No matter how much people offend you or how many enemies you have, God will never hate them the way you do.
The way you see them is different from the way God sees them. You may wish for their destruction, but God desires their salvation. You may long for calamity to befall them, yet the Lord wishes they would repent and avoid disaster.
When you truly understand God’s nature, you will stop wasting time wishing evil on your enemies. Instead, you will pray that the Lord grants them the grace to repent so that their harm will not reach you.
If you pray for God to kill your enemies, you are wasting your time. God knew they would become your enemies before they were even born, and He created them anyway. If He were as angry with them as you are, He would have destroyed them long ago—or not created them at all.
Their very existence means they are part of God’s sovereign plan, and He created them because He loves them (John 3:16).
Why God Desires Repentance, Not Destruction
These are hard words, but they are true. If you hate someone for gossiping about you and wish God would kill them, your prayer will not prevail. Instead, pray that God grants them a heart of repentance—that aligns with His will.
When someone does evil to you and you pray for their death, remember Ezekiel 18:23:
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
And 2 Peter 3:9 affirms:
“He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
Even when someone has stolen your most valuable possession, the prayer that pleases God is:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
When someone seeks your harm through witchcraft, you might quote Exodus 22:18—“You shall not permit a sorceress to live”—and pray for their death. But consider: do you also apply Deuteronomy 22:22, which commands the stoning of adulterers, when you catch someone in adultery?
The same God who spoke one command also spoke the other. Why apply one verse and ignore the other?
The New Covenant Perspective
We must understand that God’s dealings under the Old Covenant differ from His dealings under the New Covenant.
In the Old Testament, because of the hardness of human hearts, the Israelites were permitted to execute adulterers, idolaters, witches, and blasphemers, and to exclude lepers.
But this was not God’s ultimate plan.
The fullness of God’s will was revealed in Jesus Christ, who said:
-
Matthew 5:21–22 – “You have heard that it was said… ‘You shall not murder,’… But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment.”
-
Matthew 5:38–39 – “You have heard… ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”
-
Matthew 5:43–45 – “You have heard… ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Therefore, in Christianity there is no “eye for an eye,” no stoning of adulterers, and no killing of witches. We are not permitted to hate our enemies. Our prayer should be that God protects us from their harm, frustrates their evil plans, and ultimately leads them to repentance.
Becoming Like Our Father
We cannot teach God to do evil—He remains perfect. He causes His sun to shine on both the evil and the good. Instead, God calls us to reflect His character:
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).
Jesus concluded:
Matthew 5:46–48 –
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?… And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?… Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
A Call to Salvation
The Lord bless us all.
If you have not yet received Jesus, think carefully—what are you waiting for? The Gospel is not just a story for entertainment; it is a testimony. Each time you hear it, it is recorded that you have heard. To ignore it is to put yourself in eternal danger.
Receive Christ into your life today. Do not wait for tomorrow, for “you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).
Seek baptism by full immersion (John 3:23) in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Then the Holy Spirit will come upon you to guide you into all truth (John 16:13).
Maranatha!