Let's clarify the objects of love and hate!
[Psalms 119:113-120]
Although the Bible commands us to say "yes" to "yes" and "no" to "no", it seems that we aren’t living a life of faith according to this command. It seems that we are living our life of faith in which "yes" can sometimes be "no" and "no" sometimes can be "yes". How many times do we live in disobedience to God's commandments, saying "Yes" to God’s command but “No” in action? Conversely, it seems that there are many times when we commit sins by accepting “yes” so naturally to what God commands us not to do even though we suppose to live a life of “no” in obedience to His command.
We seem to like gray over white and black. Although we should love the life of obedience to what the Lord loves and hate the sins of the world, we are living in a gray area that is neither this nor that, like the Israelites on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18:21). Now we are living a life of faith that isn’t clear. Right now, we aren’t living with a clear object of love and hate that we love to love and hate what to hate.
However, the psalmist of Psalms 119 was clarified the object of love and hate. He hated those who are double-minded but love the law of the Lord (v. 113). We must draw the clear line like the psalmist. But we are reluctant to draw that line. One of the reasons is because our life is comfortable in the gray area. We are so used to life in that gray area. This is because if we live a lukewarm life of faith that is neither this nor that, we can live a peaceful life in this world without that many problems. But the Bible wants our colors to be clear. If it is God, it is God, if it is an idol, it is an idol. God doesn’t want us to live a life of faith that is neither this nor that. As we meditate on the psalmist's clear object of love and hate today, I hope and pray that we can also clarify the object of love and hate.
First, what was the object of the psalmist's love?
In Psalms 119:113-120, we can see that the object of the psalmist's love was the word of God. Of course, because the Lord was the object of love to him, the word of the Lord was also the object of his love. Then, I would like to think about four things what kind of life those who love the word of the Lord live:
(1) The psalmist had regard for the word of the Lord continually.
Look at Psalms 119:117 – “Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.” The psalmist respected and valued the word of God.
(2) The psalmist observed the commandments of God.
Look at Psalms 119:115 – “Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God.” The psalmist kept the commandments of the Lord. In John 14:21, it is said that those who love the Lord are those who keep His commandments. Those who love the Lord don’t end by just respecting and placing importance on the word of the Lord, but they observe it.
(3) The psalmist waited for the word of the Lord.
Look at Psalms 119:114 – “You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.” If we keep the word of the Lord, we are often attacked by Satan. Therefore, like the psalmist, we must make the Lord our hiding place and our shield (v. 114), must dwell in Him, and hope in the Lord's (promised) word (v. 116).
(4) The psalmist was upheld by the word of the Lord.
Look at Psalms 119:116-117: “Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope. Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.” When we try to keep the word of the Lord with respect and importance, we may be in danger and attack by Satan. At that time, we must dwell in the arms of the Lord who is our hiding place and our shield, hoping for the fulfillment of His promised word. Then the Lord will make us to live (v. 116) and will save us (v. 117). If we are u[held by the word of the Lord in this way, the Lord will make us to live and save us according to His word.
Then, what was the object of the psalmist’s hate?
The object of the psalmist’s hate was “those who are double-minded” (v. 113). Who were those who were double-minded? If we look at James 1:6-8, the Bible says that those who doubt are those who are double-minded. Are we not the ones with double-minded? How doubtful are we when we pray to God? Those who have double-minded are unstable in all their ways (v. 8). We must hate our own double-mindedness. In the context of Psalms 119:113, there are three things that can be said about the double-minded people:
(1) The double-minded people are those who have rejected the word of God.
Look at Psalms 119:118 – “You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless.” We, who love the Lord and His word, must hate those who have departed from the word of God, that is, those who are double-minded. The Bible says that the Lord has rejected all those who wander from His statutes (v. 118). Since these are deceitful people who are pursuing in vain things, those who love the word of the Lord should hate those who have departed from His word.
(1) The double-minded people are evildoers.
Look at Psalms 119:115 – “Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God.” Those who are double-minded who have left the word of the Lord have no choice but to do evil. Therefore, those who love the word of the Lord hate evildoers.
(2) The double-minded people are the wicked.
Look at Psalms 119:119 – “You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.” The Christians who make it clear that the Lord is the object of love make the wicked object of hate clear and live a life of faith.
One remarkable fact here is that God promises to us whom He loves to thoroughly purge away our dross and remove all our impurities (Isa. 1:25). What a wonderful grace and love of God? God who throws away the wicked like dross, promises to us that He will thoroughly purge away our dross and remove all our impurities. And hasn't God fulfilled this promised word through Jesus Christ? God made us completely purified us with the blood of Jesus on the cross. Therefore, we should no longer confuse the objects of love and hate and live a life of dross. We should no longer live a life of impurities. We should not mix objects of love and objects of hate and live a life of faith in gray area. If it's hot, it's hot, or it's cold, it's cold. We shouldn't be lukewarm Christians. We must stop wavering between two objects but must make a choice. I hope and pray that all of us who choose the object of love and the object of hate and draw a clear line between the two and live a life of faith.
With gratitude for the grace and love of our Heavenly Father for purifying me who was like dross,
James Kim
(Committed to a life of faith that clarifies the objects of love and hate)