People are frequently afraid to admit that hatred is a Christian virtue, and it’s difficult to imagine that our eternally loving and gracious God actually displays hate as an absolute attribute in the scriptures. While generally one doesn’t consider “hate” a characteristic of God, ignorance of this concept may lead to an indistinct, somewhat distorted human view of the One — True — Almighty — God. According to Proverbs 6:16-19, the Lord “hates” six things, “Yes, seven are an abomination to Him.”
Undeniably, our Lord hates:
- haughty eyes;
- a lying tongue;
- hands that shed innocent blood;
- a heart that devises wicked plans;
- feet that run quickly/rapidly to embrace and/or participate in evil;
- false witness who breathe/utters lies;
- those who sows discord/spreads strife among believers.
Certainly, if God hates such things shouldn’t Christ’s faithful as well?
As believers, we often hear the term, “hate the sin, but love the sinner” or some similar derivative. Therefore, although Christians conceptually “get it” (attempting to love all humanity because God loves us and proves it through Christ’s sacrificial and atoning death), practically it’s difficult to fully accomplish. Surely the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak due to one’s fleshly/worldly (not fully spiritually transformed) weaknesses.
Nonetheless, the stakes are raised even higher as true Christians actually incorporate loving what the Lord loves and “hating” whatever/everything He “hates!” Therefore, it’s with this precise understanding and expectation that we’re instructed to, “Abhor what is evil” and “cling to what is good” in Romans 12:9.
Abhor may be an unfamiliar term to some since it’s not a common expression in modern-day English, but scripturally it presents an essential, exact, and meticulous denotation. The Greek word, apostugoúntes (from apostugeo), translated here as “abhor,” actually means to utterly detest and/or intensely hate. Thus in the biblical context, believers are unequivocally instructed (not simply challenged) to utterly detest and intensely hate evil. In other words, as Adam Clarke declares, “Hate sin as much as you would the hell to which it leads!”
The implication is that one should hate evil with shuddering horror, rather than a raised eyebrow or casual smirk/sneer. This imperative (obligatory command) leaves no options, no alternate routes, no y’all-buts or what-ifs! Those that follow Christ and His teaching simply must, without exception turn away from, run or flee from, and absolutely avoid all/every form of evil. (See I Thessalonians 5:22)
Furthermore, the reality of this verse extends even further, taking a much broader stroke, teaching that evil should sicken all those called by His magnificent Name! Have you ever considered this as a mark of true Christian character?
Does one “abhor” (utterly detest — intensely hate — to the point of making one sick):
- Seemingly small sin (although that doesn’t actually exists) as well as great wrongdoing?
- Secret sin as well as mass public transgressions?
- Personal sin as well as destructive social vices?
- Sin in/of thought as well as acts of disobedience?
Please understand . . . the abhorrence must be there, hate should be directed against everything (ideas, philosophies, actions, etc.) that is evil just as it was in Jesus Christ.
Speaking prophetically concerning Christ, Psalms 45:7 declares:
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above your companions. (Also Hebrews 1:9)
Now, thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ has left us the example of His hatred! He loathed sham, pretense, and hypocrisy! Christ metaphorically and spiritually ripped the masks from the faces of the Pharisees and religious leaders, revealing who and what they really were! In return, they hated Him, for by His penetrating questions He exposed their artifice and deceit, their guile and trickery.
The life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ is autographed by abhorring that which is evil. The Bible is everywhere inscribed with God’s hatred of all that is evil. Therefore, when the text, commands us to abhor that which is evil, it is declaring that we are to be just like our Savior, our Lord … Jesus Christ!
— Pastor Frank