A Christian Response to “Love Is Greater Than Hate”

You may have seen the phrase, “The only thing more powerful than hate is love,” trending after the Super Bowl halftime show. It sounds good. It feels uplifting. But as Christians, we must test every statement against Scripture, not culture.

First, the Bible never sets love and hate up as two competing cosmic forces where love wins just by being nicer. Scripture presents God as supreme, holy, and just. God is love, yes, but He is also righteous, holy, and just. The gospel is not just about warm feelings. It is about divine confrontation with sin and the salvation of sinners through Christ.

The real enemy is not hate. The real enemy is sin. Hate, in the human sense, is a symptom of a world broken by sin. Sin is the disease. When we excuse sin in the name of “love,” we are not loving people in a biblical way. We are affirming the very thing that destroys them. Biblical love never embraces sin or refuses to call it what it is. Scripture commands us to “hate evil” because evil destroys what God loves. (Proverbs 8:13, LSB).

If love alone could overcome sin, then the cross would not have been necessary. But Scripture tells us that God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. (Romans 1:18, LSB). God’s justice is not a contradiction of His love. His justice is what made the cross necessary and what gives the cross its saving power.

This is why Paul calls believers to speak the truth in love, not to replace truth with feelings. (Ephesians 4:15). Biblical love confronts, corrects, calls to repentance, and points sinners to Jesus. Jesus Himself loved sinners deeply, yet He never affirmed sin. He called people to repentance and warned of judgment. In Matthew 5, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies…” (Matthew 5:43–44, LSB). This shows believers how to love others, but it does not dismiss the holy truth about sin or misunderstanding the nature of God’s righteousness.

The Bible also teaches that God’s wrath is real and righteous. God’s hatred for sin and rebellion is part of His holy character. His judgment is not arbitrary. It is directed against what destroys His creation and condemns His image-bearers. God’s love does not ignore this; rather, His love provided a way to satisfy justice and redeem sinners through Christ.

So yes, love is powerful, but not if love is divorced from God’s truth and holiness. Secular slogans may reduce love to acceptance or affirmation without repentance, but the gospel calls people to turn from sin and embrace Christ. God’s love is not helpless. It conquered sin, death, and the devil at the cross, and it calls sinners to new life with Him.

Let us embrace the full picture of biblical love: love that is rooted in truth, grounded in holiness, and oriented toward the salvation of souls. That is the message the world truly needs, not just another feel-good slogan.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Jody