“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another….” Romans 12:9-10a
In the past I assumed that the two sentences in verse nine were two separate trains of thought, both necessary but not directly connected. Today as I was reading this I noticed how God ordained that the statement “abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good” falls between two statements about love. This strikes a chord with something that is biblical but has been forgotten, that is that love should be “black and white” in nature. Those that would abhor evil would often be accused of being unloving while it is actually impossible to be full of true love without abhorring evil. To be relative in a world steeped in sin isn’t merciful acceptance or loving , it is cruel and unloving. It is because we have not loved through the lens of abhorring evil and clinging to good that so much that was once considered evil is no longer considered evil in the church.
Love! But please let our love be genuine. May God soften our hearts and toughen our skin so that we may love not as the world loves but love in a way that abhors evil and clings to good.