In a world that celebrates what God hates, how do Christians live a life that pleases God? Romans 12:9 gives a clear roadmap on how to answer this question: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” These three commands tell us is that love is not blind; biblical love hates evil—it clings like glue to what is good. So, are there things in your life that God hates: music, movies, and conversations with corrupt people? If there are, then throw them out and cling to the truth. Don’t just tweak your playlists—transform your affections that create your playlist. Don’t just filter your entertainment—but feed your soul. Glue your life to the word of God, the people of God, and the holiness of God. In this way you’ll learn what true love is. 

 Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/684678fb8bcefa77a87b9bd8

Have you ever asked yourself, how do I live a life that actually pleases God in a world that celebrates what God hates? Not a rhetorical question. This really is an important question that every believer should answer. And the answer, I think, is simpler than you might think. Romans 12.9 gives us a roadmap.

It's not complicated. It's not confusing. There are three very clear commands. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil.

Claim to what is good. So this simple verse is like a spiritual litmus test. It's like a filter that helps us decide, what do I allow into my heart? What do I teach my children? What do I endorse?

What do I entertain? What do I excuse? What do I celebrate? Let's be really clear. What this verse tells us is that love is not blind.

Biblical love hates evil. Biblical love clings like glue to what is good. Now, even a child can grasp this. Evil is like trash. That's what one little kid in our church said.

You throw it out. You do not treasure the trash. And what about the good? Will you cling to what is good? Just like Ruth clung to Naomi.

Just like a husband clings cleaves to his wife. So let's take inventory. Are there things in our lives that God hates? Things we've grown comfortable with? Music, movies, conversations with corrupt people, maybe?

Private thoughts. Are we allowing what God calls evil to entertain us? Have we softened the glue of our faith? So what do we do about all this? There are two levels of hating what is evil and clinging to what is good.

The first level is this, the things that are outside of you, the entertainments, the influences, the songs, you know what that is. Throw out the trash, Cling to the truth. The second way is the things that are inside of us. Yeah, there's evil outside of us, but there's evil inside of us. And we don't wanna stop with just cursing the darkness outside.

How can we replace with what is good? Because when you cling to what is good, you end up starving the sin that wants to destroy you. And when you abhor what is evil, you're actually creating room for God's goodness to flood into your mind, your heart, your home, your church, and actually your future. So today ask yourself, Is this good? If it's not, cut it off.

Then, glue your life to the Word of God and the people of God and the holiness of God. And in this way, you will learn what love truly is. Love that hates what is evil, and love that clings to what is good. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Scripture applied as a production of Church and Family Life.

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