Proverbs 8:13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil;
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil behavior and perverse speech.

This is an important verse to remember. The chapter as a whole is about wisdom, and we are told in various places that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and several more) Here we are told that to fear the Lord is to hate evil, and then Wisdom (which begins with fearing the Lord) speaks up and gets specific about forms of evil that it hates. We tend to get so caught up in God being love that we lose sight of the rightness of hating anything. We color our understanding of love with emotional infatuation, and that gives us a very distorted picture. If we really love God and love our neighbor, then we will hate anything that would separate our neighbor from God. However, this is where it gets difficult. “Hate the sin but love the sinner” has become a truism, yet it is vitally important even so. This verse does not say, “I hate people who are proud,” it says, “I hate pride.” We have a lot of difficulty separating evil from those who practice it. Even if they are willing participants, that at least started with deception. Their personal responsibility remains, but it is their attitude and action that is evil, not the individual as God created them. The thing is, we need to hate evil in ourselves as much as we hate it in anyone else. We tend to accuse others but excuse ourselves. Sin is atoned for, not ignored. We need to let the Holy Spirit shine His light on our lifestyles and attitudes, showing us where and how we need to repent and change, because He loves us too much to leave us as we are.

This of course applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I have demonstrated all too much skill at excusing myself! However, as a pastor in a 98% non-Christian nation, I am confronted with much to hate as well as much to love. It is terribly incorrect politically, but I hate non-Christian religions, because they enslave people and blind their eyes to the truth. They can have some true teachings, and certainly produce beautiful works of art, but their purpose, from the devil’s standpoint, is to keep people from eternal salvation. I also hate contemporary psychobabble that tells people everything is always someone else’ fault and never their responsibility, because that comes from the same source as the false religions and for the same purpose, to keep people from the repentance that is essential for salvation. I’ve got to love people enough to risk their not liking me for telling them they are headed for hell. That can be a hard one, and again it’s not politically correct. However, I’ve got to go by the standards of God and His Word, and not by the standards of this world. (1 John 2:15-17)

Father, I’m up against another thing I can’t do in my own wisdom and strength. Thank You for Your faithfulness, and for what You have done for me in Christ. Help me remember that I can indeed do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13) May I love what, and whom, You love and hate what You hate, to function as Your child and Your agent indeed, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!