When you locate good in yourself, approve of it with determination. When you locate evil in yourself, despise it as something detestable.
Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)
Romans 12:9-12
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)
Do you detest evil, that is to say that the very thought of it causes a great disturbance within you. I question whether we detest evil in the day that we live in, or if we have learned how to ignore it, and I don’t think that is what we are called to do. Proverbs 15:9 tells us “The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.”
Now I think that I can take from this scripture a simple lesson. There must be a physical reaction to sin in this world. That is to say that we are not to just simply thumb our noses at it, but we are to outwardly make a great show of dislike for its practice in this world.
But it doesn’t just end with rejecting the sin; it also means that the world needs to see us clinging to good. Clinging is a desperate act. It means if I don’t hold on I will be swept away by something, and yes we will. If we don’t cling to good and outwardly reject evil, the current of this sinful world will sweep us away from the security and peace we find in Jesus Christ…God Bless.
Pastor William
Confucius (BC 551-479, Chinese ethical teacher, philosopher)
Romans 12:9-12
Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. (HCSB)
Do you detest evil, that is to say that the very thought of it causes a great disturbance within you. I question whether we detest evil in the day that we live in, or if we have learned how to ignore it, and I don’t think that is what we are called to do. Proverbs 15:9 tells us “The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but He loves the one who pursues righteousness.”
Now I think that I can take from this scripture a simple lesson. There must be a physical reaction to sin in this world. That is to say that we are not to just simply thumb our noses at it, but we are to outwardly make a great show of dislike for its practice in this world.
But it doesn’t just end with rejecting the sin; it also means that the world needs to see us clinging to good. Clinging is a desperate act. It means if I don’t hold on I will be swept away by something, and yes we will. If we don’t cling to good and outwardly reject evil, the current of this sinful world will sweep us away from the security and peace we find in Jesus Christ…God Bless.
Pastor William
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