Loving God; Hating evil

Dearest Saints,

          Is it any wonder that much of the world in general have gotten to a place where society now applauds evil and considers much of what God values as dispicable.  What God Himself clearly says that is an abomination to Him is now acceptable and agreeable to the world.  In fact, sadly, much of the religious denominations have also accepted and applauded to the ways of this world when God clearly indicates that He opposes.  An example is found in Romans 1:25-27 highlights one of the many agendas that many churches and the world has turned away from Gods loving ways and Words of wisdom to live by.  This is what often is fulfilled as mentioned in the following verse in the Old Testament,  Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! (Isa 5:20).  

          

          The enemy is suttle and is considered a master deceiver which is why the Bible describes satan as an "angel of light"(2 Cor 11:14) because he masquerades as an "angel of light" when he is that wolf in sheep's clothing.  The world didn't follow God one day and then totally decide to do a "U-Turn" the following day.  It started by people letting down their guard and allowing the enemy access in to their lives by compromising Gods standards little by little, where it is almost undetected.  God tells us to hate evil and not just tolerate or dislike evil (Amos 5:15; Rom 12:9).  For us to hate evil the way God sees it, we need to know that His standard is the only acceptable principle in our lives to the point that we should consider anything else to be a great evil by compromising His Word.

          When you see how a person has finally opposed Gods ways by slowly accepting the practices of mankind and failing to hate evil, people initially began to "dislike" evil.  Then later on as time continues, what people once hated, then disliked evil eventually became "tolerant".  As time continued on, many of those people who compromised His standards, societies ways went from being tolerant to eventually become the "acceptable" practice in today's society.  Now, it has become even worse because not only does the world accept much of the evil ways that goes against God, they now applaud the worlds views and consider what God cherishes as evil.  Just like we have read in Isaiah 5:20 just moments ago.  For society to have taken this total turnaround, you will notice how suttle we have allowed the enemy to infiltrate his ways in to many peoples lives simply because they allowed the enemy of our souls a foothold, which we are told never to even give him any access (Eph 4:27).   We don't realize that it is a serious problem when we think it is no big deal to simply dislike evil rather than continuing to abhor its presence.  It's the old saying that when you give him (our enemy) an inch, he will end up taking a mile.  So before he goes the distance, it always starts with the first step.  Just picture a pendulum crossing ever so slowing from one side to the other.  It may take 50 years or less to swing to the other side, but it moves slow enough that hardly anyone detects its suttle change of direction.  It's only when you decide to go back to Gods Word that we realize just how far we may have gotten side-tracked and have to get ourselves back on the narrow path that leads to life.  When you consider a ship leaving New York and going towards Lisbon, if two ships are leaving and heading in to the same direction, but one is off track by 1 or 2 degrees, it won't be long before the main ship to follow is out of sight.  That is why the standard we need to guard is to always see every aspect of our lives in the Light and Truth of His loving Word, which is meant to give eternal life.  We need to reject anything else that goes against His Word.  When God says He hates something, we too are to equally hate what He considers evil and not just tolerate it.  In the Church of Ephesus, one of the things God tells us He was pleased was that this particular Church did not even tolerate the wickedness of man (Rev 2:2).  They didn't let down their guard to ever compromise evil in any way other than hating what is evil.  

          When the world considers evil, they often relate to agendas such as murderers, kidnapping/abducting innocent children, demonstrating violence of some sort to the vulnerable such as the infants or elderly and the like.  We too should consider these things evil.  However, there are many agendas that God clearly states is equally evil to Him that the world has turned their ways.  Here are just some of the many agendas that the world opposes Gods view of what is evil:

               a.  Failing to give God glory He so much deserves (Rom 1:23); 

               b.  Need to hate pride (which was what destroyed satan who was once called lucifer by                

                    being one of the highest arch angels (Isa 14:12);

               c.  Apathy, lukewarmness, being passive towards Gods ways (Rev 3:16)

               d.  Being compromisers of Gods Word (Prov 25:26);

               e.  Fear, doubt, worry, gossip, slander, factions, disunity;

               f.  Failing to be aggressive to seek His Righteousness and pursuing His ways;

               g.  Failing to not only to hate evil, but failing to love good and to do good (Ps 34:14);

               h.  Failing to acknowledge Him, spending time with Him, seeking His help (Psalm 45);

                i.  Being thankless (2 Tim 3:2), etc..  

          I think we can go on for several pages.  These are some of the many illustrations that we see the world loves when we need to see these things that are evil in Gods sight should remain equally an abomination to us.  Sadly, in many churches today, there is often bickering, gossip, strife and division occurring within the Church and knowing that God declares is dispicable.  Many Christians have given the enemy access into our Church which we should NEVER have allowed it and we should never allow this to be an option in the first place.  It begins when we make excuses by justifying ourselves, even when we should know it clearly goes against Gods instructions.  We cannot compare our values to the ways of this world.  When we do, we are following the one who actually rules this world (system) which is why the Bible tells us that satan is the "god of this world" (1 John 5:19).  This is why it is utmost important to exalt Gods Word into our lives and come to the point where we are to hate compromising His Word that is otherwise meant to enrich our lives.  When many of these churches allowed strife, division and other forms of ungodliness to come in, they should have had the wisdom to follow Gods ways and come against the real enemy (satan) and pray for our fellow man which God commands us to do.  The result that lead to factions and discord would have lead to peace, love, unity, forgiveness, faithfulness instead had they understood the evil of not following Gods principles.  You can clearly see that following Gods Word is by far the BEST!! Following any other principle does nothing but lead to destruction.

    

           I want to encourage each of us, with Gods help, to be men and women after Gods own heart by not only hating evil, but hate failing to do Good and pursue the things of God.  Failing to do good is what God also calls sin (James 4:17) because it also robs God the glory He so much deserves.  Compromising Gods ways was what lead Christ to the Cross who paid that great penalty of sin which mankind brought condemnation upon himself.  I don't think anyone can ever appreciate all entire penalty Christ came to pay on our behalf right from the day of birth til his last breath.  When we ask God to help us love what He loves and hate what He hates that comes in total agreement with God, we do what is right because only God alone is perfect and every other belief and philosophy of mankind ends up contaminating the purity of His Word for us.  If we say we love the Lord like we should, then we will equally hate evil and compromising His Word which is what the Lord hates.  The Lord promises to us that He is a Great Rewarder for those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6b).

In the Matchless Name of Jesus
Richard
Associate Director
Answers2Prayerhttp://sites.google.com/site/greatestbuilderforourlife  
http://www.answers2prayer.org/

What then shall we say to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)