The Bible verse Amos 5:15 says “Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” This verse packs a lot of meaning into just one sentence. At its core, it is calling us to actively reject evil in all its forms, while passionately pursuing what is right and good.
To “hate evil” means we must cultivate within ourselves a strong distaste for wickedness, corruption, lies, cruelty, and injustice. As Christians, we are instructed not to hate other people, but we should absolutely despise and reject sinful behaviors and attitudes. This goes beyond just avoiding evil ourselves – we should feel compelled to confront it and root it out of our society. The Bible makes it clear that God hates evil (Psalm 45:7, Proverbs 6:16-19) and so we, as His followers, must reflect His righteous hatred of wickedness. Part of our duty is to expose deeds of darkness and shine the light of truth to counteract them (Ephesians 5:11).
In contrast to hating evil, we are called to “love good.” This means nurturing an affection for and delight in righteousness, virtue, justice, honesty, purity, and all that is pleasing to God. We should long for these good qualities to thrive in our own lives and in the world around us. The Bible says God’s laws are good (Romans 7:12) and we are to love His commands (Psalm 119:47). As we obey God’s word, we will learn to love all that is upright, noble, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
An important implication of loving good is that we cannot be passive or complacent about injustice. The verse says we must “establish justice in the gate.” In ancient Israel, the city gate was the center of civic life – a place where business was conducted and judgments were made. By establishing justice there, it meant actively pursuing fairness, preventing oppression, defending the vulnerable, and ensuring the wicked would be held accountable. As Christians, we are tasked with caring deeply about justice and using our influence to champion the cause of righteousness in our society. We must speak up for truth and work to reform corrupt systems and practices.
The motivation behind hating evil and loving good is that “the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious.” Our desire should be to please God and align our lives with His will and ways. We know that He is perfectly holy and completely opposed to evil. As His children, we are called to imitate His moral character (1 Peter 1:16). Additionally, God promises to be gracious to those who pursue righteousness. His favor rests on those who fear Him and renounce wickedness. As we prioritize hating evil and loving good, we can trust God to empower us through His Spirit and shower blessings on our obedience.
In summary, this profound verse in Amos calls for an active, passionate pursuit of virtue that stems from a heart aligned with God’s. Hating evil compels us to confront wickedness, deceit and injustice in our world. Loving good motivates us to champion righteousness, reform society, and model upright living. This two-pronged approach honors God and positions us to receive His gracious blessings. As His ambassadors on earth, we must represent His Kingdom values and shine as lights in the darkness. Overall, this verse packs immense meaning into just a few words and gives us a succinct mission statement for living out our faith with boldness and purpose.
1. The Mindset Behind Hating Evil
Hating evil begins in the mind and heart. It is an attitude and perspective we must intentionally develop within ourselves. Here are some key elements of cultivating a mindset of hating evil:
- Viewing sin from God’s perspective – God is holy and righteous, He hates wickedness and evildoers (Psalm 5:4-6). We must see sin as God sees it.
- Understanding the destructive nature of sin – Sin corrupts, deceives, ruins lives, and breeds more evil. We must grasp how repulsive it is.
- Zeal for God’s honor – Sin is rebellion against God’s commands and authority. We should hate evil because it dishonors God.
- Compassion for its victims – Sin hurts people, communities, and creation. We should hate it because of how much damage it does.
- Healthy fear of its consequences – Unrepentant sin leads to judgment and hell. A sobering reality that fuels hatred of evil.
This mindset views wickedness as an intolerable affront to God’s goodness and an infectious plague that must be vigorously opposed. It stems from loving what God loves and wanting His Kingdom to advance. With this mental framework, hating evil becomes non-negotiable. We cannot be casual about or complicit with sin.
2. How to Apply Hatred of Evil
After cultivating the right mindset, we have to put that hatred of evil into action. Here are some ways to apply it:
- Self-examination – Identify and reject sinful habits and attitudes in your own life.
- Separation from wicked influences – Remove yourself from people/environments that tempt you to sin.
- Speak out against evil – Don’t stay silent when you encounter sin, confront and rebuke it.
- Withhold support from evildoers – Don’t enable or empower those who persist in wrongdoing.
- Promote righteousness – Counter evil by actively advancing good, don’t just criticize.
- Intercessory prayer – Pray for the repentance and redemption of evildoers.
- Administer redemptive discipline – If you have authority, restrain evil by imposing consequences.
- Protect/aid victims – Help relieve those suffering the effects of wickedness.
We can’t just have a mental assent to hating evil, we need to act. This looks like personally rejecting sin, denouncing injustice, withdrawing support from corrupt systems, and advocating reforms that curb wickedness. A hatred of evil compels us to make a positive difference.
3. What Does It Mean to Love Good?
If hating evil focuses on removal of sin, loving good is about pursuing its positive replacement. Here’s what it means to love good:
- Delighting in God’s truth and righteousness.
- Esteeming virtue, integrity, justice.
- Finding joy in behaviors that align with God’s nature.
- Praising and celebrating acts of goodness.
- Being generous in showing grace and forgiveness.
- Seeking after biblical wisdom and knowledge.
- Finding fulfillment in serving others.
Loving good means both feeling affection for moral beauty and excellence, and actively pursuing it. It’s cultivating a heart that thrills at God’s truth and righteousness. And allowing that adoration to spur us to Christlike living, noble deeds, and advancing blessings for others. True goodness originates in God’s character.
4. How to Apply Love for Good
Here are some ways we can put love of good into daily practice:
- Study Scripture to appreciate God’s goodness and commands.
- Find encouragement and strength in other righteous people.
- Set goals to develop Christlike virtues and overcome flaws.
- Start each day thanking God for His steadfast love.
- Speak words that edify and bless rather than tear down.
- Let righteousness guide all decision making.
- Be generous with your time/resources in serving others.
- Celebrate and honor acts of truth, courage, compassion.
- Pray for increased wisdom to stay on the narrow path.
Loving good compels us to pursue noble purposes and moral excellence. It means integrating righteousness into every area of life, from our thoughts and words to our work and relationships. We must be intentional about cultivating virtue and modeling God’s goodness to others. This brings Him glory.
5. Righteousness Must Impact Society
The verse in Amos says we must “establish justice in the gate.” This Means:
- Applying God’s truth to social/cultural issues.
- Caring about protecting human rights and dignity.
- Seeking reforms to oppressive laws and policies.
- Promoting fairness, integrity, and accountability in business.
- Exposing corruption, deception, exploitation.
- Demanding justice for the vulnerable and voiceless.
- Willingness to sacrifice for the common good.
Hating evil and loving good impels us to look beyond personal morality and address institutionalized sin and injustice in our society. It compels us to be courageous, to speak prophetically against systemic unrighteousness for the sake of those being crushed by it. We must bring Kingdom values into our culture.
6. A Choice With Promise
This verse concludes with motivation – choosing to hate evil and love good positions us to receive God’s grace and favor. He treasures righteousness and blesses those who pursue it passionately. Reasons to hope in God’s blessing include:
- He is drawn to hearts that love what is right (Proverbs 15:9).
- Righteous living brings deep contentment (Psalm 106:3).
- God honors those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).
- He strengthens and protects the upright (Proverbs 2:7-8).
- Righteous choices yield lasting rewards (Isaiah 3:10).
- God responds to wholehearted obedience (Deuteronomy 11:13-15).
If we commit to hating evil and loving good, we can trust God to fill our lives with purpose, hope, security, and satisfaction. His gracious blessings will empower us to keep pursuing righteousness.
7. Examples of Hating Evil in the Bible
There are many stories in Scripture that model what it looks like to hate evil. For example:
- Noah – He condemned the world’s wickedness and obeyed God’s call to build the ark (Genesis 6:5-22).
- Moses – He denounced Pharaoh’s oppressive regime and led Israel out of slavery (Exodus 5-12).
- David – He volunteered to fight Goliath because the Philistine defied God’s people (1 Samuel 17).
- Elijah – He fearlessly confronted Ahab and Jezebel’s idolatry and corruption (1 Kings 18-21).
- John the Baptist – He rebuked Herod’s adultery and Herodias’ vengefulness (Mark 6:14-29).
- Jesus – He exposed hypocrisy/greed and turned over money-changer tables in the temple courts (Matthew 21:12-13).
These examples reveal how hating evil motivates us to take courageous stands against wickedness, even in the face of opposition. It gives us holy zeal to confront injustice.
8. Biblical Portraits of Loving Good
The Bible has many stories that beautifully illustrate what it means to love good. For example:
- Joseph – He resisted sinful lust and adultery and ran from sin (Genesis 39).
- Ruth – She demonstrated selfless devotion in caring for Naomi (Book of Ruth).
- Job – Despite intense suffering, he clung to his integrity and trust in God (Book of Job).
- Josiah – He zealously purged idolatry and restored worship of God (2 Kings 22-23).
- Mary – She delighted in God her Savior and meditated on His goodness (Luke 1:46-55).
- Barnabas – He selflessly sponsored Paul and John Mark in missionary work (Acts 4:36-37; 15:36-41).
These examples reveal the joy, sacrifice, and dedication that result when we nurture hearts that treasure righteousness. Loving good shapes everything we do.
9. The Early Church’s Stance
The early church modeled Amos 5:15. They hated evil by renouncing sin and paganism. Their love of good was evident in:
- Fervent prayer, bible study, and fellowship.
- Pure and wholesome living.
- Compassionately caring for the needy and outcasts.
- Willingness to suffer persecution for Christ.
- Spreading the gospel and making disciples globally.
- Baptizing converts to identify with Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- Establishing churches that practiced biblical community.
- Confronting sinful practices like greed and idolatry.
The early Christians understood that following Jesus demanded hatred of evil and passionate love of righteousness. They courageously embodied this, even at risk of martyrdom.
10. Implications for Believers Today
What should hatred of evil and love of good look like today? Consider these implications:
- Self-discipline – Vigilantly resist temptations and be quick to confess sin.
- Healthy relationships – Shun toxic, destructive contacts. Invest in godly friends.
- Media choices – Avoid entertainment glorifying immorality, violence.
- Time management – Redeem your hours for good purposes, not wastefulness.
- Financial integrity – Eschew dishonest gain and questionable investments.
- Social conscience – Advocate for the oppressed and vulnerable.
- Creation care – Be a conscientious steward of natural resources.
- Civic involvement – Support just laws. Hold leaders accountable for corruption.
- Outreach – Invest time and resources to spread the Gospel.
In these practical areas, we must constantly examine if we are living out Amos 5:15. Our life choices demonstrate true hatred of evil and love of good.