Hate the Evil, Not the People

[Christsfreeservant]

“O that You would slay the wicked, O God;​

Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.​

For they speak against You wickedly,​

And Your enemies take Your name in vain.​

Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?​

And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?​

I hate them with the utmost hatred;​

They have become my enemies.” (Psalms 139:19-22 NASB’95)​

Now, in the New Testament, we are taught not to hate. We are taught to love even our enemies and those who do evil against us, and that we are to do good to them and to pray for them and to bless them (say to them what is beneficial for them in the eyes of the Lord). But we are to hate evil. And we are to stand up against all evil. And we are to have compassion on the hurting. And we can certainly pray to be delivered from evil people.

For loving our enemies in no way is approving of their wicked behaviors. For we are to speak against all evil, we are to call it out for what it is, and we are to warn all people against doing evil and of approving of evil in its various forms. And evil includes lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, sexual immorality, gossip, hate, mistreatment of others, double-dealing, deliberate deception, habitual sin and disobedience, and the like.

So, hate the sin, but not the sinner. But in love, rebuke all evil, call it what it is, and call all people to repent of (turn from) their evil ways and to die with Christ to sin and to now walk (in practice, in conduct) in obedience to his commands. And do not entertain any forms of evil. Do not get enjoyment out of seeing evil people do evil deeds to anyone. Do not be entertained by evil of any kind, but use discretion about what you set your eyes on.

And this goes to how many people here in America, who call themselves Christians, speak to one another with hate when they disagree with one another’s political opinions. It is absolutely possible to hear other people out and to not get nasty in return. We don’t have to lower ourselves to name calling and to childish behavior in order to express a difference of thought or opinion about what we believe is happening in our government.

And we certainly can and should speak out about what we believe is pure evil, especially if we believe that many people are being led down “rabbit holes” that go nowhere good, or that they are following “pied pipers” to their deaths. And a “pied piper” is “someone who entices others to follow them, often through promises that are not genuine, and who leads others astray or manipulates them for their own gain” (source: Google). But warn with love.

We do not need to use hateful, bitter, and childish speech in order to get our message across. We do not have to lower ourselves to name calling just to make a point. It is entirely possible to speak the truth, but to speak it in love, and with adult maturity on a level to others to where they might actually listen to us and they might want to hear us out, and they might consider what we are saying, that it might have an element of truth to it.

And, if we are those who are not making sin our practice, who are not deliberately and habitually sinning against God and against other humans, then we should be praying for all who do evil, in practice, that they might repent of their evil ways, and that they might believe in Jesus and begin following him in walks of surrender to his will and in obedience to his commands. But we also need to set the right example before them.

And the right example is not about just being a “good deed doer” and only speaking what we know people want to hear. For love, which is of God, and which is genuine, speaks the truth in love to others for their good, even if it is not the truth that they want to hear, but what they need to hear. But we can speak the truth without getting nasty and resorting to name calling and to insulting one another who differ with us in thought or belief or opinion.

[Matthew 5:43-46; Luke 6:27-28; Luke 10:27; John 13:34-35; John 15:12]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Hate the Evil, Not the People
An Original Work / March 7, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love