Joel M Bradshaw

12“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
and I find knowledge and discretion.
13The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.–Proverbs 8

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5, emphasis)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-45, emphasis)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2, emphasis)

1. Lady Wisdom speaks in this proverb. She is contrasted with Madam Folly. She said to fear God is to hate evil.
2. So naturally, I want to hate all the evil in the world.
3. The problem with that is that I will inherently start to hate other people for their evil.
4. Jesus doesn’t allow that. I am to love my enemies and pray for them. I am not allowed by Jesus to hate them.
5. So what evil is left to hate? My own. Jesus commanded I focus first on my own evil. Otherwise I would be a hypocrite.
6. The great challenge then is to hate my sinful hypocrisy, but not let that turn into a hatred of myself. Romans 8 commands that I am not allowed to condemn myself. Since God no longer condemns me in Christ, I am not to condemn myself.
7. We live in a divided world that loves to foment emotional responses. How is your struggle with hate? How would a close friend describe you? Do you cross the hate boundaries?–JMB