The year was 1987. I was careening toward my 30th Birthday. We had a dear friend, Linda, who was living with us at the time, helping us as a nanny for my baby daughter Jessica.
Linda knew all the Christian rock bands and music of the era. She put together a mixtape (hee hee – remember mix tapes?) and it included one from Mylon Lefevre called “Love God Hate Sin.” (Warning: The youtube link at the bottom of the page will take you to a time and place that may seem otherworldly–the 80s. Yikes.)
But before Mylon recorded that crowd pleaser, it had become somewhat of a byword for the group of brothers and sisters in Christ I hung out with. We were a pretty tight-knit bunch of disciples growing together in the Word. We did life together for a long time.
Our cry was always Love God – Hate Sin. It’s still on my answering machine at home: Love God – Hate sin and wait for the beep. (It used to say “wait for the trumpet blast,” but the little “meep” that follows was just too anticlimactic.)
As I understand it, the text for the song comes from Psalm 97,
Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. – Psalm 97:10
But I find it right here in Hebrews 1:9. The author, still quoting from Psalm 45 says this:
“YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS; THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.” – Hebrews 1:9
(By the way, I’m not shouting, that’s just how the NASB quotes the Old Testament–all caps. I guess they had to shout since their writings were just not as effectual as the life of Jesus–kidding!!)
Cause and Effect
We know for certain from the case the writer is making, this verse is referring to Jesus.
That’s right, Jesus, who Isaiah calls the man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3) walked through Galilee anointed with the oil of joy, more than any other man.
JOY
Think of the joy that Jesus must have felt as He healed the sick, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, opened the eyes of the blind, physically and spiritually. What joy there was walking through a graveyard and setting the demonized man free. Unspeakable joy!
But frankly, if we learn anything from Jesus’ example it’s that joy is not about circumstances. It’s a confidence and a knowing. It comes from the peace that God brings to the chaos of the unregenerate heart and mind, as it yields to Him. It’s the confidence that God holds us in the palm of our hands as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It’s the reality of the presence of God in our innermost being as all hell breaks loose around us.
Later in Hebrews, we will see how Jesus walked through torture and death toward joy.
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2
But check it out–Joy is the effect, not the cause.
The stated cause? He loved righteousness and hated iniquity.
I want to say that it’s easy to love righteousness. Who doesn’t love righteousness? Well–on Sunday morning in church it’s pretty easy, but what about on Monday night–watching the game when the booze and vulgarity start flowing. Or on Tuesday morning around the water cooler–ok–Keurig machine, when the gossip starts swirling around the room. How easy is it to love righteousness then?
Maybe it’s late at night when no one is watching, or on that business trip, or in the college dorm, when you’re away from your support net.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. – Matthew 5:6
Does your hunger last you through the week? Or are you only hungry for righteousness on Sunday morning? (I know, I’m meddling.)
But there’s more to this cause clause, He hated iniquity.
I hear people say love the sinner, hate the sin. But I’ve seen how this movie plays out. The sinner feels like the one hated because we are way more brutal toward the sins of others than we are loving toward the sinner himself.
As far as the sins of others are concerned (ok–brace yourself–this is going to rock your theology) your job is to let them know God is not angry with them.
WHAT!!! I thought you said, “hate sin.” Now your coddling it!
NO
2 Corinthians 5 teaches us, first that we are new creatures in Christ, but then it goes on to talk about God’s attitude toward the sins of those outside the faith.
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
It’s worse than I imagined…Not only is God not holding their sin against them, but He wants us to let them know that. He assigned us as ambassadors of this same reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. – 2 Corinthians 5:20
So how do I hate sin, Ben?
I’m glad you asked.
Hate your own sin.
Hate what sin is doing to separate you from God, from God’s will and purpose for your life, from wholeness and soul prosperity.
Hate what sin is doing in others enough to let them know they no longer have to serve that taskmaster.
When it comes to the sins of others, think of it this way.
A man or woman outside of Christ is not sinning by choice. They are slaves to sin. Consider a child held captive by human traffickers. Whatever acts those children are forced into are not because they are evil or sinful children. It’s because their taskmasters are wicked men or women. (themselves enslaved to master who is lower still) These children need rescue, not condemnation (as do the traffickers themselves.)
Without Christ, it is impossible to say no to sin.
Our old man must die and be raised in newness of life in Christ Jesus. Then sin will no longer have a hold over them. Read through Romans 6 some time and see the word pictures Paul uses to illustrate this point.
So there it is. Love God, hate sin, and walk in joy, It’s my blueprint for joy.
Thanks for coming by.
Love God, Hate Sin
Ben
And if you want to catch up on our wander through Hebrews, check here.
Here’s Mylon Lefevre’s Love God, hate sin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSIOLmcpxA