Psalm 97 - What Is Evil?

^"Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked." (Psalm 97:10 NIV)

So what exactly is this evil that the faithful ones hate?  This morning, as most morning, I'm going to have to go for anything that separates from the love of God. Any false idol, any motivation that is self-serving, that turns our love away from Him and to something else would be evil.  Being separated from God is evil.  Being reconciled to Him is a good thing!

I can think of lots of evil things that turn my stomach this morning.  Evil is not always blatant and in your face.  Sometimes, it is those little things we do, the sneaky little things to undermine our neighbor and that do not glorify God, that is the evil that confronts and confounds us.  Evil comes sliding out from under the rock, mostly unnoticed by humankind.  But, it is there and we often fail to recognize it as existing around us. We fail to recognize it and end up accepting it as a normal part of life. 

I am always amazed when someone declares something as the epitome of evil.  It's like we're saying that thing or that person is evil, but I am not.  It's always good to say something is more evil than we are.  It makes us feel righteous.  Actually, what it makes us is self-righteous and the only one that is truly righteous is God.  In Him is our righteousness and in no other. 

^"Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name." (Psalm 97:11-12)

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

Job 31 - The Sinless One

Job is sounding pretty self-righteous, again, this morning.  I cannot help but consider whether it is really possible for any such man to have existed. It is. But, the only one without sin was the one who gave himself for us, on the cross, Jesus the Christ. 

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  (Heb 4:14-16 NIV)

The only argument for our righteous, is not, cannot be, based upon our good works.  It is based only on the blood of Christ, shed for you. We can approach God's throne of grace in faith that we will mercy and grace solely based on His love given to us in Jesus' Christ, our LORD.

God's Peace - Pr. J