A few articles ago when I was talking about brotherly love and mentioned Romans 12:9 and how it says we should abhor evil, but I couldn't get too much into it because it was off topic. Today I am going to finish that thought here. In case you missed the article or forgot what it says, the verse states, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." I will be talking about the second part of this verse which says to abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good.
What does the word "abhor" mean? Some synonyms for it are to despise, detest, hate, loathe, and scorn. And what is evil? Evil is sin. This is saying that we need to detest, hate, loathe, and despise sin. But what we have to ask ourselves is: do we? So often we get caught up in finding ways around sin and justifying it but honestly if it has anything to do with anything sinful then we should keep away from it. We should find no use for it, and hate it. We should despise anything that is not from God. But do we? Do we think, "Oh, it's just cussing." or "Yes there will be alcohol served at that party but I don't have to drink any." or "Yes, they do nothing but gossip but they're my friends." "It doesn't really bother me that much." I'm not saying that we have to hate those people but to detest, loathe, despise, and hate all things sinful. Temptation itself is not sinning, don't get me wrong. It's giving in on that temptation that's sinful. We have to remember that if we have to justify something, then chances are we shouldn't be doing it.
The next thing I will be talking about is holding on to what is good. To guard it, and to keep it safe and pure. Say you have a really good, Christian friend who is always helping you grow up through Christ and is nothing but a good influence. It is crucial that we keep those friends and to grow up in our faith with them. Yes sometimes friendships just end because life gets in the way but keep those things as close to you as you can while you have them. We also should study the Bible and hold on to our faith. If God is your anchor and you never let go, then you will never have to worry about drifting away.
It's always important to study God's Word constantly so that we can know what to avoid and what to keep. We should be diligent in our faith and never take anyones word for it because it's possible that they are wrong. I would like to encourage you all to stay strong in your faith by always reading and studying and praying. You'd be surprised what a simple hour out of your day can do.
