In Christ Our Hatred Turns To Love
Another thing that we see in the story of Paul is that Christ turns our hate into love. Paul was filled with such hatred for these people who were turning his religion upside down. The word tolerance was not known to him. He saw these new Christians turning away from Judaism because of Jesus, and he was indignant. He was filled with hatred for them.
But Jesus taught a new way. "Love your enemies and pray for them," He had said. And so when Paul encountered Jesus, that hatred melted away, and he himself went from a persecutor to a persecutee. The hatred he had before was gone.
Transformed by Love
Here in South Africa, we've seen our fair share of hatred. Apartheid government's policies were nothing short of hatred towards people of color. We all hear stories of terrible brutality and violence towards innocent people over those years. And so many of the oppressed people rose up in hatred themselves and fought for their own rights with violence.
Even now, all these years into reconciliation, having just celebrated Freedom Day and Workers Day, there's still a great deal of hatred in our landโviolent crimes, racism everywhere. We don't even love and pray for those who are on our own side.
Nelson Mandela, very much like Paul, changed from a murderer into a messenger. There are people who never forgave Mandela for the bad things he did before his jail time. And I guess there were those who would never forgive Paul either. But Nelson Mandela was turned around. And one thing that changed was that his hatred changed into love and reconciliation.
The Power of Love
Paul in Jesus came to know the way of love. He came to know reconciliation. And so you and I, friends, having met with the risen Christ, will always have a new love for people if we are truly close to Jesus.
Later on in his life, Paul said these famous words in 1 Corinthians 13: "If I speak in tongues of men or angels but do not have love, Iโm only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing."
Paul had all these spiritual gifts, but without love he was on the wrong path. And we can fall into the same trap. We can come to church every day, we can read the Word, we can pray. But if our hatred hasn't turned to love, we've gained nothing.
Just as God has loved Paulโa sinnerโand saved himโฆ
And just as God has loved youโa sinnerโand saved youโฆ
And just as He's loved meโa sinnerโand saved meโฆ
Let us go into the world and show the love of Christ. Not just the tolerance, but the love of Christ that none of us deserve.
