How can we actively "hate evil" in our daily lives today? Setting Psalm 97:10 before Us “ ‘Hate evil, O you who love the LORD. He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.’ ” (Psalm 97:10) The verse joins two certainties: loving the LORD means hating evil, and God actively guards those who walk this path. The command is not passive dislike but deliberate opposition. What Does It Mean to Hate Evil? • Rejecting everything that contradicts God’s holy character (Proverbs 8:13). • Refusing to compromise with sin in thought, word, or deed (Romans 12:9). • Recognizing that our love for God is displayed by turning from what He calls wicked (1 John 2:3–6). Practical Ways to Hate Evil Today • Choose holiness at the decision point – Ask, “Does this align with God’s Word?” before speaking, clicking, spending, or reacting (1 Thessalonians 5:22). • Turn from corrupt entertainment – If a show, song, or site glorifies what God calls evil, switch it off (Psalm 101:3). • Expose darkness lovingly – Speak truth when gossip, crude humor, or deception surface (Ephesians 5:11). • Guard your digital gates – Install filters, limit screen time, unsubscribe from feeds that stir lust, envy, or anger (Job 31:1). • Practice immediate repentance – When sin slips in, confess at once and realign with Scripture (1 John 1:9). • Cling to the opposite virtue – Replace bitterness with forgiveness, greed with generosity, impurity with purity (Colossians 3:5–14). • Stand with the vulnerable – Oppose injustice, abortion, human trafficking, or any practice that destroys God-given dignity (Proverbs 24:11–12). Guarding Heart and Mind • Feed on the Word daily—let truth crowd out temptation (Psalm 119:11). • Meditate on what is “true…honorable…pure” (Philippians 4:8). • Pray Scripture back to God throughout the day (Psalm 19:14). • Walk with faithful friends who spur holiness (Hebrews 10:24–25). Walking in the Light “Have no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). • Monitor motives—are we resisting evil because we love God or fear people? • Serve actively—good deeds crowd out opportunity for evil (Titus 2:14). • Keep short accounts—daily review thoughts and actions in light of God’s standards (Psalm 139:23–24). Encouragement for the Journey • God preserves and delivers His saints (Psalm 97:10b). • Submission and resistance go together: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). • Victory is possible because Christ has “rescued us from the dominion of darkness” (Colossians 1:13). Loving the LORD compels us to wage an active, hopeful, Spirit-empowered hatred of evil until He returns. |
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