Time To Fight Evil

We are in the final conflict of the war against evil. The Church has become weakened by our tolerance of sin. We no longer have a righteous hatred for evil. Many Christians have surrendered to condoning evil in the name of tolerance and love. The results are many so-called Christians are practicing sins that God has declared He hates.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. Psalm 97:10 Hate evil, you who love the LORD, who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Does the Old Testament hatred for evil justify a Christian doing the same?

·      Psalms 26:5 I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked. (NAS)

 How does a Christian reconcile the Old and New Testament when it comes to evil?

Under the New Testament, we fall under the covenant of love, mercy, and grace. Does this change the way the LORD view evil and those who commit evil?

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (NAS)

Paul tells us in:

·      Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

Many ministers have redefined true Godly love. They are teaching a love that is devoid of the holiness of God and does not compromise with sin.

To many ‘love’ means we must accept, tolerate and even approve of sin and never speak out against it and never give a word of warning or correction concerning the false doctrine, ungodly living or evil that is spreading around the globe. This is not loving.

True love speaks the Truth and will not compromise even if it offends others, but it may convict others and set them free as they obey the Truth. Jesus Himself called men to repent or perish. Jesus Himself warned of eternal hell. Jesus said in John 7:24 to ‘judge with righteous judgment.’

Ministers have “redefined” what real love is and will allow all kinds of sin and false doctrines to infect the Church and, therefore, will cease to be a real church. At all costs, they must stay positive and upbeat and avoid anything that deals with the evilness of sin. They lack real substance because they lack biblical Truth. They entertain and keep things shallow! They seek to make everyone happy, even if it grieves the Holy Spirit! They are preaching love that is hypocrisy.

The message is happiness instead of holiness. Its “compromise instead of commitment” to the Truth. It’s about pleasing people instead of pleasing God. Whatever happened to holiness? Whatever happened to preaching against sin? Whatever happened to praying an imprecatory prayer for evildoers?

Saints, it is time for the Church to wake up; we are under a barrage of evil that has not been seen in America from its founding. When the wicked media, Hollywood elites, politicians control and manipulate the American people that is bad enough, but when ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ refuse to cry out against the evil of the day and tolerate and condone sin, we a doomed for destruction.

Many ‘professed believers’ follow their desires and do not follow Jesus, and they look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. Many have a distaste for Truth, and if you bring a word of criticism or correction, they will then rebuke you for not being loving. You will be accused of being mean and not tolerant and having a judgmental, critical spirit.

We are at war, and it is time we act like soldiers of the Cross.

When Paul wrote to the Saints at Rome, he said, abhor what is evil; hold fast  to what is good.” He did not say, “Choose against evil and choose good.” His words are powerful. “Abhor” is a good translation. “Loathe, “Be disgusted with” “Hold fast to what is good,” means embrace it. Love it. In other words, God is not mainly interested in a willpower religion or a willpower morality. Choosing is not enough. Choosing doesn’t signal profound moral transformation. Paul says, don’t just avoid evil, hate evil. Don’t just choose right, embrace the good. Love the good. The battle of Christian living is a battle mainly to get our emotions changed, not only our behavior.

There is no conflict for a Christian to show love and hate evil at the same time. What God calls good is to be loved; what He calls evil is to be hated.  We don’t decide what is suitable for people and what is bad for people and then define love that way. God chooses what is right and what is evil.

In 1 John 5:2. John writes, “By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments.” How do you know you are loving people? By loving God and keeping his commandments. His commandments are the expression of objective good. And his prohibitions are the expression of actual evil. So, objective evil is terrible for people, and objective good is suitable for people.

If evil is wrong, then we must fight against every trait of evil.

Psalm 119:104 From Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore, I hate every false way.

Psalm 45:7 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.

The Hebrew writer brings an Old Testament passage into New Testament teachings

Hebrews 1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.

Since the Garden of Eden, humanity has conflicted with evil. If there were no evil, there would be no need for hate. But in a world like ours, it is necessary not only that we love and hate, but that our love includes hatred. Since evil hurts people and dishonors God, you can’t claim to love people while coddling evil.

Don’t accept the lie that the evil I commit only hurts me. You were made to display the worth of Christ to others. That is what is right for them. That’s what it means to love them. But if you do things to yourself that damage your delight in Christ and your display of Christ, you sin against others and not just yourself. You rob them of what God made you give them. So, if you love others, you will have a hatred for evil.

One final note. We do not seek vengeance on the evildoers; that is God’s responsibility. However, we can pray that the LORD brings judgment on the evildoers for their evil ways that their hearts be turned to the LORD in repentance.

 Gone are the days where Christians prayed for the sinner that God would shake them over the very pit of hell, take away their sleep and appetite, make their life miserable, show them the blackness of their evil ways, bring them to their knees in repentance. Now we ask God to protect them, bless them, and don’t allow anything wrong to happen to them. If we genuinely hated evil, we would want God to do everything possible to turn them from their evil ways that their souls be saved. This is true love that the sinner comes to salvation.

Let’s stop tolerating sin, condoning the practice of evil, and pray that the LORD bring judgment on the evildoers that they may seek the LORD in repentance and find salvation for their soul.