It’s Right There In The Bible! NOT! Part 2

Posted on by Pastor Randy

Loopholes! Admit it, we all look for them. Whether it is in a legal contract, or tax laws, and even in The Bible. Loopholes relieve us of something we should do, but don’t want to. And the best part of loopholes is that we rest easy at night thinking we are justified. And here is one of the oft used loopholes by those who self identify as Christians:

I love them but The Bible doesn’t say I have to like them!

I wonder if God looks like this when people say this? Well guess what, buttercup? That’s not in The Bible. To those who hold tightly onto this loophole, it may hurt your brain–but think about it. Now, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, as a verb the word like means “to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in; enjoy”.

Now if you don’t like someone, it means that you dislike them. And what do you suppose the word dislike means? It means “to regard with displeasure, antipathy, or aversion”. Look at that word antipathy! It means “an instinctive contradiction or opposition in feeling”. Catch it? CONTRADICTION! When you say, “I love them but I don’t like them” you are contradicting yourself. And it certainly doesn’t look like the kind of Love that Jesus modeled, and expects us to do.

Here is what The Bible says about Love: “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.” (Romans 12:9) And please, please, please, notice that Paul said hate WHAT is wrong–not WHO IS WRONG! What is a THING and not a PERSON! If you don’t like someone, this means you have an aversion towards them. And God doesn’t have an aversion towards any person.

To say you love someone but just don’t like them and think it’s OK because The Bible doesn’t say you must like them–my response to you is: Negatory! Nope! Absolutely not! No way! Not at all! Nay! Never! And in the words of the immortal philosopher Barney Fife: Andy, you gotta nip it! Nip it in the bud!

And hear the conclusion about this loophole:

If you don’t like them, you can’t love them.

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Published by Pastor Randy

I have been a life-long pastor but recently God has kindled a fire in me about His calling for my life. For nearly 40 years my life and this ministry was centered on "the church". God has set me on a journey to become more than a "church" pastor, but to be a "Kingdom Pastor". Join me in this new journey of God's plans and purposes for HIS Kingdom

4 thoughts on “It’s Right There In The Bible! NOT! Part 2”

  1. I like most of the things you say but I strongly disagree with you on this.
    The kind of love God commands has nothing to do with liking. Liking is an emotional feeling. The love God commands is an act of the will, a determination that you will do what is good for the other person. And not liking a person doesn’t mean that you dislike him. You can be indifferent and neither like nor dislike someone.
    I have found that if I choose to love someone and act accordingly I often begin to like him, but if I had to like a person before I could love him there are many that I could never love.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I understand. And you are right. We do not have to “like” someone to begin to love them. But as you so eloquently said, “if I choose to love someone and act accordingly I often begin to like him”. I should have added this point. Thanks for your keen observation.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Randy, we’ve become so conditional in our relationships. If we don’t like your opinions, worldviews, belief systems, politics, then we can’t possibly like you. As you wrote so well, if we won’t like someone, we can’t really love them. The prophet/preacher/author Bob Jones (not that Bob Jones from Bob Jones University) wrote and preached years ago that the next great revival will be a revival of love. I’m still encouraged and trusting that that will be the case. Very good post! God bless.

    Liked by 1 person

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