If you can’t muster up hate for something that does all that, check your pulse- you may be dead
Dare 2 Share - "Thou hatest wickedness." --Psalm 45:7
Perhaps most of us picture Jesus as a meek and mild man who was unassuming as a bunny rabbit. The media has long portrayed Him as a slightly anemic and feeble religious guy who showed about the same level of anger as a houseplant.
To be sure, He was cool under pressure, and demonstrated more self-control than any of us could ever imagine. Jesus also had more love in His heart for people than anyone who ever lived. Yet by the same token, He also had more hatred for something than anyone who ever lived: sin.
Why? Well, to understand this, it would be helpful to go back to the definition of sin. The Bible has many terms for sin, but essentially there are two word pictures that depict the nature of sin. The first image is that of an arrow being shot and completely missing the target. Perhaps the archer meant to miss, or maybe he was just a lousy shot. Either way, the mark was set up, and he failed. Thus, one side of sin is the fact that all people “miss the mark” of God’s holy standard (Romans 3:23). The second image is that of someone stepping over a clearly marked boundary that no one is allowed to cross. Perhaps that person accidentally stepped over, or just flat wanted to see what would happen. Either way, the line was crossed, and full penalties apply. So the other side of sin is the fact that all people willfully break the clear boundaries that God has set, thus they are destined for hell.
Enter Jesus: God’s Son. He created the world, set up the standards and drew the boundary lines. He was not willing that any should perish, so much that He gave up paradise to live in putrescence and die in disgrace. No wonder, then, that His hatred of sin runs so deep! It is sin that has separated His beloved creation from their Creator. It is sin that breaks the heart of His Father and brings joy to His demonic enemies.
What would Jesus do? He would hate sin. Do you? The goodness in people is directly connected with their detestation of disobedience; he who loves truth must hate every false way. Do you have a burning abhorrence towards any and all things that miss the mark and step over the line? Or is sin more like a big weed in your yard- you really don’t like it, but you’re just too lazy to get off the couch and do something about it. If you truly understood the devastating nature of sin, you wouldn’t see sin as a weed- but rather as a hornet about to attack. People about to get stung don’t casually stand by and do nothing about it.
Jesus did something about sin: He died that it might die; He was buried that He might bury it in His grave; and He rose from the dead that He might forever crush it beneath His feet.
This week, take inventory of your emotions to see if you truly detest wickedness in yourself and others. It is sin which destroys your life, your family, and your friendships. It is the reason that the innocent One died a guilty death and people are bound for hell. If you can’t muster up hate for something that does all that, check your pulse- you may be dead!
Questions:
1) On a scale of 1-10, how high would you rate your hatred of sin? Would your friends and family agree with your assessment?
2) Do you see sin more like a weed, or a hornet?
3) Do you hate sin enough to tell your friends about Christ?
