(Pro) 8:13, 17 CJB “The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and duplicitous speech. I love those who love me; and those who seek me will find me.”
There are many people who call themselves Christians while defining Christianity for themselves. But if you love God, hate evil. We don’t get to redefine what it means to follow Jesus. God has already defined it for us in His Word.
Christianity takes its name from Christ.
Therefore, Jesus—not our culture, feelings, politics, or personal preferences—defines what it means to be His follower.
Jesus Defines a Christian
Jesus called people to become His disciples.
And disciples follow their Master.
Jesus loved His Father completely.
He denied Himself.
He submitted His will to the Father’s will.
He lived in perfect obedience to the Father.
Even when obedience led to a cross.
Jesus could say: “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.” (John 5:30)
That’s cross-centered living.
It is choosing God’s will over our own.
And Jesus calls His disciples to do the same: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me.” (Luke 9:23 CJB)
If You Love God, Hate Evil
Proverbs makes an unmistakable connection:
Fearing God means hating evil.
Not merely avoiding it.
Not redefining it.
Not celebrating it.
Not helping others practice it.
Hating it.
Why?
Because evil is rebellion against the God we love.
And sin is so serious that Jesus went to the cross to save us from it and from the judgment it deserves.
A disciple of Jesus cannot claim to love God while deliberately making peace with what God calls evil.
We will still stumble.
We will still need repentance.
We will still depend completely upon God’s grace.
But the direction of a Christian’s life has changed.
We no longer want to make peace with sin.
We want to become like Jesus.
Love Requires Obedience
Jesus said: “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (John 14:15)
That’s remarkably simple.
Love for God produces obedience to God.
And Scripture—not our feelings—defines that obedience.
God’s Word directs our actions.
God’s Word shapes our values.
God’s Word corrects our desires.
God’s Word teaches us what God loves and what God hates.
We conform ourselves to Scripture rather than attempting to conform Scripture to ourselves.
Loving People Doesn’t Mean Approving Everything
This is where Christian love is frequently misunderstood.
Loving someone does not require approving everything that person believes or does.
In fact, genuine love sometimes requires the opposite.
If something leads a person away from God, encouraging it isn’t loving.
If something God calls evil is destroying someone’s relationship with Him, remaining silent isn’t necessarily loving either.
We should speak truth with humility, gentleness, patience, and compassion.
But we must still speak truth.
Love never requires us to call evil good.
Help One Another Remain Faithful
There is another side to this.
Christianity isn’t merely about what we oppose.
If we love God, we should eagerly do the things God loves.
Serve one another.
Encourage one another.
Forgive one another.
Provide for one another.
Bear one another’s burdens.
Build one another up.
And encourage one another toward obedience.
One of the most loving things Christian men can do for each other is help one another remain faithful to Jesus.
Don’t encourage your brother’s sin.
Don’t excuse it.
Don’t condemn him either.
Help him follow Jesus.
And give him permission to do the same for you.
Love God. Hate Evil. Do Good.
The Christian life isn’t ours to redefine.
Jesus has already shown us the way.
Love God.
Hate evil.
Obey His Word.
Love His people.
Do what pleases Him.
And when you fail, repent, receive His forgiveness, get back up, and continue following Jesus.
If you love God, hate evil—and pursue everything that God loves.
Run Today’s Play
Ask, is there anything God calls evil that I have begun tolerating, excusing, or even supporting.
Then, ask God to expose anything in your life that isn’t aligned with His Word—and repent where necessary.
Finally, encourage one brother toward obedience instead of merely making him feel comfortable.
Men, don’t redefine Christianity around what you want. Let Jesus define your life through His Word. Love what God loves. Hate what God hates. And obey the One you say you love.
