A Perfect Hatred

Seldom do we hear anyone teach or preach about the place of hatred in the life of a disciple. It is certainly understandable why some might consider this to be an oxymoron or incongruous in the life of one who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Let us examine the Scriptures for enlightenment regarding the place of hate in the life of a disciple.

Do you hate sin? 'The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.' It is only with veiled eyes and clouded understanding that we view sin with ambivalence. We cannot be brought into the Brightness of the Glory of His Holiness and not be overwhelmed with hatred for our exceeding sinfulness. We will cry out with Isaiah, 'Depart from me, for I am a man of unclean lips in the midst of an unclean people'. We will loathe ourselves because of our sinfulness as Ezekiel speaks of in the 20th chapter of the book called by his name. In the Beauty of His Holiness we will share with Paul in his cry, 'Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death'. Again, we will groan with creation and the saints for our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. When He brings us to this place before Him and we glimpse His Beauty and Wonderfulness, then we will begin to hate our own lives in this world. We will pray without ceasing, 'Even so, come Lord Jesus'. It is in this place He begins to teach us to hate with a 'perfect hatred'.

Does He not tell us we cannot serve two masters. We will love the one and hate the other. We will cling to the one and despise the other. There is no perfecting of His Love within us unless there is a corresponding perfecting of hatred for sin. For it is sin that separates me from Him, therefore He teaches me to hate the very smell of garments that are polluted by the flesh. The flesh wars against the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God against the flesh, so that they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Those who love Him, is it not your only desire, is it not your only purpose of existence, to do 'always those things that please Him'? It is here we share with Him in His desire to kindle the coming fire that will abolish the final enemy - death. For it is sin that brings about death. It is here again He teaches us to hate with a 'perfect hatred'.

Do you hate every false way? He speaks to us in a place in the Psalms of our understanding coming from His Precepts, therefore I hate every false way. How High is His Name? Is there anything Higher? He speaks to us again in the Psalms concerning Him exalting His Word with His Name. Do you love and delight in His Commandments? Do you lift your hands unto them. 'If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments. 'And this is love, that we walk according to His Commandments'. And again, 'but whoever keeps His Word, in him the Love of God has truly been perfected'. We cannot love Him and not love His Word. We cannot love His Word and not hate every false way. False ways do not thank Him, they do not kiss Him, they do not praise Him, they do not love Him, they do not exalt His Name, they do not exalt His Word. Here, He teaches us to hate with a 'perfect hatred'.