The Reason For My Faith

Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do
I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them a perfect hatred; I count them as my enemies.(Psalm 139: 21-22)It’s so difficult to hate with a perfect hatred, because there is a fine line between hating God’s creation and hating what God’s creation does. Everything is God’s creation, but man was made in His image. As such, if we hate another person for the evil they practice against us, instead of just hating the evil they did, then we are no different than those who committed the evil, because we are hating the very image of God. We are told to hate the sin, but love and forgive the sinner. Yet it is so difficult to love those who intend us harm.

Oftentimes I look at my hands and can almost see the blood which splattered onto them as I swung the hammer on the nails that held HIM to the cross which lifted like a snake in the desert. Yet HE forgave me. I can imagine me standing in the distance with others as HIS blood drained from HIS body because I wanted to live my life apart from GOD’s will. Yet HE forgave me. I looked on and knew HE was convicted for sins I committed. Yet HE forgave me. I know HE received the full punishment I deserved for my willful acts of evil. Yet HE forgave me. I heard HIM cry out as HE died while The FATHER turned HIS back to HIM. Yet HE forgave me.

Every one of us look up to the very object, the cross, which HE was nailed to. Knowing HE never sinned, yet became our sin so that we may obtain, through Him, the righteousness of God. The day HE was crucified, HE hated sin, and still does, but HE loves those who committed the sinful acts which crucified HIM. You and I are just as guilty of HIS murder as those who did the act. Now, because of that heinous act, our sins have died on the cross with HIM. So we can now obtain forgiveness if we accept Him as our LORD and Savior.

I knew many who lived and died without accepting Jesus as their LORD and Savior. For this they died while clinging to their transgression. Thus their only destination can be an eternal separation from the ONE they rejected. As for those of us who have accepted Jesus, we know that HIS love for those who hated HIM makes it easier for us to love those who hate us because we now understand what perfect hatred is.

One day my life will pass from this world, but thanks to Christ, I will rise from the dead and receive a crown of righteousness. A crown I will gladly cast to His feet as I sing hallelujah, hallelujah, God Almighty, You are worthy of all praise and glory, hallelujah, my King, My Lord, My all.