“You [Jesus] hated lawlessness.”—HEB. 1:9.
STRESSING the importance of love, Jesus Christ told his disciples: “I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:34, 35) Jesus commanded his followers to show self-sacrificing love toward one another. That love would be their identifying mark. Jesus also exhorted them: “Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.”—Matt. 5:44.
In addition to teaching his disciples about love, however, Jesus taught them what to hate. It was said with reference to Jesus: “You loved righteousness, and you hated lawlessness [wickedness].” (Heb. 1:9; Ps. 45:7) This shows that we must develop not only a love of righteousness but also a hatred of sin, or lawlessness. It is noteworthy that the apostle John specifically stated: “Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, and so sin is lawlessness.”—1 John 3:4.
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