The Need For Hate

God has given us the ability to hate as well as love.  We need both because we cannot fully understand or experience one without the other.  Hatred has its proper uses just as love does.  Love and hatred are natural affections which are good or evil depending on the objects to which they are applied.  If we set our love on sinful objects or hate righteous ones, we are inverting God’s design in giving us these affections.  The purpose of love is to cling to God and whatever brings us to the enjoyment of Him.  The purpose of hate is that we may reject and abhor all that is evil.  We need to be able both to choose and pursue some things as well to reject and detest others.  Our hatred of sin must flow from a principle of love to God.  The only hatred that is proper arises from loving what is contrary.  We should hate sin because we love God.  We are to hate what is contrary to God because it is contrary to God.  No other hatred will serve His purposes.  As His grace does its work on our hearts daily, more and more our affections will be set upon proper objects.