Loving Those Who Hate the Lord

2 Chronicles 19:2 And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

INTRODUCTORY THOUGHTS

This passage poses an important question to those who are drawn too close to those who live as God’s enemies. “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD?” Furthermore, the Bible also says, “that the friendship of the world is enmity with God.” Immediately, our flesh rebels against what this could mean for our worldly relationships. We might conclude: “But shouldn’t we love the lost?” Your mind might be directed toward those loved ones who are yet unsaved. These truths are not meant to convey that we should no longer be concerned with the eternal destination of those that we know. The Bible does, however, teach that we should not develop close associations with those who live ungodly. God drives this truth home by saying, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

(For children): We should tell lost people about the Lord but they should not be our best friends (Ephesians 5:11, Proverbs 24:1). If our closest associations are those who do not love the Lord, we are in danger of becoming like them and learning their ways (Psalm 106:35-36).

(For everyone): How can we insure that we are balanced on this truth? Should we “help the ungodly”? Should we “love them that hate the LORD”?

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(For everyone): Read Galatians 6:14. What does this verse say and mean? How does it apply to the subject of this study? How should the cross impact and change our fellowship with the world?

PRAYER THOUGHTS

Ask the Lord to soften your heart to the truth of scripture.

Ask God to help you love what He loves and hate what He hates.

SONG

Thou Art My All

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