A Hate that God Approves
As I listened to another sermon that I thought I have heard plenty of times, the message finally clicked! God can change our hearts to a point where we will hate sin! You're probably wondering, so what? Well folks, read the devotional below.
1) Victory leads to Hatred.
When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us. - Desire of Ages 668
When was the last time you had victory over a sin that was weighing you down? There is a peace and joy that comes when you finally overcome. However, although you may have had victory once or twice, the temptation still seems to be there and the flesh still seems weak. But according to this quote, God longs more than victory, He wants hatred towards these sins! Which is possible through communion with Him.
Don't settle for victory but hatred towards sin. You know that addiction that seems impossible to overcome, God can change your heart to the point that you will hate it. However, do you really believe that? As I look at the vices in my life, sometimes I doubt that the Lord can change my heart to hate those things. I believe that He can give me strength to overcome it but not to hate it. But today is a new day, ask the Lord to change your heart knowing that hatred then sin is more than attainable through Him.
2) It starts with today.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
Psalms 40:2-3
Psalms 40 speaks about being taken out of a dark place (whatever that may be in your life) and being established on Christ the solid rock. After that happens, God is then able to put a new song in your mouth! Those old songs (hip hop, rap, whatever it may be) as appealing as they may have been, can be changed to something more pure (hymns, classical, weimartian music). But as God takes us out of that pit, we mustn't jump back and forth between the borders, because if we do so, it seems that we'll never have a new song in our mouth. A hatred towards sin starts with victory over those sins on the daily. You may struggle with something but as the Lord aids you and you overcome through His strength (John 5:4), then He is better able to change your heart.
The thing that we must understand is that hatred towards sin doesn't always happen overnight. When we overcome a certain temptation, we find ourselves very confident in ourselves and believe that the battle is over. But little do we know, that the temptation will come back again and every nerve in your body wants to fall right back into it.
It reminds us that we must make Christ our constant strength no matter what. The famous hymn "Come thou fount of every blessings" writes in the third verse "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love, Here's my heart O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above." The hymnist gets it. Robert Robinson realized that if he digs deep into his heart, he is prone to fall. Prone to leave God and go far away from Him. That is why he pleads with God, to take his heart and seal it. The same should be with us, as you wrestle with these sins realize that you in yourself are not strong enough to overcome it. You are prone to wander and fall right back in, however, praise God that He is more then able to give you victory if He is your strength.
The appeal is simple, plead with God to take your heart that you may have victory, and when victory comes, keep pleading. As you do this, then can God better put a hatred towards sin in your heart.
“It (the cross) declares that while God’s hatred of sin is as strong as death, His love for the sinner is stronger than death -Ellen White”
