How a Christian can develop a strong hatred for Sin: As saved, born again Bible believing Christians, we understand that the Bible has much to say abo

[ChosenbyHim]

How a Christian can develop a strong hatred for Sin:​

As saved, born again Bible believing Christians, we understand that the Bible has much to say about sin and wickedness and how we as saints of God, are to hate sin and wickedness.

For we are told by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 12:9 that we are to ABHOR that which is evil and cleave to that which is good. And Abhor is a word that denotes a very strong hatred.

In another passage, found in Hebrews, we see how Our Lord Jesus hates Sin and evil:
Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and HATED iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Then in the Old Testament, in Psalm 97:10a, we read:

‘Ye that love the LORD, HATE evil:….’
And in Proverbs 8:13, we read:

The fear of the LORD [is] to HATE evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Therefore we as Christians should hate sin and wickedness and evil. Since our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hates it. And also since sin is the very reason for why our Saviour had to suffer and die in our place on the Cross. Sin is extremely horrible, for it is the very thing which separates mankind from God their loving Creator.


And yet though, what is also important to understand is that hatred for sin in the life of any Christian is not automatic. Just as our spiritual growth is not automatic. The way that we As Christians can develop a proper hatred for sin and evil is by developing a strong love for God and His word, the Holy Scriptures. When we develop a deeper love For God, and His word, we will also begin to love God's Perfect character and perfect attributes (His holiness, His goodness, His faithfulness, His mercy, His Justice and His righteousness). Now how can we develop this love for God and a proper hatred for sin? Simply by following a very important set of commandments given to us in the New testament by Paul the Apostle, which are the following:

Galatians 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. {17} For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. {18} But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.


Colossians 3:8-10 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. {9} Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; {10} And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; {23} And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; {24} And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Now obviously those passages of Scripture which I just posted have to do with putting off the Old Man (Adamic Nature) and Putting on the New Man. This is the big key of how a Christian can develop a proper holy hatred for sin and evil. Since if you are walking in the Spirit, you will begin to develop a proper love for God and His righteousness and Holiness. Once again, though it is vital that we take this doctrine of the Two natures very seriously.
For there is a common misconception out there that Christians are somehow not capable of living carnally, and that if a person is living in sin, that that must mean that they are not saved. When in reality, not only do Christians still sin in the flesh, but there are also Christians out there who actually live in sin. And this is what a lot of preachers refer to as Carnal Christians. And why? Because simply put, they live carnally. They live carnal, fleshly lives. And they are carnally minded, just as many Christians at the Church of Corinth were carnally minded. And They live and walk after the flesh and after the Old Man. Hence, they lose power in their lives, and they end up giving in quickly to sinful temptation.


And just as a Christian is capable of backsliding and going back to his Old life of sin, likewise, a Christian who walks in the flesh is capable of actually loving their sin. And why do I say this? Because if a Christian walks after the Flesh, after the Old Man long enough, 2 peter 1:9 reveals that that Christian can get to a point where he is spiritually blind and cannot see afar off. And to where he even forgets that he is saved, and ends up living like an unbeliever. And a Christian that does not reckon himself dead to sin, but walks after the flesh, he obviously is not going to develop a hatred for sin, but rather it is possible for him to start loving his sin. Since his Old Adamic Nature loves sin. It is like Paul the apostle said in Romans 7 how that he knew that in his flesh, dwelleth no good thing. And obviously, he was talking about his Old Adamic, Sin Nature. Our Old Man is absolutely depraved, vile, corrupt, and it absolutely loves sin and carnality. It therefore is absolutely contrary to the Spirit (The New Man).

Now let us look at some examples of Saints (saved people) who lost their hatred for sin and evil. Let’s consider the following:


David, a man after God’s own heart, became complacent at a time in his life to where one day as he was on the roof top of his house and when he saw a beautiful lady by the name of Bathsheba bathing herself, he went and summoned his servants and messengers to go and take her and they brought her unto him where he then laid with her. And to make matters worse, then he tried to cover up his sin by getting Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, drunken and then sent him to his own house in an attempt to get him to sleep with his wife. But when Uriah did not go in unto his own wife, then David developed another scheme and plot, and had him placed at the forefront of the hottest battle, where Uriah would eventually be killed in battle. Now what was David’s problem? Was David saved? Yes, he certainly was saved, even though he was living very wickedly during the time that he committed these evil deeds.

The problem with David, was that he did not have the right attitude toward sin. At this time of his life, he was backslidden and far away from God. Therefore during this time, he failed to have a hatred for sin and evil. If David would have had a holy hatred for sin and evil, then he would not have done what he did. Now the good news is, David did repent of this evil sin and therefore he got right with God. And he did actually develop a holy hatred for sin and evil. This is evidenced by what he wrote in the following verses:

Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Psalms 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Psalms 119:163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.

When David returned back to God and His holy word, David had developed a love again for God and His word. Therefore, as a result, David developed a proper holy hatred for sin and wickedness and lying.
Another example of a saint who lost his hatred for sin is Solomon:

In 1 Kings 11:1, we read that king Solomon loved many strange women, and that it was these very strange women who turned his heart away from the Lord and away from the word of God. Hence, Solomon lost his hatred for evil and sin, and he went backward, became very backslidden and even went after false gods such as Ashorteth the false goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites, and Chemosh the abomination of Moab. What was wrong with Solomon? Was he saved?

Yes, Solomon was saved, but he was not right with God, for his heart was not perfect toward God. In other words, he was out of fellowship with the Lord. Solomon cleaved to his wives in love. Solomon also was living in sin and rebellion against God.

Solomon had lost a hatred for sin and evil, to where he even lived like a heathen and a pagan and it is possible that he even worshipped these false gods with his wives. Since the text does say that he went after these false gods. If Solomon would have kept his hatred for evil and if he would have cleaved to that which is good (the word of God) and would have kept a strong love for God and His commandments, then he would not have went after so many strange women to begin with. Are you starting to see, Christian, just how easy it is go back to your old flesh, and to backslide??? Now once again, to restate the obvious, just as David was a saved man, so was Solomon. Both of these men were saints, they were God’s. Solomon is in heaven today. For 2 Peter 1:21 affirms that Solomon was a holy man of God. For he wrote three books of the Bible, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.

And then a very common example would be Lot. Lot is a very common example used in sermons and messages that deal with a saint who is backslidden and not right with God. The obvious problem with Lot is that he loved the very thing which God hated. Lot loved Sodom. Lot lived in sin and developed a love for Sodom, and therefore he became weak, powerless, and his testimony was absolutely shot. Lot did not develop a proper hatred for sin and evil. For If Lot would have developed a holy hatred for sin and evil, then he no doubt would have left Sodom long ago before the time when God decided to Judge that land. And just like David and Solomon, Lot also was a saved man. 2 Peter 2:7-8 says that Lot was a Just and righteous man whose righteous soul was vexed by the filthy conversation of the wicked. And so although Lot was not living right, nevertheless, he was still a saved man, and is in heaven today.

 

[ChosenbyHim]

Then for a New Testament Example of believers and saints who failed to develop a strong hatred for sin, would be the Christians at the Church of God at Corinth. For at the church at Corinth, all kind of sin was being committed, even sexual sins, such as fornication, and uncleanness and lasciviousness. There were saved people there in Corinth who were licentious. And It was commonly reported that there was fornication going on among them in their midst, and such fornication which was not even named among the gentiles, which was that of a man who was sleeping with his father’s wife.

What was the problem there at Corinth? The Christians there were walking and living after the Flesh. Therefore they began to love their sin. This explains why they were puffed up and why they were not mourning about it (1 Cor. 5:2). Paul rebuked them, writing to them that their glorying was not good, and that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. And so again, the problem with many in the Church at Corinth is that they were not walking in the Spirit, and because of this, they were walking in the flesh, and therefore they did not develop a hatred for sin and evil, but began to allow sexual sin to go on in their midst. Hence, Paul the apostle, therefore rebuked them and straitened them out.



Now having considered the examples just given, let’s transition back over to the solution. For a Christian to develop a holy hatred for sin, he must put off the Old Man, and reckon himself dead to sin, and he must put on the New Man and Walk in the Spirit. This is the solution, Christian, for you to develop a strong hatred for sin. Since the New Man which dwelleth in us is Pure, Holy, Just and Righteous. And our New Nature absolutely hates Sin and it absolutely loves God and Loves His holiness and His Righteousness.

We can begin to understand why Paul said what he said in Gal. 5:17 about how the Old Man (the Flesh) and The New Man (The Spirit) war against each other and how they are contrary to one another. This also explains the inner battle and war that every true born again Child of God experiences all throughout his Christian life. For his Old Nature loves sin, but his New Nature hates Sin and loves God. The Old Nature (Old Man) is of the Devil (1 John 3:8) and the New Nature (New Man) is of God (1 John 3:9).

And again, hatred for Sin and evil in the life of a Christian is not automatic. This takes effort on your part, Christian. Because walking in the Spirit is not automatic. It is volitional. You have to make the choice daily to walk in the Spirit.

And so what determines whether or not you hate your sin, is based upon which of the two Natures you feed and yield to. If a Christian feeds the Old Man and yields to the Flesh, then he is not going to develop a proper hatred for Sin, since his flesh does not hate sin, but loves sin. And contrary to what Jesse Morrell teaches and other Pelegian hereticks like him teach, our flesh is no good. Our flesh is absolutely rotten to the core. We cannot make any improvements upon our flesh, Christian. We cannot even please God, in our flesh.

And so once again, if we are to hate sin as we should, then we need to grow in Grace and we only do that by Walking Daily in the Spirit, after the New Man. Since our New Nature is the one who hates sin and evil and loves God and His Righteousness.

Furthermore, here are some ways we can Walk in the Spirit. First and foremost, Reading the King James Bible, the blessed Holy Scripture. And notice I said, King James Bible. Not the NIV, Not the ESV, not the NLT. But God’s true and holy word, the Authorized English Bible which was first printed in 1611. And for those who are still trying to defend the new versions, listen, there is just no excuse. There is enough information out there Regarding the King James Bible and the Bible Version Issue, that any Christian can find for himself. That is, if he is really seeking for the truth. And if you are going to tell me that you cannot understand the thees and the thous, well I am not buying it. It is not that you do not understand the thees and the thous, but what it really is, you just don’t like the thees and the thous of the King James Bible. Just be honest.

If you want to develop a strong hatred for sin, then you need to spend time in God’s HOLY word. Because just as God hates Sin, so does His holy word, the blessed King James Holy Bible. God and His word (the Holy Scriptures) are One. And they possess the very same Perfect and Holy Nature, character, purity, goodness and holiness. They possess the very same love for righteousness and the very same holy hatred for sin and evil. And so if you want to be clean, Christian and live holy, and hate sin, then you better spend time reading, studying, and obeying God’s holy word, the King James Bible. For let us consider these Scriptures also:

Psalms 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

(Psalms 119:9) ב (BETH).Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

And Just like that good old preacher D.L. Moody once said: “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.”
And so do not think for one minute, Christian, that you can develop a proper hatred for sin and wickedness without first spending quality time in God’s word, reading, studying and meditating in it.

And the proud, puffed up, self righteous people, the modern day Pharisees out there walking around saying “I don’t sin anymore. I absolutely am without sin” I would tell those very people, ‘Oh you don’t sin anymore, do you? You go a while without spending time in that King James Bible, and it will shock you just how deep into sin you’ll go. If you are a Christian and you begin to neglect spending time in the word of God, and you do not read or study the word, then you’ll be very capable of committing sin, and there is no telling how deep into sin a saved person can fall. And so we as Christians better take heed by making sure that we stay in the Holy Book and continue therein.

Another example of walking in the Spirit is praying fervently. Spending time with God in prayer. The more we pray and the more we spend time in fellowship with God, the more harder it will be for us to sin. Just as reading the Holy Bible is crucial for Christian growth and for developing a hatred for sin. Likewise, prayer is also important for every child of God to do, in order to develop stronger fellowship with the Lord. In 1 Thess. 5:17, Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. And then in Jude 1:21, we are told how we can build up ourselves in our most holy faith, which is by praying in the Holy Ghost. Prayer is crucial for all Christians to do, for it helps us to walk In the Spirit.

Another way to walk in the Spirit is by singing spiritual hymns, songs and hymns (Eph. 3:19, Col. 3:16).
Listening to the right music. And not to worldly music.

Other ways to Walk in the Spirit is to fast, where you literally put the flesh down! And to also go outside the camp, outside the gate, and witness to the lost. Get involved in evangelism. Start serving God, Christian. Repent of this lukewarm attitude, where it is just about you and your family, and your close circle of friends and your comfort zone, and actually realize that there are lost sinners out there headed to a Burning Lake of Fire. Now, you should spend time with your family, and create wonderful memories with your wife and children. Do all that wonderful stuff. But do not neglect evangelizing the lost. Develop a Biblical balance in your Christian life. You may not be called to be a missionary over seas, you may not be called to be a street preacher, but you are definitely called to be a witness for Jesus Christ. We all have been given the ministry of reconciliation. You can pass out Gospel Tracts, hold up a Scriptural Sign at a busy intersection, knock on doors, but just do something for the cause of Christ and for the furtherance of the Gospel.

As I conclude this post, it is sad that there are a lot of carnal Christians out there who do love the world and who do love their sin. This brings to mind where Paul the apostle warned in 2 Timothy 3:4 that in the last days how men would be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

I believe this Scripture I just referenced also has an application to the Christians who would be living in the last days, which would be us. Notice that Paul was not saying that these men did not love God, but that they just loved pleasure More than they loved God. In other words, it would be like a Christian leaving his first love, and beginning to love the world. And thereby failing to love God first with all his heart, soul, strength and mind. Sadly, this can happen to a Christian and sadly, it often does. This also is why there are times when we as Saints need a revival, where we need to return back to Bethel. And have a right fellowship restored between us and our heavenly Father. Where we begin to love God with all our heart as we ought to, and where we once again begin to hate and abhor sin and evil as we ought to.

And so brethren, let’s make sure before we point our fingers at sinners, and tell them that they need to get right with God, let’s first make sure that WE (the Saints) are right with God. Let’s judge ourselves first before we go out and judge the lost. Let’s make sure that we are truly right with God, and that we have repented of our sins and our wickedness and our hypocrisy, before we go out there and preach to the lost.