The Beauty of Hate

As a being of love, God correspondently hates as much as he loves.

And for some, this is the hardest aspect of Christianity to accept. Today's society believes so much in repressing hate and embracing community, in an attempt to completely eradicate it from our modern society. The truth of the matter is that love is not always tolerant and if we are to serve God to be the best of our ability, we must hate what he hates as much as we love what he loves.

Now God does not hate his creation, which is holy in his eyes, but rather, he hates what it itself has created. Its ugliness, he despises. Its corruption he abhors. The word "love" is scattered rampant throughout the Bible and much more fun to see, but if you read through Proverbs you hear much more about the ignorant fool than the blessed hero of faith. There are certain things that we would rather not see or feel, but the Bible was not designed entirely as a comfortable and easy read. It is as much a challenge as it is an encouragement. Whenever you're called for perfection, you know an easy path is not immediately ahead.

Leviticus pours it out. My grandfather drew the format to my attention above all else: be holy for God is holy. God is not silent of His hate. His holiness is set aside in quality from the rest of society, and most always has been. The days of theocracy were hardly days in service of the true God. The Dark Ages were dark not for the obedience of the Bible, but for its misinterpretation and intentional selfish distortion which led to things which were not pleasing to God.

What ignited these thoughts was the final verse for today's Bible-Year plan I've just recently started:

"The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool."
Proverbs 10:18

Just as I've held true to my journal, I plan to hold true to this commitment. I will do all that I can to do it. I literally HATE the laziness I'm tempted into sometimes. I literally HATE the apathy with which I sometimes suppress my life in fear of offense. We were meant to be so much more than generally congenial members of society. We are meant to stick out.. that's what holiness is all about!

We aren't to live in this state of "perpetual oblivion" either, which this morning's guest speaker at Silverton Baptist called to timely attention. We are also set apart in the manner in which we love, which is much more paired with hate than many would care to admit. Love "always protects" (1 Corinthians 13) what is loved from that which is hated. When we see injustice, are we not called to act against it? Are we not called to destroy the concepts and elements of sins which God despises?

Christianity is not everybody-play-nice-now.

It's an active and raging spiritual war against that and those in cohorts with the Devil.

General Supreme Sovereign God Almighty striking out against General Fallen and Falling Satan Deceiver.

The battle of a lifetime. The war of eternal history. The greatest crisis and impending victory known to man. The quintessential role model of an epic.

We are to hate what and not who opposes God. We are to love humanity and hate its crimes. The crime plagues its offender, and it is heartbreaking. Sin is the worst kind of disease, worse than cancer, worse than the Black Death, worse than it all and is bound to hold the highest death count. Eternal death is its rightful punishment. That's justice when you consider what we've done to deserve it.

Yet, through it all, in the ultimate and grandest case of mercy God delivered mercy with a personal sacrifice. His only begotten and perfect son.




When we go against this... we deserve Hell. We should HATE and be horrifically OFFENDED by that which we are partaking in. Disgusted in our transgression. Abhorrent of our blundering nature. And eternally grateful for our gift of immunity and promised forgiveness that we only just have to accept. Shouldn't coming to Christ be the easiest and smartest thing in the world? Then why is it so difficult and why must some so desperately cling to their dirt?

It breaks my heart while it blows my mind. I simply cannot understand it. I don't have that kind of faith in myself -- that kind you obviously need to be an utter atheist. Especially an enlightened one.. why should anyone turn this opportunity away? If someone were to open a small box on Christmas that was simply eternal life.. would it end up in the trash? Is that how we think as humans? Is that really how corrupt sin can make our minds?

It's revolting.

God HATES it.

I hate it.

Why, when this is what we're up against, is hate despised and condescended upon?

I don't know.