Do You Do What You Hate?

Do You Do What You Hate?

In the April 1 issue of Korsets Seier, we read:

“1. Do you do what you hate? If so, that shows that you are bound to what you hate. You have not yet been liberated.

“2. If we preach that we must do what we hate, we have cast off all restraint.

“3. That is a dangerous teaching.

“4. If we do what we hate, our hearts will condemn us.”

If we were as perfect as Christ in His glory or as perfect as God in eternity, it would be impossible to do things that we would later hate. But are we that perfect now? If we were, there would be perfect, harmonious unity in our fellowship. Is that the way it is? No. It is evident that even after a person has received the baptism of the Spirit and the gift of tongues, he can continue to live at odds with other people. That, in turn, is evidence that a person is not hearing the Spirit’s voice. The Spirit desires to lead us into all truth, but we have lusts that are actively working in our body. James 4:1. These lusts cause contention which, according to Galatians 5:19-20, is a “work of the flesh,” a “sinful deed,” which is in the same category as fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, dissension, jealousies, etc. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a person could hate and renounce the very source of that contention? When everyone is trying to outdo one another in serving each other, it is impossible for division to develop; but when people want to dominate the others, contention has to arise. That is why we have the cross, to put to death everything that is selfish.

When a child has done something wrong, and his whole being testifies that he hates what he has done, can the parents then with a good conscience punish him? No. Punishment is meant to produce acknowledgment; but when a child already hates his poor behavior, it shows that chastisement is already working and the child is already convicted. In such a case, does hate make a person cling tighter to sin, or does it have the opposite effect? Praise God, it has the opposite effect. Does a person cling to what he hates? Is it not true that he who bears hate in his heart is a murderer? Without hating our life in this world, we cannot be His disciples. If a person hates his own life, he puts selfishness to death. It is your hate for selfish works that motivates you to put them to death. Some say that according to Romans 8:4 the requirement of the law will be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Then how could a person do what he hates? Wouldn’t that be bondage?

Notice that it says the “requirement of the law.” What does the law require? How far does it stretch? If the requirement of the law could produce righteousness, faith would be superfluous. Gal. 3:11. The requirement of the law is a restraint to protect us from transgressions. Gal. 3:23.

In Christ we have come into a much deeper cleansing, a cleansing that the “requirement of the law” never could have accomplished.

The law only requires that a person not commit adultery, but “the law of the Spirit” demands that a man not even look at a woman to lust for her.

From this we must conclude that there are things within us that we must hate and condemn, even in those areas where the requirement of the law has been fulfilled.

Condemnation comes if I transgress the “requirement of the law.” But if I hate my own life in this world, I will get light in areas where the law has no access. That shows that I am partaking with Christ in what is impossible for the law to do, because it is powerless against the flesh. Rom. 8:3. Vigilance and love for the truth will bring us to self-acknowledgement. In self-acknowledgement the light of the Spirit will show us things that must be put to death, even as we are fulfilling the requirement of the law. If we put to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, we will live. Rom. 8:13. So he who has received the Spirit will find works to put to death. But how could he put them to death by the Spirit if he did not already have the Spirit? If he must put such deeds to death by the Spirit, it follows that he would first hate them by the same Spirit.

Those who live this life have use for the blood of Christ, because the blood (sacrifice) cleanses and frees the conscience from dead works.

Our conclusion is: