LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL!

LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL!

Ps 97:10

10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Ps 66:18

18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Hatred of evil is a test of true love. I can, more or less, determine the truth of my declaration of love for the Lord by measuring it against my hatred of evil. I’m not talking about a frustration caused by the evil around me but a revulsion caused by the evil within me. The Psalmist knew that hidden evil inside would place a strong barrier between he and his God. It is often possible to maintain a good reputation before men while evil lurks inside. We are like the Pharisees, like white washed tombs that are full of dead men’s bones.

Hating evil requires agreement with the opinion of God! How can I love something that He hates? That’s the real issue at hand. Do I share the opinions of God? Two cannot walk together except they are agreed and if my affections are at odds with those of God I find myself walking afar off. It is at those times I feel abandoned by Him but truly I am the one who has abandoned Him. I cannot trick my heart into loving something I do not truly love or hating something that I secretly admire. It is not a mind game I am playing with myself but a true revelation of the thoughts of my heart. My real nature is exposed!

Only God can change the heart! No bootstrap effort on my part will ever be able to replace my wicked and stony heart with a tender heart of flesh. Only the grace of God can do that. I can and must submit to Him and allow Him to recreate in me a new nature.

Ezek 11:19-20

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Change my heart, O God! Help me to love you more and more until that love is perfected. Help me to hate evil even as you hate it and for the same reasons. AMEN