A Time to Hate

Introduction

Hatred is condemned in plain terms (Tit. 3:3).

I don’t want to soften that condemnation in the least.

But I do want to suggest that there is a hatred we need to cultivate.

What God Hates

God hates all wickedness (Jer. 44:2-4; Lev. 18:26; Prov. 6:16-19; 12:22; 8:13; 6:19; Amos 5:21-24; Prov. 15:26).

Idolatry

Sexual Immorality

Violence against the innocent

Lies

Pride

Contentiousness

Vain worship

Wicked thoughts

This translates into hatred for those who are wicked (Psa. 5:5; 11:5; Hos. 9:15; Lev. 20:23; Jer. 12:8; Mal. 1:2-3).

This is not universal.

This has to do with a persistence in sin.

There is a sin that comes contrary to character (still sin and still hated) but then there is sin that rises from consistent character. THAT is where this hatred comes in.

We need to hate what God hates (Psa. 97:10; Prov. 8:13; Rom. 12:9; Amos 5:15).

Hating Sin in Others

We can hate right things even without loving right things (Rev. 2:6).

Sin ought to repulse us even in those we love (Deut. 13:6-11; Lk. 14:26; Jude 23).

This hatred needs to be rooted in love for God (Psa. 119:104, 113, 128, 163; 139:21-22).

Hatred that is not tethered in this way will be perverse.

It will devolve into malice that is not able to forgive.

Or it will not be sustained because it does not have righteous foundations.

This does challenge the idea of “unconditional” love.

The unconditional love really amounts to an open door and compassionate heart.

But it certainly does not mean we accept or support without condition.

Hating Sin in Ourselves

Jesus call us to take an extreme stand against sin in our own lives (Matt. 5:29-30).

We need to hate sin like we hate cancer (Rom. 8:13).

We need to hate who we are in sin (Ezek. 6:9; 20:43; 36:31).

Take care that we don’t hate the wrong things (1 Sam. 15:30).

Joy and Hate

The whole point of hating sin is that it ruins joy (Deut. 6:24-25).

The world looks at those who hate sin and call them “killjoys.” The opposite should be true.

Hatred of sin should lead to joy and if it does not, then your hatred is likely disordered.

Consider the result of hating grumbling and complaining as we ought. Would that bring more or less joy to our lives?

If we hate sexual immorality, will that make our lives more or less full of joy?

We especially find joy where we have hated sin in our own lives (Psa. 51:10-12).

But we must truly develop both hatred and love (Psa. 1:1-2).

This will lead to eternal joy in the end (Rev. 18:20).

In The Great Divorce a man who is in hell tries to make his wife feel guilty for not missing him and being miserable without him. After witnessing, the man having the dream asks his guide about this scene:

“Is it really tolerable that she should be untouched by his misery, even his self-made misery? “Would you rather he still had the power of tormenting her? He did it many a day and many a year in their earthly life.” “Well, no, I suppose I don’t want that.” “What then?” “I hardly know sir. What some people say on earth is that the final loss of one soul gives the lie to all the joy of those who are saved.” “Ye see that is does not.” “I feel in a way that it ought to.” “That sounds very merciful. But see what lurks behind it: The demand of the loveless and the self-imprisoned that they should be allowed to blackmail the universe: that until they are happy (on their own terms) no one else shall taste joy: that theirs should be the final power; that Hell should be able to veto Heaven.”

Conclusion

None of this is permission to give yourself over to hatred.

It is rather to do the hard work of cultivating hate where it ought to be while being characterized by love and joy as our Father in heaven.

This is no easy task, but it is the path to becoming more like Him.

Do you hate what robs you of joy? Do you want to hate it? Then come.