In today’s culture, we are expected to love everything others do, say, and believe. Any correction or disapproval is considered hate. Hate is considered the worst of the worst.

I don’t believe that our view of love and hate is right. Encouraging a person who is doing something harmful to themselves or another is not good. Hating evil is godly. The Bible specifically says God hates and we know that God is good.

There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19) {emphasis mine}

There are things in the world that we should hate. There are things we should abhor. There are things we should speak against. There are things we should correct. Unfortunately most people don’t appreciate correction, even when it is done in a loving manner and for their own good.

They hate him who reproves in the gate,And they abhor him who speaks with integrity. (Amos 5:10)

Although there are things we should hate, we need to make sure our words and our actions are in alignment. It is ineffective to speak against a sin of which we are guilty. People can also usually tell when our correction is a power trip or an attempt to put them down rather than a correction done in love.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. (Romans 12:9) {emphasis mine}

It isn’t just that God hates evil, so we should also hate evil. Jesus actually commends the church for hating what He hates.

Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:6)

I don’t think most people expect God to praise them for their hate, but when it is aligned with His will, it is commendable.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate. (Proverbs 8:13)

You could even make the argument that hating evil is wise. Proverbs 8 says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil,” while Psalm 111 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Using logic, this implies that “to hate evil” is “the beginning of wisdom.” A statement like that feels so wrong, but there is truth in it. The important thing is that this hate of evil is a heart and mind alignment with the will of God instead of an out of control emotional outburst against another. We should hate evil because it harms the people around us and because it dishonors God, and not because we are mad that we were wronged. Godly hate is not a loss of control. It should not be selfish, but in defense of God’s holiness and to draw a person to a right relationship with God

We should hate falsehoods because it destroys understanding of the truth.

From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. (Psalm 119:104)

God says, “… I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.” (Acts 13.22b). We then read this Psalm of David, Psalm 139. The bolded verses make me very uncomfortable, but they are the words of “a man after [God’s] heart.”

O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:19-24) {emphasis mine}

We should cringe when someone uses the Lord’s name in vain. We should be angered when someone denies God or His goodness. We should abhor people being misled away from faith in Jesus Christ. We shouldn’t just dislike it a little. We should hate it because it dishonors our Lord and Savior. We should love all things that God loves and hate all things that God hates because we want to please and be like our Savior, Creator, and God.

Although it is good to hate evil, it is not good to be hateful. I’ve heard some so-called Christians who talk in the most hateful manner imaginable to those with whom they disagree. It should never be so!

When we see someone who is misled or misleading others, it should break our hearts and we should do all that we can to bring them into a right relationship to God and bring their understanding into alignment with the Bible. We should hate the sin, but pity the sinner an seek his redemption.

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26) {emphasis mine}

May the God of heaven mold us and make us into people after His own heart and help us to hate what He hates and love what He loves. May we honor Him with our words and our actions and do all in our power to point people to Jesus and the truth. May God help us to hate evil as He hates evil and not out of hurt, selfishness, or a desire to make ourselves look better by putting another down.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

KK