It's a question you probably haven't been asked before—ever: How's your hate life?
Your answer is critical because Psalm 97:10 says, "Let those who love the Lord hate evil." Proverbs 8:13 reinforces that message: "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil." Meaning we are to hate sin.
Like many believers, you might respond, "Of course I dislike sin." But that isn't enough. God calls us to hate sin. All sin. Do we?
You say, "Isn't this all just a game of semantics? Dislike versus hate—not a big deal."
It's a huge deal. Here's why. What we do not hate—we tolerate. Including (and maybe especially) sin.
Think about it. I dislike that I weigh as much as I do. But I don't hate it. If I did, I wouldn't eat so many cookies. And I wouldn't demand my daily Coke at lunchtime.
Scripture says if we love the Lord, we must hate evil. Hence the question, how's your hate life?
When we don't hate what God hates, we inevitably end up trying to manage sin. It's the alcoholic who says, "I must work on my drinking problem. I'll cut back to one beer a day." That's managing sin. Dumping every drop of alcohol in your house down the drain—that's hating sin.
If we are going to hate sin, we must kill it. John Owen once famously warned, "Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you." You don't "manage" cockroaches. You kill them! You don't "manage" mice. You kill them! Same with sin.
If we do not hate what God hates, we invite sin and temptation to ruin us.
Let's not be deceived. Sin is not merely a problem, or a nemesis or a "bad angel" on your shoulder whispering temptations into your ear.
Sin is a killer.
It wants to kill your reputation.
It wants to kill your ministry.
It wants to kill your family.
It wants to kill your future.
It wants to kill your peace.
It wants to kill your hope.
It wants to kill your joy.
How's your hate life?