六月七日

你們愛耶和華的都當恨惡罪惡。（詩97：10）

若你只想到罪惡怎樣損害了你，你就有一個很好的理由來“恨惡罪惡”了。罪使你的心敗壞成了什麽樣子呢？罪使你的眼睛瞎了，叫你看不出救主的榮美；它使你的耳聾了，叫你聽不見救贖主招呼你的慈聲。罪使你的脚走上死亡的路，幷在生命的活泉中倒下了毒藥；它蒙蔽了你的心，使它“比萬物都詭詐，壞到極處”。在神恩未臨到你的時候，邪惡使你成爲什麽樣子的一個人呢？你和別人一樣都是可怒之子，你也是“隨衆行惡”的。這就是我們衆人的情形。

但保羅告訴我們說：“但如今你們奉主耶穌基督的名，幷藉著我們神的靈，已經洗淨、成聖、稱義了。”當我們回想過去幷追溯罪惡的一切死行，就有恨惡罪惡的正當理由。罪是惡極了，它要使我們的靈魂永遠失喪，幸虧主以大愛來救贖了我們。就是現在它還是一個大敵，時時伺隙加害于我們，要把我們陷于滅亡之中。

因此，基督徒啊！要“恨惡罪惡”，除非你自甘受害。若你願意在你的路中播下荊棘，在你臨終時的枕中種上蒺藜，那末你就可以忽略“恨惡罪惡”。但若你要過一種快樂的生活，幷且要安然死去，那末就當走聖潔的路，恨惡罪惡，直到末時，若你真愛你的救主，就當尊敬他，“恨惡罪惡”。基督徒當多與主耶穌相談，否則便不能挽救喜愛罪惡的心。要多住在他裏面，那末你便不能與罪妥協，不能與惡相安無事了。

“願主旨步步領我，使我心誠實無過；願主驅除罪權勢，使我心平安清白。”

June 7

"Ye that love the Lord hate evil." -- Psalm 97:10

Thou hast good reason to "hate evil," for only consider what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer's tender invitations. Sin turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as others; thou didst "run with the multitude to do evil." Such were all of us; but Paul reminds us, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition. Therefore "hate evil," O Christians, unless you desire trouble. If you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then neglect to "hate evil"; but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you truly love your Saviour, and would honour Him, then "hate evil." We know of no cure for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord Jesus. Dwell much with Him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin.

"Order my footsteps by Thy Word,

And make my heart sincere;

Let sin have no dominion, Lord,

But keep my conscience clear."