Romans 12: “…Hate what is evil…”

Hate evil; OK, but what is evil?  If I want to hate it, I must define it and then identify it.  Paul began this passage by talking about patterns of the world that pressure us to conform.  I believe in this context, any pattern, that when conformed to, results in harm, that pattern is evil.  By this definition, (I know some will disagree), I believe social drinking is evil.  When people conform to the pattern of social drinking, they open themselves up to the possibility of alcoholism.  They normalize and validate a product that has proven deadly on our highways and in our homes.  They set a poor example for children who will never have a drinking problem; until they take, their first drink.

The world pressures teens to fit the pattern of a rebellious and cool kid by smoking; this is evil.  I believe the world’s pattern for sexual behavior is also evil.  The worldly pattern of sexuality emphasizes pleasure over relationship.  It turns others into objects to be used, instead of persons to be loved.  The world pressures us to believe pornography is normal and harmless.  Pornography use results in evil, and destroys the bonds of marriage.

We make a mistake when defining worldly patterns as evil only by their intentions.  Many of the worldly patterns appear to have good intentions.  The world pressures us to be tolerant.  The pattern of tolerance appears to be loving and accepting.  Unfortunately, when we conform to the world’s pattern of tolerance it forces us to tolerate evil.  The greater the pressure the world asserts, the greater the likelihood that the pattern is evil.

Christians hate the evil patterns and pressures of the world because of the damage and destruction they cause in the lives of millions.  Our transformation into the likeness of Christ reveals the evil of the life we once lived.  We hate the evil of our old life, but our focus is not on the past.  Our focus is on loving Christ.