Christians should be very careful not to love what God hates
There is an ugly trend in the body of Christ that is giving me serious concern. Many Christians these days no longer fear God, and many are quick to compromise on what the Word of God teaches. They dilute the Word to fit with what the world preaches. Sin is no longer rejected, and guilt and shame are becoming antiquated concepts.
Our inability to call a spade a spade has encouraged the moral decadence we see in our societies. The consciences of men and women are now seared because they are no longer rebuked for their sin by those who are the custodians of God’s Word. Things that are abominable in the sight of God are now being embraced by Christians undern the pretense of respecting human rights.
The ultimate question is this: Should God’s standards be subservient to man’s standards?
The Scripture categorically states “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). A closer look at the non-discriminatory policies of the governments of this world reveals that it is an agenda aimed at yoking believers and unbelievers and creating an atmosphere that favors unbelievers.
Condemnation of sin, evil and wickedness is now considered as “hate speech” even by many Christians. They use the standards of the world to judge and interpret the Word of God. They abuse the grace of God and love what God hates. Evil-doers are encouraged to continue in their destructive ways because society, as a whole, no longer condemns their lifestyles. Some will outrightly argue that this is somehow showing grace. The Apostle Paul says, “So, shall we then continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:2).
Unbelievers should be loved but not coddled. I work as a missionary in one of the most hostile places for Christians in the world. I have risked my life loving those who seek to kill me on daily basis, for the purpose of giving them the Gospel. I am convinced that as soon as they embrace Christ, they will be changed. But one thing that I will never do is cheer them on as they sin against God and pursue their own harmful desires.
Christians who rely on the love of God should not forget that the same loving God they worship is also a consuming fire: “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrew 10:31). We have changed, but God has not. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Paul’s admonition to the church in Corinth is particularly relevant to us: “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did — and in one day 23,000 of them died” (1 Corinthians 10:8). Who killed these people? And why should a loving God allow them to die? Christians should not love what God hates and should stand firm to condemn sexual immorality wherever they encounter it. Let us be faithful to our Lord; not to a morally decaying world.
Oscar Amaechina is the president of Afri-Mission and Evangelism Network, Abuja, Nigeria. His calling is to take the gospel to where no one has neither preached nor heard about Jesus. He is the author of the book Mystery Of The Cross Revealed.