Hate Evil

To fear the Lord is to hate evil. (Pro 8:13a)

If we really understand who God is we will hate evil. We should hate it both for the bad consequences that it produces and for the punishment that follows it. It is foolish to provoke the wrath of God and foolish to break his commandments which were given to us for our own good. To “fear God” is to know him and to acknowledge him as Lord. Because he is good we know his commandments are good; to violate them will have bad consequences. Because he is just we know that all evil will be punished. Because we are saved by the blood of Christ we need not fear his judgment, but we still must suffer the natural consequences of sin. Also, because we know Christ we have another reason to obey his commands: because we love him. As Christians we must hate evil – the evil we find in the world and the evil we find in our own lives.