You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
1 John 2:9-10
9 He that saith [lego] he is [einai] in [en] the light [phos], and [kai] hateth [miseo] his [autos] brother [adelphos], is [esti] in [en] darkness [skotia] even until [heos] now [arti]. 10 He that loveth [agapao] his [autos] brother [adelphos] abideth [meno] in [en] the light [phos], and [kai] there is [esti] none [ou] occasion of stumbling [skandalon] in [en] him [autos]. KJV-Interlinear
9 The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in Him. NASB
Love in the Bible, has a broad definition for ones tolerant attitude toward others. 'Love one another,' is 'agape' love.
If you do not love, then you hate. Hate also has a broad definition covering such things as, animosity, hostility, disgust, revulsion, abhorrence, abomination, aversion, detestation, loathing, repugnance, repulsion. Many of these terms can be found in the dictionary obviously, but the principle sin that drives hate is arrogance and the setting of oneself above your intended target or victim. You judge them, you evaluate them, and you strike out at them in various ways. Sometimes violence comes into the picture.
You do not have to be simply mad at someone in order to be guilty of hate. As we will see later, the mere thought of hate is tantamount to murder, mental murder that is. Just as looking at some member of the opposite sex with lust is the same as committing adultery and other similar sins. Your thoughts are the key to your spiritual status.
Some actions against the victim can include gossip, a loud or obnoxious tone of voice in criticism, or slander, and so forth. Then you can escalate into more overt sins of violence in anger, or frustration, or jealousy, or rage.
So hate, is not just a simple term with which you can exclude yourself from, but covers a wide range of sins, that, if you are out of fellowship, then you are inevitably guilty of.
When out of fellowship, your sin nature controls your soul. When in fellowship, then the Holy Spirit controls your soul.
God knows the status of your soul at all times. People of course may not know, unless they are in tune with the spiritual signs of life. A person can go to church every Sunday, and say all the right things, and do all of the right (visible) things, but the outer appearance can easily be pretended before men, while the inner soul is filled with maggots (the rot of the sin nature by illustration).
Your thoughts ultimately drive your spiritual status. Your thoughts are guided by what you learn in life. By studying Bible doctrine, learning all of Gods requirements, then you can be on the alert for failure in your life and correct it.
Without a consistent daily study, then you inevitably fool yourself, and the sin nature will take you into the pit of spiritual doom and misery in your life.
Hate then, is a sign of a major flaw within your soul, and a sign of spiritual darkness in your life. But if you are consistent in your Bible study and learn all the things that God wants you to learn, (fellowship being one of the fundamental basics of the spiritual life), then you will have the knowledge and resources to keep your spiritual life on track.
Remember, your spiritual life is your own business. And the spiritual lives of others is there business, not yours.
You have no basis or right to evaluate or to even correct someone else in the normal social interaction of humanity. Of course this does not limit the parents control and authority over the child.
He who is governed by such love (the appropriate attitude of fellowship) approves his light to be good and genuine, and within that sphere of fellowship, all spiritual life functions. Out of fellowship, the spiritual life does not function, and spiritual growth does not occur.
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Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
