Let's Clearly Define the Objects of Love and Hate!
[Psalm 119:113-120]
The Bible commands that "yes" means "yes" and "no" means "no," but it seems that we are living a faith that is not very clear. Sometimes, what should be a "yes" becomes a "no," and what should be a "no" becomes a "yes." When God commands us, we should obey with a "yes," but how often do we say "yes" with our lips and then act with a "no," living in disobedience to God's commandments? On the other hand, when God commands us not to do something, we should live with a "no," but we often accept it with a "yes" and sin very naturally.
It seems that we prefer gray over black and white. We are supposed to love the life of obedience to God's word, which also requires hating the sins of the world, yet we are living in a "gray area" just like the Israelites on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:21). Right now, we are living in a faith that lacks clarity. We are not drawing clear lines on what we should love and what we should hate. We are not clearly defining the objects of our love and hate.
However, the psalmist in today's passage from Psalm 119 had clear objects of love and hate. He hated those who were "double-minded" and loved "the law of the Lord" (v. 113). We need to have this same clear boundary, just like the psalmist. But we hesitate to draw such lines, and one of the reasons is that life in the "gray area" feels more comfortable. We have become so accustomed to living in this in-between space. Living a lukewarm faith, neither hot nor cold, allows us to live comfortably in this world. But the Bible wants our colors to be clear. God is God, idols are idols, and we should not live a Christian life that is neither this nor that. Today, as we meditate on the psalmist's clear objects of love and hate, I hope that we too can clearly define what we love and what we hate.
First, what was the object of the psalmist's love?
In today's passage, Psalm 119:113-120, we can see that the psalmist’s object of love was God's word. Of course, since he loved the Lord, he also loved the Lord’s word. So, what kind of life does someone who loves the Lord's word live? Let me reflect on four aspects of the life of those who love the Lord's word:
(1) He always pays attention to the Lord's Word.
Look at the second half of verse 117 in today's passage: "... I will always pay attention to Your statutes." The psalmist respected and valued God's Word.
(2) He keeps the Lord's Word.
Look at the second half of verse 115 in today's passage: "... I will keep the commandments of my God." The psalmist kept the Lord's commandments. In the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 21, it says that those who love the Lord are the ones who keep His commandments. Loving the Lord is not just about respecting and valuing His Word, but also about obeying it.
(3) He hopes in the Lord's Word.
Look at the second half of verse 114 in today's passage: "... I hope in Your word." When we keep the Lord's Word, we often face attacks from Satan. Therefore, like the psalmist, we must make the Lord our "refuge" and "shield" (v. 114), dwelling in Him and putting our hope in His (promised) Word (v. 116).
(4) He is held by the Lord's Word.
Look at verses 116-117 in today's passage: "Sustain me according to Your Word, that I may live... Hold me up..." When we respect and value the Lord's Word and try to keep it, we may be in danger of Satan's attacks and risks. In those moments, we must dwell in the arms of the Lord, who is our refuge and shield, and hope for the fulfillment of His promises. In doing so, the Lord will preserve our lives (v. 116) and save us (v. 117). When we are held by the Lord's Word, He will indeed preserve and save us according to that Word.
So, what was the object of the psalmist's hatred?
The object of his hatred was the "double-minded" (v. 113). Who are the "double-minded"? In the book of James 1:6-8, it refers to those who doubt when they pray as the "double-minded." Are we not sometimes double-minded? How often do we doubt when we pray to God? Those who are double-minded are unstable in all their ways (v. 8). We must hate the double-mindedness in our own hearts. In the context of today's passage in Psalm 119:113, the "double-minded" can be understood in three ways:
(1) Those with a double mind are those who have turned away from God's Word.
Look at the first part of verse 118 in today’s passage: "Those who stray from Your statutes..." As Christians, whose object of love is the Lord and His Word, we must hate those who turn away from God’s Word, that is, those with a double mind. The Bible tells us that the Lord has despised them (v. 118). These people, who engage in deceit, seek after empty things, so those who love the Lord's Word must hate those who turn away from it.
(2) Those with a double mind are the evildoers.
Look at the first part of verse 115 in today’s passage: "You evildoers..." Those who have a divided heart and have turned away from the Lord’s Word inevitably engage in evil. Therefore, those who love the Lord's Word hate evildoers.
(3) Those with a double mind are the wicked.
Look at the first part of verse 119 in today’s passage: "You discard all the wicked of the earth like dross..." Christians who clearly define the Lord as their object of love make the wicked their object of hatred in their walk of faith.
An amazing fact here is that God promises to completely cleanse our "dross" and remove all our impurities because of His love for us (Isaiah 1:25). What a tremendous grace and love of God! While the wicked are discarded as dross, God promises to cleanse us, who still carry that dross. And hasn’t God fulfilled this promise through Jesus Christ? Through the blood of Jesus on the cross, God has completely purified us. Therefore, we should no longer live lives like "dross," confusing the objects of our love and hate. We should no longer live lives like "filthy water." We must not mix the objects of love and hate and settle into a lukewarm faith in a gray area. We must either be hot or cold, but we cannot be lukewarm. We must stop our hesitant faith and make a choice. May we, by clearly choosing the objects of our love and hate, draw a distinct line in our faith walk.
With a heart full of gratitude for the grace and love of God the Father, who has purified our dross,
Pastor James Kim
Sharing
(With a commitment to living a faith where the objects of love and hate are clearly defined)