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If You Are Walking With Jesus, You Will Hate

"Love and hatred are the leading affections of the soul; if those be fixed aright, the rest move accordingly."
"Sin is hated, and enemies are lamented, by all that fear God."
- Matthew Henry

In our Street Ministry in Dallas, Texas, it was absolutely amazing to experience people - so-called Christians, that is - who without fail would react unkindly to the message of Hatred for Sin.

While evangelizing, we wore very colorful, Gospel sandwich board signs. One sign in particular said - "God Hates Sin."

We cannot tell you how many times people, passing by in their cars, would vehemently shout out in anger -"God doesn't hate anything. He's a God of Love." Or we would encounter others who would approach us on the streets to correct us, delivering the same argument that God was a God of Love and surely hated no one or anything, for that matter.

Obviously, this reaction by certain members of the Body of Christ showed a very poor knowledge of the True and Living God, His ways, and His Word.

The truth of the matter is - from cover to cover - the Scriptures repeatedly display that God hates Sin. (Calvary itself is sufficient proof for that fact.) And if anyone professes to be walking with Jesus, they, too, will hate it with a Holy Passion.

Contrary to what many believe, it's not wrong to hate. We, as the Body of Christ, must get that concept straightened out in our hearts, minds, and spirits. In fact, if we don't hate certain things with everything within us, then we are not Christians.

Nowadays, we have many professing to be something that they certainly are not. No one can call themselves a follower of God who does not Hate - Hate Sin, that is.

By the very fact that you Love someone or something will cause you at the same time to hate. If you truly love God, His Word, His people, and His World, then you will be filled with an absolute hatred for everything that is contrary to His character. If you don't, then you have no part with Him!

Psalm 97:10 outrightly and succinctly states - "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..."

Do you love Jesus? Prove it by your hatred for evil.

How much do you actually hate it? How would we know that you do? In what way has this hatred affected your life? What changes has it brought?

Are you praying more for those who are bound by Sin to be delivered?
Are you giving more to financially support ministries who "cry aloud and spare not" and call Sin, Sin? Do you rebuke Sin in your family members, friends, and coworkers?
Are you giving out more Gospel tracts and evangelizing to turn people away from every bit of wickedness?

In what way has this Hatred for Sin affected your life? How do others really know that you love the Lord enough to hate everything that looks, sounds, smells, and tastes like evil? What spiritual fruit can be seen in you, as a result?

Hate! It's definitely in the Bible!

• Psalm 101:3 says - "...I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

• Psalm 119:104; 128 says - "...I hate every false way."

• Psalm 119:163 says - "I hate and abhor lying..."

• Psalm 139:21 says - "Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against Thee?"

• Proverbs 8:13 says - "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil..."

How could anyone argue with these Scriptures? It can't get any plainer than this! It's obviously taught that those who are walking hand-in-hand with God will hate everything that He hates!

Before going further, please allow us to explain that, in Psalm 139:21, when David said that he hated all those in rebellion to God, he was not talking about having a malicious ill-will toward others. He was simply saying that he disapproved of their conduct enough to avoid them at all costs, disassociate with them, and hold their ungodly behavior as abominable. He was grieved, disgusted, nauseated, and angry with a holy disgust over their rebellious ways. He didn't ever approve, have sympathy for, nor apologize for their wickedness.

If there was ever a day and an hour when we needed a Holy Ghost Revival of the True Love for God among the Church which would be manifested in an absolute Hatred for Sin, it is NOW!

What is lacking in our quarters that is causing such a distortion of thought? Such a misconception of the Scriptures?

For one thing, many do not know the Scriptures.
In Matthew 22:29, the Lord Jesus said - "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."

Isn't this an incredible thing that with all of the teachings going forth over Christian TV, radio, satellite, and the Internet, yet many still do not know the basics of Christianity? Bible Book Stores are everywhere; Christian homes are filled with the latest Best Sellers as well as Video, Cassette, and DVD Gospel Teachings on how to Love God and draw closer to Him.

Yet we have "People of God" who want to fight the Evangelists who are calling people to Hate Sin! Something is definitely wrong here!

Perhaps it's time for some preachers to lay done their Prosperity Message, get off of their Doctrinal Hobby Horses, and abandon their Milk-Toast Niceties and teach a little on Loving God enough to Hate Sin. We guarantee that the Church will stop sinning or justifying Sin on every turn and begin to live right as a result. For it's a known fact that no one will do the things that he hates - he only does that which he loves. If he truly loves God and Hates Sin, he will turn from Evil completely and preach others out of it as well.

• Psalm 119:104 says - "Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way."

• Psalm 119:128 adds - "Therefore I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way."

A thorough study of the Scriptures gives its readers a true understanding and correct view of things - of God, self, mankind, character, man's destiny, and the way of salvation. It also fills them with discernment concerning that which is true and false or good and evil.

In the above Scriptures, what is the major effect of the study of God's Word? A Hatred For "Every False Way."

Hence, those who are truly hearers and doers of the Word will hate everything that is false, evil, wicked, sinful, or contrary in nature to God's character and precepts.

Then why do so many of God's people not have a Hatred for Sin? Why do so many accept any and all kinds of false doctrine - teaching and preaching - that comes along in the name of being "Christian"? Are they really reading and studying their Bibles as they seem to portray?

Amos 8:11 - Or, could it be that we are experiencing, at this time in the history of the Church, as the Prophet Amos described, a "famine of the Word," and it is manifesting itself in Sin being rampant in the camp of the Lord?

So many boast in their Praise and Worship and how it brings down the Awesome Presence of the Lord. But, we must ask, if God is in the House, then why is there no Hatred for Sin and the forsaking of it thereof? Is He truly in our midst as we say? Or are we just experiencing a Talent Show every Sunday as the Singers display their voices, hoping to be discovered some day?

Proverbs 8:13 says - "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate."

No, on the contrary, if God were really manifested in our midst, we would be on our faces repenting of our nonchalance and indifference toward Sin. For one thing, the Preachers would be the first at the Altar, crying out to God for forgiveness of their Pride, Arrogancy, Idolatry and resulting Immorality, Adultery, Fornication, and Homosexuality. For wherever there is the Awesome Presence of the Lord, there will be a Hatred for Sin enough to forsake it - no matter what the cost!

Besides an ignorance of God's Word and a lack of the Fear of God, what causes a nonchalance toward Sin is compromise.

In Psalm 101:3, David declared - "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me."

The reason why many do not Hate Sin is because they are so desensitized to it. Instead of their gaze being on the Holy Word of God, their eyes are directed toward the filth and defilement that Hollywood dares to place on the TV or movie screen. They are not shutting their eyes from seeing evil; they are allowing it to entertain them right down the Broad Road to Hell!

When the Church makes up her mind that she will have nothing to do with evil or that which leads her away from righteousness and truth, then she will exhibit a Holy Hatred for Sin. Then and only then will she be considered a Sanctified One - One that God will most gladly call His Own!

Lastly, how do we know if you hate Sin? If you truly love the Lord and the Truth of His Word, then you will never lie or live a lie!

In Psalm 119:163, the Psalmist boldly stated - "I hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do I love."

If we profess to be followers of Jesus, then we will not practise lying.

We will not in any way -
...be deceptive in our relationships
...say one thing and then do another
...be one person at home and another at Church

On the contrary, we will be honest in all of our dealings.

Just how much do you love God's Word?
Enough to forsake all lying and deception in your walk and talk?

The Church's Need For The Hour? Not another teaching or revelation. Nor another Best Seller on how to draw closer to Jesus.

What is needed is a Holy Hatred for Sin.
And it will come when we truly turn to the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to plant within our hearts a Holy Fear of God whereby we abandon anything and anyone who would lead us away from the path of holiness.

O Christian! O Follower of Jesus!
Do you indeed Hate Sin?
Then prove it!

May God Bless His Word.
Connie
 

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