Mon., 6/8/20 Devotion (Ps. 97:10a)

Today's encouragement comes from Psalm 97:10a, where we read these words:

"You who love the LORD, hate evil! . . . "

In order to properly and authentically love God Christian churchmen must al-so—at the same time, and with equal intensity—hate everything that He (the Lord) hates. This doctrine, of course, is usually not understood correctly, (and some people are simply unable to accept it). The key to its implementation is devotion to the Ultimate proper Object of love (God); and (conversely), hatred for the proper objects of hate: sin, (and in some senses, the perpetrators of sin, viz. sinners).

A healthy and growing Christian actually both loves and hates at the same time. We are to love Christ, His church, and the image of God found in human beings. We are to hate sin and the image of sin found in fallen human beings and demons. And we are to apply this doctrine fairly, even to ourselves—as we both love our new natures (in Christ), and hate our old ones (that continue to cling to the flesh).

[Puritan quote of the day: "The devil is orthodox in his faith. He believes the true scheme of doctrine. . . . The articles of his faith are all sound, and in them he is thoroughly established.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon en-titled, "True Grace Distinguished"]