Question: Should a Christian HATE someone who hates God?

As I read the below scripture in Psalms, I was puzzled by the word hate in the context it was used. I decided to look up the following scriptures and look in some study books to help me determine what the bible says about hate.

• Psalms 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? [22] I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
  

  –Clarke’s Commentary = “Do not I hate them”… I hold their conduct in abomination. “With perfect hatred”…Their conduct, their motives, their opposition to thee, their perfidy and idolatrous purposes, I perfectly abhor. With them I have neither part, interest, nor affection.

  –Matthew Henry’s Commentary = He detests them (v.21,22): “do not I hate those that hate thee?”, and for that reason, because they hate thee? I hate them because I love thee, and hate to see such affronts and indignities put upon they blessed name. Note: Sin is hated, and sinners are lamented, by all that fear God.? “I hate them” (that is, I hate the work of them that turn aside, as he explains himself Psalms 101:3)

  2. Question: Will God punish you if you don’t HATE people that hate God?

• 2 Chronicles 19:1 And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem. [2] And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.
  

  –Clarke’s Commentary = “Therefore is wrath upon thee” … That is, Thou deservest to be punished. And who can doubt this, who knows that he did help the ungodly and did love them that hated Jehova? And is not the wrath of God upon all those alliances which his people form with the ungodly, whether they be social, matrimonial, commercial, or political?

  –Matthew Henry’s Commentary = (1)The prophet told him plainly that he had done very ill in joining with Ahab:? “Shouldst thou,” a godly man, “help the ungodly,” give them a hand of fellowship, and lend them a hand of assistance?” Or, “Shouldst thou love those that hate the Lord;” wilt thou lay those in thy bosom whom God beholds afar off? It is the black character of wicked people that they are haters of God. “Do I not hate those,” says David, “that hate thee?” Ps 139:21 Those whom the grace of God has dignified ought not to debase themselves. Let God’s people be of God’s mind. (2) That God was displeased with him for doing this; “There is wrath upon thee from before the Lord,” and thou must, by repentance, make thy peace with him, or it will be the worse for thee. He did so, and God’s anger was turned away.

  The Lord hates sin

• Zechariah 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
  

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  • After reviewing the above Commentaries and scriptures, I concluded that you should “hate” the sin, not the sinner, hate the act, the ways, but never the person.

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  At this point, I wanted to see what the New Testament had to say about “hate”.

  • Jesus taught us not to hate each other, but to love and forgive

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  • Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? [48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
  • Titus 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, [2] To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. [3] For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
  • 1 John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. [11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
  • 1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. [15] Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. [16] Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

  We should HATE sin.

  • Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
  • Psalms 119:10? Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
  • Psalms 119:113 I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.
  • Psalms 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
  • Ecclesiastes?3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
  • Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

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  Bibliography

  • Matthew Henry, “The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James Version, World Bibles, 1994
  • Adam Clarke’s, “The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” Commentaries, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN

The bible frequently and clearly states that Jesus is God.

JOHN 1:1-3,14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made….(14)And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus, who existed since the beginning of time, became flesh and dwelt with us. Here is positive proof of the deity of Jesus Christ.

Col 1:15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

1 John 1:1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Col 2:9 (NIV) For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form

Jesus, himself, stated that He was God.

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Now, if He wasn’t God, after his death would the apostles continued to work and DIE for the cause of Jesus?No way!!! They would have left, broken hearted and upset for being fooled by a mere mortal man. But NO, the apostles continued his work. They worked because they saw him resurrected after his death. They saw the nail scars in his hand. They saw him “appear” out of nowhere into the room where they were assembled. Before Jesus’ death on the cross the apostles were with Jesus day and night for 3 years. They saw his work, they saw his miracles. They witnessed his ascension to heaven!!! He was, IS, GOD incarnate!

• John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.”
• John 12:44-46 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
  46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
• John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.”
• John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
• John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
• John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
• John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
• John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
• Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
  

  Below are a few additional scriptures that tells of Jesus’ deity.

• Hebrews 1:3 (NIV) The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
• Revelation 19:16 (NIV) On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
• 1 Timothy 3:16 (NIV) Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
• Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
• Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
• Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
• Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
• Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
• 1 Corinthians 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
• Ephephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
• Romans 9:5 (NIV) Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all

Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Abingdon Publishing, Nashville, TN. – “All have sinned. Consequently all are equally helpless and guilty. God is no respecter of persons. All humans are equal. No one preferred over another. Therefore, God’s endless mercy has embraced all.”

Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this is judgment.”

• • Death in this world is not the end. There is an “after this”.
  • Judgment = There will be a judgment day. All sins will be confronted and judged by Jesus. But, through Jesus Christ we believers will be forgiven.
  • John 3:3 “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
  • Clarke – “Every man must have two births. One from heaven, one from earth. One for his soul, the other for his body. Just like when you are born into the world you see the light of this world, you need to be born again to see the light of heaven, or right and wrong.? Without being born again, you can never see heaven. Heaven is a place of holiness, and nothing but what is like itself can ever enter into it.”

Ecclesiastes7:20 “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” 

• • Clarke
    

    “There are no just men on the earth. So we should all continually watch and pray, and depend upon the Lord for his guidance, leadership and grace.”

  • Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way.”
    

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    YOU CANNOT SAVE YOURSELF

    Proverbs 14: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

  • We, mortal men and women, can not know God’s mind or plan. We, can not save ourselves. If we do not have the atoning blood of Jesus Christ in our blood, we will die.
  • Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.”
  • Clarke

  • “Not by works of righteousness = Jesus died for us as sinners, not people doing righteous acts. Murderers, disobedience, foolishness, deceivers. They have no righteousness to deserve his saving grace, but through Jesus, God allows us to enter his kingdom. They are saved by mercy.”

    Ephesians 2:8-9 “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.”

  • Clark
    

    “The original Greek text also stated that … faith…. is the gift of God. God by his mercy, gives you the power to believe. When man chooses to accept God, man glorifies God. God never believes for any man, no more than he repents for him. That is something he gives us power to do, but we must do it ourselves.”

    James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

  • Clarke
    

    “The truth is, any sin against God is punishable by death. For if God should be obeyed in any one instance, he should be obeyed in all. His authority and reason for obedience are the same in every case:

    • World is and was in a ruinous, condemned state. Man has no power to save himself.
    • Through God’s love, he provided the ultimate sacrifice.
    • Jesus was the only answer.
    • Sin must be an indescribable evil when God himself died to make atonement for our sins.
    • No man is saved by this act unless you choose to believe and thus give God the glory and credit for your salvation. When you do, you are exempted from eternal perdition and you may have everlasting life in glory.”

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    GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR YOUR SALVATION

    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

• 1 Peter 3:18 “Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
• 11 Corinthians 5:12″ For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
  

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  EVERYONE CAN BE SAVED

  Believe

• Acts 16:31 “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

  REPENT

• Acts 17:30 “In the past God overlooks such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

  CONFESS YOUR SINS TO GOD

• 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just forgive? us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

  RECEIVE

• Romans 10:13 “For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
  

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  THE ROMAN ROADComments:The book of Romans is an outstanding testament on the path to salvation. The “Roman Road” has been used for generations by all denominations as a pathway to Jesus, our Savior.
  • Who has sinned?
    

    Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.”

  • Where sin came from?
    

    Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

  • God’s price on sin.
    

    Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

  • Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

  Our way out!

  Who is good

  Romans 3:10? “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”

  • Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

• Romans 10:9,10 “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

• Romans 10:11-13 For the scriptures says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed. For there is no distinction between Jew or Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon him.? For whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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  Bibliography
  • Adam Clarke’s, “The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” Commentaries, Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN
    

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God has provided a path to Him for our healing through Jesus Christ

ISA 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Understand this: our God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is in full control and He is in charge!

2KI 20:5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD. DT 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand PS 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

• God alone is in charge, no one else.? No false prophets, no astrology, no fortune tellers.? Man has no power over his own body; God made it, he alone can heal it.? There is NO other god but HIM.

Live according to the scriptures of God & read the Word of God

EX 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. 2CH 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. PR 4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. [21] Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. [22] For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

• Read the above three scriptures carefully.? Is there any wonder why we have AIDS in today’s society?? Is their any wonder why we have “flesh eating” viruses?? We have stopped being a Christian society….our Judicial Branch of Government has “outlawed” prayer in our schools….we have stopped taking our children to churches….we have become a Godless nation.? This is why we are dying, this is why our society has more illness and disease than ever before.

Pray

GE 20:17 So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. NU 12:13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. PS 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. PS 30:2 O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

When you do sin, earnestly confess it and repent

PS 41:4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

Our God’s answer to those who seek Him.

Luke 17:19? And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way:? thy faith hath made thee whole. 2CH 30:20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people. PS 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. PS 147:3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. ISA 57:18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

What does the Bible say about foods?

A Bible Study by Adam Osborne, Jr.

Originally, only vegetables were eaten

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

After the great flood, food restrictions changed

God spoke to Noah:

Genesis 9:2-5 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

• As far as we know, up until now no meat had been eaten by man.
• Up until now, animals were not “afraid” of man, they probably walked among us.
• Now the animals feared man and became food for man.
• God prohibits the eating of “blood.” The blood is the “life” of an animal, and of man. This also prevents “cruelty” of man to animals.
• Blood was also used as “atonement” for sins. This was another reason man wasn’t to eat it.

Examples of meat eating in the Old Testament:

• Genesis 18:7-8 (KJV)And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

• Genesis 27:3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

However, the Law of Moses has special “meat” restrictions

Here is a brief explanation of the clean and unclean animals. See Leviticus 11:1-47 (KJV)

(KJV)

• Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud (cow, ox, goat, hart, roebuck, fallow deer, wild goat, pygarg, wild ox, chamois).
• Fish = whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers.
• Birds = see the unclean listing below. All other birds were clean.
• Insects = locust, bald locust, beetle, grasshopper.

Unclean::

• Them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof
• Coney, hare, swine.
• Can not touch the carcases of the unclean animals.
• Fish = All that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.
• Birds = eagle, ossifrage, ospray, vulture, kite, raven, owl, night hawk, cuckow, hawk, little owl, cormorant, great owl, swan, pelican, stork, heron, lapwing, bat, birds that walk instead of fly,
• Insects = see note above, certain insects were clean. But all other flying creeping things (insects), which have four feet were unclean.
• weasel, mouse, tortoise, ferret, chameleon, lizard, snail, mole.
• There were also restrictions of “cooking utensils” that touched unclean things.
• And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.
• Also, jews were not to eat anything that had been sacrificed to idols, anything that had died (of diseases or natural death), or died in a fight with other animals.

Laws change with the coming of Christ

When Jesus came to earth and died for our sins, he was the ultimate blood sacrifice. No longer did we need to sacrifice animals to atone for our sins. Now, all foods were to be enjoyed.

Romans 14:14-16 21 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken, good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

• You could now eat anything, but, if what you eat offends anyone, then don’t eat it.

Luke 10:8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:?

• Jesus said, eat anything that is set before you.

People will try to tell you different

1 Timothy 4:3-5 (KJV) Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

• Cults and misdirected legalists might try to tell you what you can and can not eat. The above scripture clearly negates any of their arguments.

Don’t worry about your next meal

Luke 12:22-24 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
And he said unto his disciples,

To God be the Glory

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

• You should always thank God for your food.