Psalms 45:7 “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
In this Messianic Psalm, we read that Jesus Christ, Son of Man was a man anointed with gladness because He hated wickedness. Thus, there is a righteous kind of hatred that produces gladness. In the New Testament cross reference passage we read in Hebrews1.9, Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, [even] thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Here is a thought for us to ponder. Full gladness is more than loving righteousness, it is also hating iniquity. If I am to experience true gladness in Christ, it is not enough for me to love what is right. I must also hate what is wrong.
The place to begin hating what is wrong is in my own heart. That frees me from a spirit of self-righteousness, or holier than thou attitude. It was that hatred for iniquity that caused Jesus to cry to rebellious Israel, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. At the root of all wickedness and iniquity is sin. Sin is open rebellion against God. Sin is the greatest courage in the universe. Sin is the reason for the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is at the cross that we find the blessed mixture of joy and sorrow. That my sin pinned Jesus to the cross is the cause of sorrow and brokenness. That God in His grace has opened my heart and eyes to see that Jesus did that for me, is the cause of great humility and joy. I rejoice in God my Savior!
Peter tells us that fleshly lusts war against our souls. One way that lusts wars against my soul is in the fact that sin always seeks to steal, kill, and destroy joy. Thus, I must hate iniquity if I intend to refuse to make provision for my flesh. The result? A gladness that comes from Him, instead of the sadness that comes from sin. Be glad in Christ today by hating sin and loving Him.
