Having a resolve for good, and to see good be done, is quite simply not good enough.
For what is good, but that which God defines as such? And what is good, but the call for God's will to be done in our lives? If we desire to do God's will, and want to reflect the goodness of his law, then we will inherently reflect his character as well.
God does not just want to see good be done, but it is paired with his wrath and hate for that which is evil. We like the good snuggly, cuddly parts of God like his mercy and grace and goodness, yet neglect this very aspect of God which gives his grace weight or meaning.
If we desire to do the will of God, we too will hate evil, especially that which is within ourselves. just resolving yourself for good will fail.
Consider the ancient Jewish people, for example. They received the direct revelation from God as to what his law was, and what he said was good for their lives. And regardless of their desire to do good, they could not adhere to God's standard and
covenant. Even the Jewish Pharisees of Jesus' day, the religious elites, followed the letter of the law, and yet Jesus showed them that their hearts were still wicked, and condemned them for it. It was not until, through Christ's sacrifice, we could inherit a new nature, apart from our sinful nature that we were born into, that we are able to reflect in our hearts the character of God and his hatred for sin.
God is the judge, and it is by his standard that we can know what is good and true and right. It is by his standard we should despise evil and injustice, knowing that his wrath is upon the sin of the world. Non-Christians know this, and repent. Trust in Christ that you may be spared from the wrath of a holy and just God. Christians, by faith, take your salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that you have been saved from such a wrath, by no works or doing of your own, but by the work of God in you, making you righteous. Likewise, use the transforming of your heart and mind to eradicate the remnants of sin still living in your flesh by hating that which God calls evil. And surely you can know, with certainty, that God will bless you for such an endeavor.
Know also that our God is a consuming fire, so be careful lest you count yourself among the pyre of his judgement, making excuse and pardon for that which He has called evil. And much like playing with fire, we can, like children, convince ourselves that we have our sin (or the sins we see in culture) under control through this laissez faire attitude toward evil. But, truly, it is only a matter of time until we get burnt.
Two stories come to mind when I think of our need for a right-mindedness about evil in ourselves and culture today. The first being 1 Samuel 17:34-37 which talks about king David (who was a shepherd at the time) being attacked by a lion AND a bear as he was watching his flock. Most of us cannot even fathom having to fend off one of these creatures, not to mention both. The beasts desired to destroy and devour not only David's sheep, but David himself. And what did David do? Did he let the beasts have his sheep and run? Or perhaps say "it is okay that they take my sheep as long as they do not take my life. We can merely go our separate ways."? No. David takes the lion and the bear by the mane and strikes them both dead with the equivalent of a sharp rock. So too must we be with the evil present in us. Do not make provision for evil, take it by the mane and strike it dead.
The second story that comes to mind is not a biblical one, but it makes the point nonetheless. Growing up I loved Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It's a ridiculous British comedy about King Arthur and his mighty round table of men on their quest to find the Holy Grail. In one scene, the men come upon a cave where they are told a great and dangerous monster lurks. As they tentatively approach they see a small rabbit at the mouth of the cave. Confused, they realize that this is the "terrible beast" that they had been warned of, and one of them approaches while laughing at how ridiculous it is that the people are afraid of such a small rabbit. As he comes closer though, the rabbit seizes upon the man, jumping and biting at his neck, killing him instantly while the others retreat. It isn't until they use an artifact known as the holy hand grenade of Antioch (yes a literal hand grenade. ridiculous, I know), to destroy the beast once and for all.
But this is a great analogy for sin and evil. It will often appear as this harmless entity or idea, and your flesh, and culture around you, will affirm the idea that things which God has called evil are actually good, healthy, non-threatening, and not a big deal. When we cultivate this understanding of evil, we let down our guard, we get sloppy, we treat sin and evil with levity, and we have God's guarantee that such behavior leads to death. The enemy's desire is not merely to get you to do bad things, like some spiritual prankster that gets a kick out of every time you sin. The enemy's desire is to destroy you. To devour you. To rule over you. Utterly and entirely (Genesis 4:7). To treat such malevolence with frivolous disregard is to hand the enemy the keys to your stronghold and to throw them a housewarming party while you're at it. And don't forget how King Arthur and his men slay the beast: total and complete annihilation. They use a hand grenade. On a bunny rabbit. How much more force and spiritual fervor, then, should we be handling our own sin with? Destroy it, before it destroys you.
Hating evil and resolve for good comes with the zeal and urgency to do what is necessary to rid ourselves of sin. There should be no-holds-barred when it comes to confronting and purging evil, and again this can only be done with a right perspective of what evil truly is and what God has called good through his work in us.
When we have this, the previous fires of eternal judgement become fires of temperament. Honing, molding, and strengthening the steel of our faith that God might make us into a blade for his purposes. Or hand grenade. Whichever you prefer.
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