11/9/20
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Proverbs chapter 8 personifies wisdom. Most Christian commentators have historically understood Jesus, God the Son, to be the personification of wisdom.
Our passage from Proverbs calls us to take on some of Christ's character qualities. In verses 13 and 14 we see an appropriate kind of hatred. What is it that Christians are to hate? We are to hate evil, pride, and arrogance. This is relatively easy to say, but rather more difficult to do.
Why is this so difficult? In part because we live in a world which has tried to redefine evil. I've often been told by people who aren't Christians that if I were a real and relevant Christian I would be focused on a variety of social issues which are not closely connected to the distinctively Christian message of Christ's work of reconciling sinners to God through his forgiveness.
Evil has been redefined in many circles, just as predicted by Orwell. Evil is called good. Rather than looking to God to define good and evil, rather than finding divine priorities as recorded in Scripture, we are to look deep within ourselves. We then become the arbiters of what is good.
That works all right if we happen to have the same priorities that God does. But a secularized world, which exalts itself instead of submitting to God's Word is not going to have the wisdom of God. It will not find the same priorities.
To put it bluntly, our passage in Proverbs 8 condemns this idea. We are to hate evil, and that evil is any rejection of what God has called good. It is, by nature, pride and arrogance.
Rather than embracing evil in our pride and arrogance, the Christian is to live a life of repentance. We look to the forgiveness we have in Christ, the restoration of fellowship with God, the great salvation which acknowledges God and His Word as the source of life.
Christians are to hate that which brings death. We are to love the one who brings life. This is found in Jesus, the one who created truth, the one who himself is the truth. This is gospel. It is enlightenment. It is a sure and certain hope in this life and in eternity. We pray, then, that all Christians everywhere would be increasingly changed into the image of God. We pray that all would see Christ as our life, and turn to him, rather than to themselves. Yes, hatred of evil brings love of life. Let us then love life, trusting in Christ.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Proverbs chapter 8 personifies wisdom. Most Christian commentators have historically understood Jesus, God the Son, to be the personification of wisdom.
Our passage from Proverbs calls us to take on some of Christ's character qualities. In verses 13 and 14 we see an appropriate kind of hatred. What is it that Christians are to hate? We are to hate evil, pride, and arrogance. This is relatively easy to say, but rather more difficult to do.
Why is this so difficult? In part because we live in a world which has tried to redefine evil. I've often been told by people who aren't Christians that if I were a real and relevant Christian I would be focused on a variety of social issues which are not closely connected to the distinctively Christian message of Christ's work of reconciling sinners to God through his forgiveness.
Evil has been redefined in many circles, just as predicted by Orwell. Evil is called good. Rather than looking to God to define good and evil, rather than finding divine priorities as recorded in Scripture, we are to look deep within ourselves. We then become the arbiters of what is good.
That works all right if we happen to have the same priorities that God does. But a secularized world, which exalts itself instead of submitting to God's Word is not going to have the wisdom of God. It will not find the same priorities.
To put it bluntly, our passage in Proverbs 8 condemns this idea. We are to hate evil, and that evil is any rejection of what God has called good. It is, by nature, pride and arrogance.
Rather than embracing evil in our pride and arrogance, the Christian is to live a life of repentance. We look to the forgiveness we have in Christ, the restoration of fellowship with God, the great salvation which acknowledges God and His Word as the source of life.
Christians are to hate that which brings death. We are to love the one who brings life. This is found in Jesus, the one who created truth, the one who himself is the truth. This is gospel. It is enlightenment. It is a sure and certain hope in this life and in eternity. We pray, then, that all Christians everywhere would be increasingly changed into the image of God. We pray that all would see Christ as our life, and turn to him, rather than to themselves. Yes, hatred of evil brings love of life. Let us then love life, trusting in Christ.
If this brief meditation was helpful to you, I hope you will check out the other materials on our website at www.WittenbergCoMo.com and consider supporting us.
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