Holy Hatred

Holy Hatred

Can we hate in the Holy Spirit? Yes, with a ruthlessness as strong as death itself. This hatred is not directed against people, but against sin and self-life, and against doctrines that lead people into sin.

The doctrine of Christ is not based on feelings. It feels blessed to have your sins forgiven, and it feels glorious to receive the Holy Spirit as your guide and advocate. But it doesn’t feel so pleasant when the Spirit leads us to our enemies, to our self-life, to the cross and to works of obedience. People rejoice as long as they are receiving something from God and as long as they hear about all the things He has promised them. However, as soon as God starts requiring something, people usually become grumpy and downcast, and anyone who testifies about being obedient to the faith is shown the door and called “a slave of the law.” In other words, people hate righteous works of faith, death over their own self-life and all doctrine that pertains to godliness. This hatred is not holy. That explains why so many fall away. In spite of this, people are still amazed when someone falls away.

Holy hatred is directed against sin and self-life. It attacks false doctrine, enmity of the cross and deeds of the body. It hates even the garments defiled by the flesh.

If only believers would make more use of this hatred, there would not be as much reproach over God’s name. But when the evangelist drives the teacher out of the church and attempts to be a “jack-of-all-trades,” things end up just the way they are now. God will not be mocked.

There was a time when people sounded the trumpet, announcing that fire was burning in Skien. Then the fire fell in Sarpsborg, and in one place after another; people were being baptized with fire.

The person who has truly experienced God’s fire won’t allow others to sound the trumpet on his behalf. Instead, he quietly bears his shame and suffers through to the end, not wanting anyone to interfere with the matters of his heart. He hates himself with a divine, holy hatred and mourns over himself. Blowing the trumpet to announce his baptism of fire would be like dancing at a funeral. The fact is that people don’t really know what the baptism of fire is. They almost see it as an addition to all the other glamorous and pleasurable things in life. The Scripture says that if we suffer with Him, we will be glorified together with Him. If we, like Jesus, suffer when we are tempted, we can be victorious. But people would rather sin than suffer.

The reality is that sin lies at the door, and its desire is for us. How vain and stupid to fool yourself and others into imagining that sin has been removed from the flesh. This is certainly not the case. The doctrine that teaches that sin has been removed is from Satan, and it leads people into destruction.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8. Let not many of you become teachers, knowing that they shall receive a stricter judgment. Our fight is not with those who fall, for it is praiseworthy to help those who fall to get up again. Instead, we should pray for such people and love them. But to those leaders who think they stand and who act as teachers of God’s people, who take it upon themselves to form churches, who caution against the way and the word of the cross, to these we want to direct a serious word of warning.

I know that in my flesh nothing good dwells, whether I have been baptized with the Spirit or not. On the contrary, the law of sin dwells in our members, and it can lead us into all kinds of sins if we are not awake. Rom. 7:23; James 1:14; James 4:1.

I recommend that you read a little more about sin in the flesh and not close your eyes to the truths regarding these very serious matters.

When all is said and done, the greatest love makes enemies by speaking the truth. Perhaps the person who makes enemies by speaking the truth is the one who possesses the greatest love.