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Title: Godly Hate
Date: Sep 9, 2010
Topic(s): Evil
Scripture: 1 John 3:2-3, Psalm 97:10, Psalm 119:128, Psalm 139:21-22, Zechariah 8:17, Proverbs 6:16-19, Isaiah 61:8, Proverbs 13:5, Psalm 119:104, Psalm 26:5, Amos 5:15, Proverbs 8:13, Proverbs 16:6
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As a child of God, your aim for this life, as well as for the life hereafter, is to be like Christ. The apostle John wrote, "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he has appears we will be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure" (1 John 3:2-3, ESV).
This means that your Christian hope should involve seeking to be like Christ right here and now. It means that you ought to be demonstrating a godly life in your actions, purposes, words and thoughts.
But how can you know what Christ is like? Well, He didn't leave you to guess about what He's like. In the Bible, you have a clear revelation of Christ. You can go to God's Word and see the very character and personality of the Creator, whom you will someday meet face to face as John pointed out.
Being like God may involve some attitudes and actions that will surprise you. Let's look at one of those surprises today.
Is it right for a Christian to hate anything? Doesn't our society tell us all hate is wrong?
Being like Christ means not only exercising love like He does, but also hating the things He hates. If you do not hate what God hates, then you are not like Him and you can end up hating God instead. So, what does God hate?
God hates evil and despises all that is related to it. First, look at some Scripture passages that speak of things that He hates. Find the verses and write down what He says He hates:
Second, find these Scriptures and list what God's people have said they hate:
Third, look at some passages where God tells His people of certain things they should hate:
Finally, read Jesus' commendation of the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:6. Notice what He praises them for.
There are several verses in Proverbs that speak of the fear or reverence of the Lord. It is called "the beginning of wisdom," "the beginning of knowledge," "a fountain of life," and Proverbs 16:6 says, "By the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil."
But in Proverbs 8:13, we learn that the fear of the Lord also includes hatred of evil. If you love Him, you hate evil, just as He hates it. Read that verse in your Bible.
Christ's love for sinners is so great that He went to the cross to provide forgiveness for our sins, but His hatred of evil and its consequences is also seen at the cross where He defeated Satan, the author of sin and evil.
Take some time today to write down any specific areas of failure or weakness you see in your life that are due to tolerating actions or attitudes that God hates. Ask God to give you the spiritual backbone to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil. Ask Him to help you see as He sees, love as He loves and, yes, hate what He hates.
"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail."-- Pearl S. Buck