Learning to Hate

“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Ps. 101:3) When Jesus wrote the church in Ephesus, He said, “I know your works, your labor, your patience, that you cannot bear those who are evil…” He goes on to say that they have left their first love and must return to it, but he says “But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate” (Rev. 2:2-6).

Following Jesus, being a disciple of Jesus means learning to hate what Jesus hates. It is of course true that we must love God and love our neighbor and even love those who do evil to us. But God is love, and God hates evil too. The kind of love that we are called to is big enough to include within it hatred of wickedness.

So, as you are pursuing Christ, as you are seeking to grow in Christ-likeness, are you growing in hatred of the things He hates? If Jesus were to write a letter to our church, what would He say? Would He be pleased with what you listen to? Would He be pleased with what you watch? Would He be pleased by what entertains you? What images, what words, what attitudes are running through your mind? Do you turn shows off? Do you change the station?

Do you hate the way men exploit women? Do you hate the way women manipulate men? Do you hate the lies packaged in sitcoms, laced with laugh tracks and sound tracks? Does it wear on you? Is it difficult to bear? Or have you acclimatized? Have you just gotten used to the bedroom scenes, the obscene language, the glorification of bloodshed, or even the trendy acronyms that stand for foul attitudes?

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Js. 1:32).