|
Who Is it That Really Loves The
Lord?
"Show your love for the Lord
'by' hating all that is evil; that is, all that He hates, or that is evil
in His sight. There can be no true love for God where evil is not hated in
all forms, since it is the object of the divine abhorrence. We cannot be
like God unless we love what He loves; and hate what He hates." - Barnes'
Notes
Today, it was brought to our attention that a particular man in one of the
Christian chat rooms was boasting in the fact that he loved to smoke
cigars and drink beer and still claimed to love the Lord Jesus. Does he
truly love Jesus as he claims? According to whose standard of truth? Does
God think that this particular man "loves" Him enough to call him one of
His own sons?
According to the Bible standards, what characteristics typify a Church
that really loves the Lord?
-
Is it One which is known for
its dynamic worship?
-
Is it a Faith Church for,
after all, we know that "without faith, it is impossible to please Him"?
-
Is it a Giving Church or One
which reaches out to the community?
-
How about a Praying, Shouting,
or Witnessing Church?
-
Or One where the Gifts of the
Spirit are seemingly in operation, and the people fall down under the
Power of God every service?
What saith the Scriptures?
Psalm 97:10 introduces us to a very unique characteristic which should
typify all those who confess that they love the Lord in sincerity and in
truth - "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil..."
In other words, if one professes to know and love the Lord Jesus, he or
she will not love, excuse, or justify any sin or form of evil in their
heart or life. To love sin or make excuses for it in any believer's life
would automatically prove that that individual - preacher or not - does
not truly know or love the Lord as he attests.
Isn't it strange that we have churches that boast in their Great Worship,
Powerful Intercessory Prayers, Mountain-Moving Faith, Dynamic Speakers,
Holy Ghost Movings, or Effective Outreach Programs, yet say nothing about
how they hate sin? The truth of the matter is - no Church can actually be
an Effective "Book of Acts" Model unless they have this one godly trait -
hating sin - running through the fiber of their being. Without it, there
is alot of noise and activity, but not the true Presence and Life of
Jesus, needed to change hearts and perform Miracles.
The Bible repeatedly admonishes Christians to "hate evil."
In Romans 12:9, the Apostle Paul said - "...Abhor that which is evil:
cleave to that which is good." In this case, he was admonishing the
believers to detest with horror all malice, directed toward their fellow
man; and be cemented or glued to that which is good or kind.
In Psalm 101:3, David said - "...I hate the work of them that turn aside;
it shall not cleave to me." He was referring to the actions, motives, and
plans of all transgressors who reject authority and restraints and leave
the path of virtue, honesty, and truth. The influences of the ungodly are
pictured here as fastening themselves to the godly man like wax sticking
to an object. The Christian is to have nothing to do with the wicked and
their evil schemes and intents. He is to "hate" their works enough to
avoid them at all costs.
In Proverbs 8:13, Solomon defined the "fear of the Lord" as "to hate
evil." Which "evil" was he referring to? He especially mentioned "pride,"
"arrogancy" or feeling conceited about oneself, "the evil way," and the "froward
mouth." Every imaginable sin could fall under one of these categories. The
"fear of the Lord," operating in one's heart and life, will cause him to
see sin as displeasing to God and destructive to his soul.
Adam Clarke made this comment on this particular verse - "...hatred to
evil will lead a man to abandon the evil way..." How true this is!
-
The Psalmist of Psalm 119
urged us to "hate every false way" along with "lying" -
-
Psalm 119:104 - "...I hate
every false way."
-
Psalm 119:163 - "I hate and
abhor lying..."
Matthew Henry gave these
insightful comments on the "false way" of sin - "The way of sin is a false
way; it deceives, and will ruin, all that walk in it; it is the wrong
way...It is the character of every good man that he hates the way of sin,
and hates it because it is a false way; he not only refrains his feet from
it, but he hates it, has an antipathy to it and a dread of it. Those who
hate sin as sin will hate all sin, hate every false way; because every
false way leads to destruction. And, the more understanding we get by the
word of God the more rooted will our hatred of sin be..."
"Lying" can actually represent all sin for every sin deals with deception
and hypocrisy in some form and fashion. Hence, when the Psalmist declared
that he hated and abhorred "lying," in a sense, he was saying that he
hated all sin.
Amos 5:15 - The Prophet Amos called the people to repentance and holy
living when he cried aloud - "Hate the evil, and love the good..." Would
to God that all the Preachers and Prophets would do the same in our day
and time!
The Bible clearly points out that the wicked man is the one who loves evil
-
He has no aversion to sin
whatsoever. On the contrary, he has an affection toward it. He delights in
that which is wrong and contrary to God's Holy Word. In fact, it brings
him great pleasure to do injury to others and to tell and live a lie.
If this be the case with the sinner, then shouldn't it be the total
opposite with the righteous?
Absolutely!
While the wicked loves sin, the righteous man hates it enough to keep it
out of his own life and to preach against it in order to keep it out of
the lives of others as well. Otherwise, he is not truly righteous!
Both Psalm 45:7 and Hebrews 1:9 tell us that the Lord Jesus loves
righteousness and hates iniquity -
-
Psalm 45:7 - "Thou lovest
righteousness, and hatest wickedness..."
-
Hebrews 1:9 - "THOU HAST LOVED
RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HATED INIQUITY..."
Therefore, if anyone claims to
be a "new creature in Christ," they, too, will love righteousness and hate
sin and all wickedness.
If any church or ministry claims to have the Anointing of the Holy Ghost
operating in their midst, they will hate sin for it is in the atmosphere
where sin is rebuked and holiness is preached that the Anointing is
birthed -
Psalm 45:7 - "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore
God, thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy
fellows."
Hebrews 1:9 - "THOU HAST LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND HATED INIQUITY;
THEREFORE GOD, EVEN THY GOD, HATH ANOINTED THEE WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS
ABOVE THY FELLOWS."
All those who claim to truly and sincerely love Jesus will have the same
sentiments toward sin as these commentators did who knew and loved the
Lord -
Adam Clarke - "Hate sin as you would hate that hell to which it leads."
Matthew Henry - "We must hate sin with an utter and irreconcilable hatred,
have an antipathy to it as the worst of evils, contrary to our new nature,
and to our true interest - hating all the appearances of sin, even the
garment spotted with the flesh."
Barnes' Notes - "Evil of sin must be hated, in and for itself..."
Can anyone be a lover of Jesus, and, at the same time, boast in the fact
that he loves to smoke cigars and drink beer?
Even the world today is "preaching" against such vices. How is it that the
Church does not consider such things as being wrong?
1 Corinthians 3:17 says - "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall
God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
1 John 5:17 says - "All unrighteousness is sin..."
Adam Clarke adds - "What ruins you, avoid; what helps you, cleave to."
Sins like smoking and drinking ruin and destroy precious lives, damn souls
to Hell, and should be avoided by all, especially by those who claim to
love the Lord Jesus.
To play with Sin or to make excuses for it in
your life or in the lives of others only proves one thing to all - You
don't know Jesus nor do you love Him!
Psalm 97:10 says - "Ye that love the LORD,
hate evil..."
May God Bless His Word.
Connie
Home | Truth Index |
© COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
