The Marks: 02 Hate What’s Evil; Cling To Good

Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Romans 12:9

Words. I love them. They do a wide variety of things to me. And when it comes to words I don’t use often, there is something in me that wants to find out about those words.

For example, consider this word ‘abhor’. Now helpfully other translations give us the word hate as a way to use a word we’re more familiar with. I’m sure we get the gist with that word and when Paul was encouraging the saints in Rome, he wasn’t too fussed about English. Yet there’s a reason that some thought abhor would be closer to the point than the word hate. And apparently the translation of the Greek for the word used is to detest utterly.

It’s worth looking at this because Paul is painting the image of the marks of a true follower of Jesus. There’s a correlation between the two, but it kicks off with out relationship to evil. It seems obvious that this should be our relationship to evil especially when evil is painted in that grotesque ugly picture of murder, rape and violating vulnerable people and creatures. That’s a slam dunk. Most people can agree that an utter detesting of those things is important.

What makes it trickier, however, is appreciating that Paul’s marker for what is evil is defined by God. That definition for evil is a lot wider than the ones we’re quick to agree with. The teachings of Jesus outlines that evil is just as much about blocking people in getting to know God. Evil is about an attitude to sows division among brothers. Evil is the preference for lies over the truth in all aspects of life. Evil is being judgemental and condemning others. Evil is about lust in the heart. Evil is far reaching and at its base is an attitude that displaces God as the true source of knowledge of right and wrong and asserts anything and anyone in its place, especially if it’s the self.

Evil is not always blatant and overt. Evil is subtle and can be seen over generations who let standards slip and their approaches become compromised to what’s the cultural trend of the day. It’s this that allows people to be easily deceived into thinking that what God has called evil is actually acceptable, tolerable and in some cases to be celebrated. This is the evil that makes a monument of man to the destruction of the same man. This is the evil that takes greater value in things than people. That sees power as the ultimate goal even at the cost of the lives of others. This is the evil that allows a growing and festering self-centredness to obscure what God highlights as right in His sight.

This is evil in some of its guises believers are accustomed to. There is some guise of evil that we not only know, but we have actively cultivated and entertained in our lives before Jesus. (Yes, some of us still entertain even as those who claim to follow Jesus.) There is something that Jesus highlights as we get to know Him. When He saved us from our sins, He gave us a sight of just how nasty, ugly, destructive they were especially in terms of our relationship to the holy and righteous God. He allowed us to see just what an impediment they are to God and why His suffering, death, burial and resurrection were crucial in dealing with that so we can be right in God’s sight. Part of that arrangement is adjusting our standards of what is evil from what we view, to what He views. Not just adjusting our standard, but also adjusting our appetite.

Where once we would tolerate or even actively participate in what He deemed to be evil. Now, because of His Spirit active in us that caused us to turn from evil in the first place, we are mindful, conscious and sensitive to utterly detest this evil. Utterly. Totally. Completely. In its fullest sense possible. Detest. Hate. Abhor … You know I hear these words and I think of that which makes me vomit. Nasty smell in the nostrils. The desire to heave becomes overwhelming and the urge to depart that scene propels movement on mhy part to run a mile from the very thought of it. This doesn’t require placards and marches, it requires urgent action on the personal front to eradicate it and steer clear from it. Such is the complete hatred of the very thing.

It cannot be stressed enough, though, this is something that the Spirit of the Living God does in us and we depend totally on His Spirit to create in us that mind-set and approach to evil. Not on our terms – on His Not determined by the words and sentiments of key cultural figures and influencers, but framed by the Living Word.

Thankfully, however, there is a second part to this mark of the Christian. I am familiar with religious backgrounds that are based firmly and devoutly on the things to avoid in life. Indeed it is as though life in Christ is just based on seeing what’s evil and avoiding it and seeing almost everything as having something evil about it. Some refer to it as a mentality of seeing a devil behind every bush so that not only are you on the alert but you’re literally expecting evil at any juncture. That’s an interesting approach to take on life. It can be exhausting, though and kinda miserable.

Paul did not just stress the need to have a particular approach to evil. He also expected a particular approach to good. The good that God defines and He’s in the best place to define it, because He is the source of everything good.

Just as I was fascinated with the abhor thing, I was also intrigued by what was meant by the hold onto what is good. Once again, it was useful to see that the word used translates as glue. That is the essence of what’s being encouraged is to stick to good, remain so attached to it that it is indispensable to you. The way that for some people their mobile device is stuck to their hands and is closer to them than their skin is not far from the image we’re supposed to have about our relationship with what is good.

The sticking to it business as well is about an attitude that is the antithesis of the approach to evil. If what is evil makes me want to run a mile or vomit chunks such is its sickening and clearly undesirable effect on me, then when it comes to the good wil horses shouldn’t be able to drive me from it. My heart’s desire for good should be so rich and deep that when people think about devoted to the point of obsession when it comes to the good they should have me in mind.

Paul in a letter to the church in Philippi would further help with what it was to hold onto good.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

It doesn’t take much to find out what a person clings to, what a person holds onto. It will not take long to engage with someone and see what they value and cherish highly. Paul’s encouragement to saints then and now is for us to be marked by a desire to hold onto, cherish, value greatly and desperately desire the goodness of God through all that He has displayed around us that reflects Him. It is a pity that followers of Jesus are more about what we are against, than what we are for. It is sad that what we fight to defeat is given more attention than what we long to build, protect, honour and take delight in.

The same way that we need God’s Spirit to detest evil in all its guises, is the same way we need the Holy Spirit to have the right approach to good as we see it. When scripture says that to the pure all things are pure, this is evidence of how the Spirit of God discerns, prefers and pursues what is pure. It’s not given to cynicism. It is not sly and back-handed in comments. It’s not about planting ulterior nefarious motives. The Spirit of God is essential to discover what good there is and highlight and celebrate that as God reveals it.

The good is truly something beautiful, wonderful and amazing that is worthwhile clinging to. A life spent thinking on this things, pursuing those things, highlighting those things is a life spent ever following Jesus and seeing Him glorified as we choose to hold onto Him. That’s a life that sees great value in faithfulness in marriage, in caring and giving discipline to the children entrusted to family care. That is a life that is about taking joy in fellowship with saints and a desire to see those who are yet to encounter Jesus meet Him and embrace Him. It is the pursuit of what makes for the peace that surpasses human understanding. It is about the righteousness that looks to support and build those that God has placed in our spheres of influence so they may flourish in every way. It’s the good that seeks to be humble, meek, repentant, merciful, pure and forgiving.

That is a remarkable aspect of Jesus’ followers. It is about what they hate. It is about what they cling to. this is a mark of a true Christian.

(This blog series was inspired by the Christian meditation on The Marks of a True Christian from the Encounter podcast.)

(Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash)

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden