Hate Evil
As God’s people, we are set a very difficult task to address in our daily lives. On the one hand, we are to hate evil. “Hate evil, love good …” (Amos 5:15). But on the other, we have a mind that all too willingly embraces evil. “… but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15). Our struggle is that while we are in human form, we have a mind that is drawn to the two opposites.
The power of God’s Spirit is given to enable us to recognize good and evil, whereas the normal natural mind does not have that distinguishing feature. This does not release the tension, but it does mean that we have the opportunity to use God’s Spirit to overcome the desire to embrace evil.
The word hate in the Bible is not a benign word. It is powerful: “It expresses an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship” Theological Wordbook. The word denotes an “emotional attitude”. Emotions can be powerful motivators for human conduct.
Clearly, God intends us to have such strong motivation regarding evil. It is that strong emotion that is intended to drive our conduct in regard to anything God considers evil. And God makes very clear to us the things He hates. For example, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him” (Proverbs 6:16).
Our struggle is intensified by the current environment in which we find ourselves. The defining factors of right and wrong have become blurred to the point of non-existence in many cases.
“At the heart of our cultural morass is our rejection of a cultural moral compass.
It’s not just that we disagree about right and wrong—secular people no longer
believe there is such a thing as right and wrong” (Supreme Court will not revisit same-sex marriage ruling – Jim Denison, PhD November 11, 2025).
As God’s people, we must not allow this secular approach to encroach into our view of right and wrong. If God hates something, so must we.
It is perfectly clear, that for us to hate something we must be familiar with the word of God which spells out what He hates. We must be close enough to God on a daily basis to draw from His Spirit the power to express that hatred while not focusing on those who practice the things we are to hate. It is a tough thing to do.
The hatred of evil should draw us closer to the mind of God. “I have hated those who regard useless idols, but I trust in the Lord” (Psalm 31:6). Don’t let our secular society water down your attitude toward what God considers to be evil.
Consider Davids approach: “Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:128).
This emotion will come to someone who is close to God.
Brian Orchard
