Love What Is Good - February 17

Read Romans 12:9,21

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Reflect

How do we know what is good versus what is evil?

Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that made you unintentionally root for the bad guy? It’s happened to me before. Writers can make the main character seem so likable and cast the antagonists in such a terrible light that I suddenly find myself sympathizing with the main character no matter how immoral they are.

For example, Hollywood can create such a captivating love story that you ignore the fact that the whole thing is actually an affair and the cheated on spouses are victims of infidelity even though they are portrayed as evil villains trying to keep lovers apart. Movies can make the cops look like blundering idiots and robbers seem like the heroes of the day. Sometimes we unconsciously hope that the criminals evade capture and outsmart law enforcement. How does that happen?

Deep down, I believe most of us are drawn to stories where good triumphs over evil because we have God’s law written in our hearts (Romans 2:14-15). We know right from wrong and we have a conscience. But if we aren’t careful, we can get caught up in a plot that blurs the lines of morality or outright confuses vice and virtue. The prophet Isaiah warned against this: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter” (Isaiah 5:20). The easiest way for evil to get people on its side is to deceive by making good look like evil and evil look like good.

In today’s verses, the apostle Paul urged the Roman believers to love with sincerity and to hate what is evil. He also said that Christians aren’t supposed to fight evil with evil but rather we are supposed to overcome evil with good. But how can we know what is truly good versus what is evil when the world confuses the issues?

Jesus answered that question for us in Mark 10:18: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Jesus was speaking this truth to point to His deity. Only God is good but Jesus is also good because Jesus is the Son of God. 

Because God is good, His Word is also good. In Psalm 119:68, the psalmist declared: “You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” If we want to know what is good, all we need to know is what God calls good in Scripture. “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

When we read today’s verses in context, we see that the apostle Paul elaborated on how we can “hold on to what is good” and “overcome evil with good.” He wrote: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’” (Romans 12:10-20).

That is how we hold fast to good and abhor evil. The heading in my Bible calls this section “Marks of the True Christian.” This is the good behavior that characterizes believers. But remember, we can’t conjure up this goodness in ourselves. Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Goodness is one of the proofs that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you and working on your heart. As believers we should be so full of God and His goodness that any evil remaining in our hearts gets crowded out and overcome, conquered by the Holy Spirit. Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be confused or deceived. You know right from wrong. Hate what is evil and love what is good.

Respond

Lord, “you are good and you do good; teach me your statutes” (Psalm 119:68). Help me to hate evil and love good. Please give me Your wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

Reveal

We know what is good and what is evil. Whenever you hear vice and virtue being confused in our culture or in a conversation, don’t be afraid to lovingly but boldly call evil out for what it is and point people to the only One who is good—God.