Psalm 139:19-22
Did David really write this? Yes, he did! His words wouldn’t exactly be considered politically correct these days, especially with our modern view of Christianity. Somewhere along the line we adopted a more “loving” approach toward dissenters; yet Scripture reveals that while God is love, He also has very definite feelings about those who actively oppose Him. Consider His words to King Saul through the prophet Samuel:
“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.””
1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1sa.15.22-23.NLT
It didn’t end up so well for King Saul.
The new covenant ushered in through Jesus offers us better promises according to Hebrews 6, yet the New Testament still gives us warnings about what will happen to those who actively deny and oppose the Lord.
Consider the premise of Jude’s book (the half brother of Jesus) found in Jude 1:3-4:
“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:3-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.3-4.NLT
Jude continues:
“Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.””
Jude 1:14-15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.14-15.NLT
And he leaves us these instructions in his short but potent one-chapter book:
“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
Jude 1:22-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.22-23.NLT
To hate sin, we must first acknowledge what it is. However, pointing out sin rarely wins popularity contests, especially when the ungodly seem to have thrown off all restraint. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 about the days we live in:
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.3.2.NLT
We must absolutely walk in mercy toward others while also tending to our own well-being by not being polluted by the ways of the world. We are called to live under the blessings of the Lord—a lifestyle that stands in stark contrast to those under the influence of the devil. Learn to recognize the difference between those who are simply deceived and those who have actively aligned themselves with the evil one. You do not treat them the same. The captives are not your enemies, their captors are—just food for thought.
The final distinction will be made by the Lord Himself when He sends His angels to separate the sheep from the goats, as Jesus described in Matthew 25.
In the words of Peter:
“You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”
2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2pe.3.17-18.NLT
As the saying goes, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
“But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.””
1 Samuel 15:22-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/1sa.15.22-23.NLT
It didn’t end up so well for King Saul.
The new covenant ushered in through Jesus offers us better promises according to Hebrews 6, yet the New Testament still gives us warnings about what will happen to those who actively deny and oppose the Lord.
Consider the premise of Jude’s book (the half brother of Jesus) found in Jude 1:3-4:
“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
Jude 1:3-4 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.3-4.NLT
Jude continues:
“Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.””
Jude 1:14-15 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.14-15.NLT
And he leaves us these instructions in his short but potent one-chapter book:
“And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.”
Jude 1:22-23 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/jud.1.22-23.NLT
To hate sin, we must first acknowledge what it is. However, pointing out sin rarely wins popularity contests, especially when the ungodly seem to have thrown off all restraint. The Apostle Paul warned Timothy about in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 about the days we live in:
“You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ti.3.2.NLT
We must absolutely walk in mercy toward others while also tending to our own well-being by not being polluted by the ways of the world. We are called to live under the blessings of the Lord—a lifestyle that stands in stark contrast to those under the influence of the devil. Learn to recognize the difference between those who are simply deceived and those who have actively aligned themselves with the evil one. You do not treat them the same. The captives are not your enemies, their captors are—just food for thought.
The final distinction will be made by the Lord Himself when He sends His angels to separate the sheep from the goats, as Jesus described in Matthew 25.
In the words of Peter:
“You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.”
2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2pe.3.17-18.NLT
As the saying goes, to be forewarned is to be forearmed.
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