The other day I was listening to a sermon that struck me as just a little off. Here is what the pastor had to say: “…(You don’t) need the Ten Commandments to tell you what’s right and wrong. You don’t need the Bible to know that murder is wrong, that adultery is wrong, that hate and anger is wrong…” There’s a lot of truth in that statement. We inherently know that there are lines that you do not cross in any cultural context. But there’s also a little bit that’s misleading in that statement.
Love the things God loves AND…
Years ago, when we lived in Korea, a good friend told me that she would always pray to love the things God loved and hate the things God hated. I really chewed on that, and thought it was so profound. I have included that in my prayers ever since.
We know that the LORD is a God of love. So where is this talk of hate coming from? I hopped on gotquestions.com, and asked what the bible says about hate. One of the first answers is Psalm 97:10 – Hate evil, you who love the LORD; Who preserves the soul of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Proceed with caution
Of course, we need to be careful with that response. Hate should never lead us to respond to a person in a hateful way. As Got Questions points out, hate shouldn’t be directed at people. 1 John 3:15 says – “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
Essentially, my understanding is that hating the manifestation and fruit of sin, rather than the image bearers of God, is what we’re called to do. To be fair, I want to give that pastor that I referenced above the benefit of the doubt. Hopefully, he was talking more about that (i.e. hating a person) than anything else. But words matter. At first glance, that sure looks like a blanket statement (“… hate and anger is wrong…”) that is incredibly short sided. Sounds kind, but it is far from it. Clearly, the bride of Christ needs clarity right now.
David French
Allie Beth Stuckey just had on David French on her podcast, “Relatable.” Something that French said that stood out to me was that he really liked James Talarico. Here was a quote from a NYT article: “Or, to put it another way, Talarico is one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian, and by acting like a Christian he reveals a profound contrast with so many members of the MAGA Christian movement that’s dominated American political life for 10 years.”
For those of you unfamiliar with Talarico, he is pro-abortion and pro-LGBTQ (and apparently all 6 genders) to name just a couple of things about the man. But he is very cordial and has a kind demeanor, according to French. Not blustery and prideful like he-who-is-not-to-be-named (not to condone some of his ridiculous behavior either, but that’s for another post to talk through). Aside from his political stances, French thinks he’s very Christlike.
LORD have mercy. Satan must be having a field day. I wanted to reach through my phone and shake French. No, I do not hate the man. But I hate what he is espousing. There are so many verses that talk about the smooth talk of deceivers (Romans 16:18; Colosians 2:8; 2 Corinthians 11:14 for a few examples). It’s not just what people say, but what they do. Jesus warned us about this. We are to know other Believers by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). If James Talarico “acts like a Christian,” pigs can fly, my friends. And if we don’t have the discernment to recognize this, we are in serious trouble.
Put things in perspective
What Talarico advocates for is an abomination on steroids. But one thing that Samuel Sey, a podcast host, once posted should keep us all in check and humble – “I want to hate my sins more than woke ideology…” YES and Amen!
BOTH are important to have disdain for. However, we know we are to hate our sin. Pastors don’t mind talking about that. But woke ideology is a destructive force that we must reject wholeheartedly. We hate that ideology because it harms people who God loves. Regardless of whether or not it may be unpopular to say so.
People of God who have hated what God hates
William Wilberforce hated the institution of slavery. Praise the LORD he hated it. That is what drove him for decades to fight against it, despite the set backs and disappointments and failures to stop the abominable practice.
Katy Faust has hated the abuse of children, in and out of the womb. She is fighting tirelessly to protect children against the abuses and selfishness of adults. I thank the LORD for her strong voice that is not politically correct.
Charlie Kirk continually reached out to those who disagreed with him, even those who hated him. He did not hate back in return, rather he hated the ideologies that confused and/or hurt the marginalized in our communities. So he went out day after day after day to have conversations with those who opposed him.
Each of these men and women are warriors for Christ’s glory.
Hate can sometimes be a good thing
So no. Hate and anger is not always wrong. Along with Samuel Sey, I pray that we all hate our own sin above all else. I also pray we have the discernment, wisdom, and strength to hate the things that the LORD hates. And LORD, give us the grace and mercy to not twist people with ideologies.
