The Lord is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14). He calls upon His people to follow Him with an undivided heart. One facet of our calling involves hating evil. Our love for the Lord will naturally breed a hatred for the things of this world. Throughout the psalms, we find statements of hatred from the people of God. They hated “the congregation of evil doers” (Psalm 26:5), “them that regard lying vanities” (Psalm 31:6), “the work of them that turn aside” (Psalm 101:3), “every false way” (Psalm 119:104, 128), “vain thoughts” (Psalm 119:113), and “covetousness” (Proverbs 28:16). God never intended for these truths to be limited to His children in Old Testament times. Just as the Bible commands that we should love the Lord and the brethren, it also commands that we should hate things contrary to the Lord.
This passage poses an important question to those who are drawn too close to those who live as God’s enemies. “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?” Furthermore, the Bible also says, “that the friendship of the world is enmity with God.” Immediately, our flesh rebels against what this could mean for our worldly relationships. We might conclude: “But shouldn’t we love the lost?” Your mind might be directed toward those loved ones who are yet unsaved. These truths are not meant to convey that we should no longer be concerned with the eternal destination of those that we know. The Bible does, however, teach that we should not develop close associations with those who live ungodly. God drives this truth home by saying, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
God hates! For those enamored by the teachers who strictly emphasize the love of God, this fact may be difficult to appreciate. Yet, it is both true and scriptural. In fact, the truth becomes even more peculiar when considering that God's hatred is founded within His love. According to 1 John 4:8, “God is love.” He never ceases to be love, and if He did, He would cease to be God. Yet, the Bible specifically points out that God also hates! Let the Bible speak for itself and it will clear up any preconceived ideas. God hates because He loves. God loves the righteous; therefore, He hates “all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:5). The Bible also points out that He hates the wicked and those who love violence (Psalm 11:5). These truths are frequently contrary to the common teaching by men who fail to consider the whole of scripture and the depth of God. The old saying, “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” apparently fails when considering the whole matter. God does, in fact, hate the wicked! Additionally, God hates wicked deeds and wicked doctrines (Revelation 2:6, 15). Each of us must insure that we declare all the counsel of God and not conveniently limit our understanding to only the most positive aspects (Acts 20:27).
Fear and discouragement are effective weapons in Satan’s arsenal which he uses to discourage the people of God from fulfilling the will of God for their lives. Fear is not all bad. The fear of God is good and holy, but the fear of the world withstands faith and brings the believer into bondage (Proverbs 29:25). Fear and faith are foes as are fear and courage. In 2 Timothy 1:6-8, the Bible points out that the Lord is not the instigator of fear in the life of the believer. In the place of fear, God gives men power, love, and a sound mind. God wants men to be courageous and full of faith. Yet, the fear of man exhibits a lack of courage. It frequently hinders believers from doing the Lord’s work and gives the impression that believers are ashamed of the Lord and His people.
