Hate Evil, You Lovers Of God!

Last week, the Psalmist said in Psalm 31, "Love the LORD all you His saints!" And now, in Psalm 97:10, the Psalmist says, "O you who love the LORD, hate evil!"

Building off last week's command, we now see another aspect of what it means to love God. Part of loving God means hating evil.

If God is righteous and holy and just and good, and we love all of who God is, then that means we hate anything that goes against God's perfect character. And what is evil, but a rejection of God and His perfections?

When we see evil in the world today, we are to be grieved and angry, for it is an offense to the God who made the world and every person in it. Evil takes us further and further away from Genesis 1 and 2. Instead of moving us towards peace and wholeness (shalom), evil moves our world towards chaos and brokenness.

Satan, who is the father of lies and was a murderer from the beginning, wants to wreak havoc in the world through the evil deeds of evil people. Therefore, the people of God must be staunchly opposed to all forms of evil. We must call out evil, and bring evil into the light, for it cannot survive there. Moreso, we must put to death any evil desires or temptations that arise in our own hearts. We are to wage war against the passions of our own flesh.

And we do this not because we can earn merit or favor with God, but because we love God. We love His holiness, we love His goodness, we love His purity - and so, we hate evil.

"O you who love the LORD, hate evil!"

~ Pastor Alexander