Innocent Love and Righteous Hatred

This post shall be a bit different.

Parts of it will look almost blasphemous, to be honest. But If you get to the end I hope you will see that I'm not being so.

I honestly hope I'm sharing truths I'm learning.

Awhile back on Facebook an uncle of mine shared a post. I'm not sure what point he was trying to make. Or if he was even trying to make any point. I replied, being both silly and serious. And then another uncle replied . . . being both silly and serious. I'm thinking he kinda meant his last comment as an insult?

Here's the conversation:

A friend just let me know that these words my uncle posted aren't actually his words, but in fact a quote from Mark Twain. FB can be very misleading at times ;) 

Anyways, this got me to thinking.

About when I was little. And about now. Why I used to pray for Satan. And why I don't anymore.

And, yes, I used to pray for Satan.

I used to pray that all my family and friends would love Yahweh more than any thing and get a long - there's always been a lot of family drama in our large family ;D. But I didn't stop there. I'd pray that ALL PEOPLE WOULD chose to love Yahweh. People of the past, present, and future. I'd then pray for bad people of the Bible, and always prayed last for Satan.

I really thought it was sad that he'd not chose to repent.

I still think this. I mean, he knows how it ends. He knows he can't win. Why refuse to repent? Why remain in rebellion? 

Eventually I realized it was pointless to pray for Satan.

The Bible clearly says that he is condemned.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

I knew at a young age it was probably wrong to keep praying for him. So I stopped, though I never stopped feeling sorry for him.

But this question of my uncle's resurfaced an issue I'd nearly forgotten. And with it the question, Why is it wrong to pray for Satan? 

This actually ties in with another subject that I've been thinking a lot about - HATRED. 

You see, we are commanded to love in both the old and new testaments and even to not want revenge -  Leviticus 19:9-18 and Matthew 5:43-48 and Romans 12: 19 
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.

We know Yahweh is love - 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.



YET . . . 


There are times when God clearly hates and wants us to hate. And then there's the whole issue of Satan.

Psalm 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Psalm 97:10 Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 139:19–22 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. 

Hosea 9:15-17 . . . for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.

Malachi 1:2- 5 "I have loved you,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the Lord. “Yet Jacob I have loved; But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”  Even though Edom has said, “We have been impoverished, But we will return and build the desolate places,” Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They may build, but I will throw down; They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, And you shall say, ‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’

In many ways these verses are disconcerting. God is love, isn't he? Then how can he hate?

But . . . God is life, too. And He has killed.

God is a judge, yet He is merciful.

God is perfect and He demands perfection in return - yet He's made a way for us even though He hates that which defies who He is.

The thing is our human minds are too small to realize God is so big and extreme and perfect that he can both hate and love, live and die, give life and take life. We forget that He is the Creator of all and thus all powerful.

And His character is comprised of so much more than what any of us can begin to comprehend.

And for those reasons He can hate.

Yet He still loves.

And, yes, in our humanness we will be innocent as I am often called in an "offensive" way. Naive and innocent. 

But is that wrong?

Matthew 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the middle of wolves: be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Innocence and love are good things. Just as is seeking out knowledge of our Perfect Father continually. 

And as we become in tune with Him we should realize a few things:

• Sin is real. 
• Sin isn't that which offends me but that which violates Yahweh's character. 
• I am to love everyone.
• I am to hate that which He hates, not because it goes against "me" but because I am one with Him.
• I am not to seek my own revenge or wish evil on others, but pray for those that spitefully use me. (A perfect example of this I see on a daily basis among so many other people - the news tells of how some people commit awful crimes and instead of loving that person we hope they get what they deserve and are sent to prison forever. While certain people do have the authority to do such a thing, we as a majority should never wish upon another harm, no matter what. 
• I should always be appalled by sin. I should never allow myself to become accustomed to it because it's normal. I should always weep and pray for "Sodom and Gomorrah" praying that God spare them if there be but five righteous. I should be shocked. I should be saddened. When it comes to sin I should be innocently upset wondering, Why would anyone want to live horribly and displease God?
• I should be wise to what is evil.
• I should be innocent to what is evil. 
• Above all I should be wise to what is good and true; I should be infused with love.

Romans 16:19 Your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

No, I don't pray for Satan anymore. I trust God and His word and pray for those who have hope. I will try to hate that which Yahweh hates. I will strive to love. 

What about you? I know I just dumped a bunch of stuff here - but I REALLY want to hear all of your thoughts! 

Also, know I am not making excused to hate. The GREATEST commandment it to love. And that should be our main focus. 

Also, make sure to check out this fun interview I did with H. L. Burke (she interviewed me).