he writes:

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

God has loved you in Christ, just as John wrote back in 2:2:

² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

God’s wrath, his legal punishment of sin, fell on Jesus on the cross. That’s what it means for Christ to be the propitiation of our sins.

And he didn’t just propitiate God’s wrath for us who believe, he’s the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.

If God’s wrath fell on Jesus for everyone, then there’s no wrath left to give to anyone.

This is the expression of God’s love. And so, God is in a good mood with you. And you see that when you look at Jesus.

So, John says, keep receiving this love. Just look at v. 16:

¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

John is using language from Jesus’ description of the vine in his Gospel.

Where to abide in Jesus means for his words to remain in you, and for you to remain looking at and trusting his words.

John repeats the same idea in his first letter, in 2:24 he explains:

Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

This is the real problem with the false teachers, John uses the same verb “abide” translated in v. 19 as “continued”:

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

John’s not concerned about these people being part of the same organisation.

The big problem is they didn’t abide with the apostles in the teaching they had given them.

And that teaching is this: Christ has forgiven you unconditionally.

You are forgiven. There is no punishment awaiting you. Nothing that happens to you now is ever God’s punishment on your sin.

God is God—so, yes we don’t understand everything. But he is your Father. And he is Almighty over every detail.

Your future contains nothing but forgiveness.

Your present is filled with nothing but love.

That’s how he’s using his Almighty power, even if I don’t understand why this or that happens now.

Give each other this forgiveness. And keep receiving it. Because

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.