Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked

The Feeling Is Mutual

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2025-04-23

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Proverbs 29:27, showing that the righteous and the wicked have a mutual abhorrence rooted in the enmity established in Genesis 3:15. He clarifies that while believers have no common ground for fellowship with the ungodly, they still desire their conversion. Weaver argues that sin cannot be separated from the sinner, and thus God hates both sin and sinners, with acceptance only possible through Jesus Christ. The sermon concludes with applications about the eternal consequences of mutual hatred with God and the grace of mutual love through Christ.

[John Weaver] Proverbs chapter 29 verse 27 and the title of the message is the feeling is mutual you'll understand Proverbs 29 verse 27. Look at it. The Bible says an unjust man is an abomination to the just And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. So let me just explain it very quickly. An unjust man, a man who is unsaved, a man who is wicked, is an abomination to the just.

[John Weaver] That is, a snitch and an asshole. And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. So that man who is saved is an abomination to the wicked. I remember as a boy, whenever there was an argument between us and words and phrases and epithets began to be exchanged, we would receive them. We would listen to what everybody was saying about us. And then once we heard what they said, we would simply say, yeah, and double to you.

[John Weaver] And besides that, our feeling is mutual. Go fly a kite. So what we were saying is, I don't really care. I don't want to be around you. You don't want to be around me. And so you just stay out of my way. I'll stay out of your way. Basically, that was it.

[John Weaver] Now, oddly enough, as I was reading through the book of Proverbs again, this verse popped out because the sentiment is exactly the same that is expressed here between the righteous and the unrighteous. So the righteous, basically speaking, do not desire or have any strong inclination to be around the wicked, and the wicked, on the other hand, have no desire or strong inclination to be around the righteous. So the feeling is basically mutual.

[John Weaver] I could say it like this. I have no desire to be around drunkards or whoremongers or thieves or adulterers. And I'm sure that they have no desire to be around me. They're certainly not going to come to church. They're not going to sit with me while I study. They're not going to listen to me while I pray. And they're certainly not going to listen to me while I am preaching.

[John Weaver] So when you look at Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 27, we must understand that this verse teaches and also expresses not only the innate contrariness in one sense of the word, or contrariety if you want to pronounce it like that, that exists between virtue and vice, that exists between light and darkness, that exists between good and evil, that exists between the righteous and the unrighteous. So we could just sum this verse up with a well-known sentiment The feeling is mutual. Now the animosity, if you can use that word, that exists between the righteous and the wicked actually has its root and has its foundation in what is known as the Protei Evangelium. If you hold Proverbs 29, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 3 and look at verse 15, you will see here what is known as the Protei Evangelium, which is indeed the very first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. But I want you to note while you have this promise there is also a declaration of the enmity that exists between the seeds.

[John Weaver] So in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 we read this, God said, and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So this verse not only teaches that our Lord is going to be our Savior. He is called the seed of the woman. But there's also the seed of the serpent. And it shall bruise thy head, that is, our Lord shall bruise the serpent's head. And he said, and thou shalt bruise his heel. So a heel bruise is not anything fatal, but a head bruise certainly is. But notice, if you would, he said, I will put enmity between thee and thy seed and the woman's seed. And the word enmity in the Hebrew is the word Abba.

[John Weaver] And it literally means enmity or that which you and I would call extremely strong hatred. Now, the interesting thing is most of the time we don't pay attention as we're reading some of the Proverbs, some of the Psalms. But if you would pay attention, you will see that there is this tension, and I'll even go farther, hatred that exists oftentimes on the part of the wicked and at times and should be on the part of the righteous.

[John Weaver] For instance, listen to this. Let me just quote some verses because we're going to be looking at a lot. But in Psalm 25 and verse 19, David prays, and he said, Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred. So David was a man after God's own heart, and yet he was hated with a cruel hatred. In Psalm 34 and verse 21, the Bible says, Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. So once again, here's a group of people that hate the righteous. When you get to Psalm 97 verse 10, which I'll quote a little bit later as well, the scripture says, ye that love the Lord hate evil.

[John Weaver] He preserved the life of the saints. He delivered them out of the hand of the wicked. So the wicked then are plotting against the righteous. When you get to the book of Proverbs, chapter eight in verse 13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the forward mouth do I hate, saith the Lord. And then, of course, in Proverbs 29 in verse 10, The Bible says the bloodthirsty hate the upright But the just seek his soul and here are three others that I want to really quote and emphasize The next one is found in amos chapter 5 and verse 10 And I want to explain this one momentarily The scripture says they hate him that rebuketh in the gate They abhor him that speaketh uprightly so you have to remember then in Bible times the gate Was where the ruler sat? That's where you had the politicians That's where you had the diplomats and the Bible says they hate him that rebuketh in the gate so anytime someone stands up against that which is evil and wicked and Rebukes the wicked they hate him and then of course it said they hate him abhor him that

[John Weaver] speaketh uprightly When he's just simply proclaiming the truth and then when you at Amos chapter 5 in verse 15 God says hate the evil and love the good Now here's the last one in the New Testament in the Old Testament and that's Micah chapter 3 in verse 2 listen to this one who hate the good and love the evil and pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones." So here are people that are so absolutely wicked, they hate the good, they love anything that is evil and wicked, and they're willing to skin people alive, so to speak, and destroy them. Now, when you look at the Old Testament and you see all of these verses, someone is apt to say, but, oh, that's Old Testament. Well, may I remind you that the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament, but you have the exact same truth in the New Testament. So if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 12 and verse 9.

[John Weaver] Romans 12 and verse 9. Look what the Bible says. Romans 12 verse 9. Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good."

[John Weaver] Now, let me just say, as you read through the Old Testament and the New Testament, when you see the word abhor, it is an exceedingly strong word for hatred. Romans chapter 12 in verse 9 God says of the whore that which is evil and cleaved to that which is good now the Greek word for a whore is a past to go and it literally means to dislike to abhor to have a horror of an old John trapped the Puritan said it like this the word means literally to Hate it as hell itself. In other words, hate evil as hell itself.

[John Weaver] Now, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 exposes for us the lack of fellowship and the lack of communion between the righteous and the wicked. So if you will turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's look there at verses 14 through 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, beginning there with verse 14. Look at this now, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Now look at the questions. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?

[John Weaver] The answer would be none. What communion hath light with darkness? None. And what concord hath Christ with Belial, the devil? None. And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? None. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? None. Then he says, For you are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord." So, what the Apostle Paul is telling us is there are absolutely no grounds for fellowship between the righteous and the wicked. We are opposites. We have no common ground, and there cannot be any compromise.

[John Weaver] We are different, and they are different. Oil and water do not mix, and neither does righteousness and wickedness."

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. The fact that there is no common ground for fellowship, and the fact that there is no basis for communion between the righteous and the wicked, does not negate kindness, graciousness, and consideration in general. In other words, it is not necessary to be hateful and unkind to those who hate and despise us. We are different, and we are to follow our Lord.

[John Weaver] The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 2 in verse 23 concerning Jesus Christ, when He was reviled, He reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened not. but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." So, to give you a good illustration, when he said, when he was reviled, he reviled not again. So, if Ron stood up today and just cussed me out, up and down one side and down the other, here's my question. Does that give me a right to turn around and cuss him back?

[John Weaver] And the answer would be no. I'm not to render evil for evil, not by any stretch of the imagination.

[John Weaver] Now, before I go further, Really preach what I want to today. I want to clear up some misconceptions. The first one is this Simply because there are vast differences between the righteous and the wicked and Simply because there's no ground for fellowship or communion between us At the same time There is in the righteous a genuine desire to see the wicked either converted or or condemned. In other words, just because the wicked hate and despise us does not mean that we have no desire for their salvation.

[John Weaver] We understand where they are because we have been there. We understand their blindness to the truth. We understand their hesitancy to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. We understand their loyalty to the flesh. We understand their desire to find pleasure in sin, and the reason we understand that is because we've been there. So if you'll turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. And I want you to pay close attention to this, and I'm going to come back and quote verse 3 a little bit later, but look at it. Ephesians 2 and verse 1, and you had the quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past, that would be before your conversion, wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation or conduct in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

[John Weaver] So, we know exactly where they are, because that is where we came from. We're no longer in the kingdom of darkness. We've been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Want you to turn right on over if you would to first Peter chapter 4 and look at verse 4 Here's a passage That has always caused me to smile Not because it is funny, but just simply because it exposes this lack of commonality So let's read verse 3 He says, for the time

[John Weaver] past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, that is, when we were lost, when we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revelings, banqueting, and abominable idolatry. Let me just paraphrase that. He says, now you're fed up with sin. You don't want it anymore. You've had a sufficient amount of it, okay? So now we're talking about the lost look at it for in time past of our life May suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles that is those who are unsaved when we walked in now look at verse 4 Where they that would be the loss that would be the Gentiles

[John Weaver] wherein they think it's strange That you run not with them to the same excess of riots speaking evil of you now As that thought ever entered in your mind that the wicked, that the unrighteous, that the ungodly think that you are strange. Now, the word strange is the Greek word as a nidzo. And in the context, it means to be to be surprised or astonished at the novelty of a thing or to be shocked. So literally, the Bible says they are shocked They're standing there gaping with their mouths open.

[John Weaver] They cannot believe our lives. We shock them. Now, look at it. When they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot. Now, the word excess is the word anarchosis in the Greek, and it refers to an excess, an overflowing, Pouring out it is a metaphor that is used for a flood So now let's go back where they think it's strange. They're shocked That you run not with them to the same overflowing outpouring of Riot now the word riot is the word SOTIA and it refers to a desolate life that is a life of sin, wickedness, and rebellion. So look at this verse again. Wherefore they are shocked beyond measure, that you run not with them to the same excess, pouring out, flooding of wickedness, of rebellion.

[John Weaver] And what is the consequence? Because they are so shocked at our demeanor and our disposition and our conduct. They speak evil of you.

[John Weaver] Now the interesting thing is the word speaking evil of you is the worst is the word blasphema. Oh in the Greek They blaspheme you it means they speak Reproachfully of you they revile you and they blaspheme your name wife because you're different Because you're different you don't live the way they live you don't do that which they do now James Ask a very good question in James chapter 2 and verse 7. When he asked this question, do not they blaspheme that worthy name wherewith you are called, or after which you are called? What is that worthy name? Christ. We are called Christians after Christ who is the anointed one. And so when they speak evil of us, when they blaspheme us, at the same time they are blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ. But notice they're so shocked that we do not live the way they live. We can look around today, and boy, we can get shocked very easily when we see things that are going on. But they're just as shocked at us. Now, here's the thing.

[John Weaver] When you stop and think about this, Since there is so much animosity and so much hatred between the righteous and the wicked, and on the part of the righteous, I would have to say it would be a biblical hatred, which I will explain later. You would think that the righteous would have no regard at all for the wicked, but that's not true. We still have a desire to see them either converted or condemned.

[John Weaver] And we have a truth that they have no idea concerning. And that truth is found in Psalm 110 verse 3, which is quoted in the New Testament, when it says this, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. When you stop and look today at all the preaching, all the teaching that is being done, and it seems as if the wicked have stopped their ears They refuse to listen. They have no desire for truth or righteousness. And yet we have this verse, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. They may be unwilling now to listen. They may not heed our testimonies. They may not listen to our witness. But when our Lord exerts his sovereign power upon them, He will make them willing. He shall overcome them. They may refuse and resist initially, but they cannot refuse and resist successfully, because He is a sovereign God of heaven and earth.

[John Weaver] And when He calls them, they come. So I would challenge you to do something. Take you a pen and paper, read through the New Testament, and write down every time that Jesus Christ calls someone and they refuse to come. I'll save you some time. There are no instances like that in the New Testament. Every time Jesus Christ calls someone, they came to Him. Whether or not it was for salvation or for service, no one denied His call.

[John Weaver] In fact, do you realize in the book of Romans chapter 1 in verse 6, those who are saved are referred to as the called of the Lord. He has called us into the fellowship of his dear son. So the call came in such a way that it was effectual and actually brought us into fellowship with his dear son. The first misconception I want to get rid of is that just because there is no common ground and there is no time for fellowship or communion, so to speak, between the righteous and the wicked does not mean that there is not a genuine concern that we have for their salvation and or condemnation. Okay? Here's the second misconception I want to get rid of.

[John Weaver] We have to make it clear in our minds and we have to understand that we cannot separate the sinner and his sin. Now let me explain what I mean by that. You probably heard this all of your life from preachers, as well as other Christians, that we must love the sinner and hate the sin. You heard that. I want you to stop and think with me about this. In fact, I've heard it said, God loves a sinner, but God hates the sin. Well, the only problem with that is that's not quite scriptural. That's not right. I want you to stop and think about this. Think about sin. Sin is not some ethereal, abstract phenomenon floating around somewhere in the universe. Sin does not exist in anything material. Sin is not anything outside of us. Anytime you place sin in something material, you've fallen into Greek dualism and Gnosticism. So, hear me out. The only place sin exists is in the sinner. If you did not have sinners, you would not have sin. Now, it is true that God hates the sin.

[John Weaver] He says that. But it is equally true, which most people do not preach and would not preach, is that God also hates the sinners. You say, but now wait a minute. The Bible says He's loved us with an everlasting love. That is true. That is true. But He loved us in Jesus Christ. He loved us in Jesus Christ. He did not love us in and of ourselves for what we are in and of ourselves.

[John Weaver] Now listen to me very carefully. Sinners are Hated by God and I will show you Just as their sins are hated by God Help me out psalm 711 Everybody can quote this verse God judges the righteous, but God is angry with the wicked every day Wow There are no safe days for sinners. God is not only angry with the sinners every day. He's angry with them every hour every minute every moment There's not one split second that God is not angry with sinners. That's what he says. God is angry with the sinners every day. How about this one in John 6 in verse 36?

[John Weaver] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him now wait a minute those who are without Jesus Christ are Facing the anger of God and the wrath of God abides upon them And of course if you got to Galatians chapter 3, there's the curse of the law upon them as well Now I want to I want you to look back to Ephesians chapter 2 I told you I was going to come back to this but I'm going to look at verse 3 I want this to sink into your mind. Ephesians chapter 2, look at verse 3. Here's what the scripture says, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, our conduct, we live like this, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and look at this, and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. What are we by nature? What is everyone by nature?

[John Weaver] A child of wrath. So what he is saying, even we as God's elect, even we as God's people, while we were yet unregenerate and unconverted, although he loved us with an everlasting love, we were still under his anger and under his wrath and under his curse. Wow. Romans 1 in verse 18. He said for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness now years ago, I Preached a message on the biblical doctrine of hatred. You remember that Steve? Harold Hardy loved that message Harold Harold got about 20 or 30 copies of that message.

[John Weaver] It was passing him out like candy. I said Harold Why don't why? Why don't you start off with something a little more? Little easier and work them into something like this. I never will forget what he said Man, he said I like to separate the wheat from the chaff at the very beginning And if you've ever listened that message, it will separate the wheat from the chaff because I gave three points in that message Here we go.

[John Weaver] The first point was the sovereign's hatred The second point was the Savior's hatred and the third point was a saint's hatred And by the way, it's still in sermon audio And I looked at it yesterday and there's been listened to 2100 times. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not going to repeat that message, but I want you to understand something. And that is this. The sinner cannot be separated from his sin. Because sin does not exist outside the center. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the psalms, We want to start with Psalm 5 and look if you would beginning there in verse 4 Psalm 5 beginning there in verse 4 Look at what scripture says Psalm 5 verse 4 For thou not a God that hath pleasure and wickedness Neither

[John Weaver] shall evil dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight Are you looking at this? Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing or lying. The Lord will abhor, remember that's a strong word for hatred, the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man. So look back at verse five, the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Why? Because that's where sin exists. Sin is in the sinner. That's why I said the Lord will abhor the bloody and the deceitful man. So if you look in Psalm 11 Psalm 11 and let's begin reading there with verse 5 Psalm 11 verse 5 The Lord tried the righteous But the wicked and him that left violence his soul hateth Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest This shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright." Note, if you would, the Bible says, but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth.

[John Weaver] Now, verse 6 tells you, upon those whom he hates, the wicked, he is going to rain snares, fire, brimstone, and a horrible tempest. That certainly does not sound like love to me. It's it's very clear That it is hatred now if you would turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Malachi the very last book in the Old Testament Malachi chapter 1 and I want us to read just verses 2 & 3 To begin with in fact, I will not even read all of verse 3 just part of it Then I'm going to come back and read it. So Look at Malachi chapter 1 verse 2.

[John Weaver] God is speaking to Israel And he says in verse 2 I have loved you saith the Lord yet you say wherein hast thou loved us Here's God's answer was not Esau Jacob's brother saith the Lord yet. I loved Jacob and I hated Esau Now if you've been in the average church You have heard this verse explained very easily by someone saying what this means is that God just loved Esau less than he loved Jacob. He just loved Jacob more. He still loved Esau. He just loved Esau less. Well, if that is your interpretation, I would like you to explain to me the rest of verse 3.

[John Weaver] 4 so let's read it again. We're beginning with verse 2. Look at this I've loved you said the Lord yet you say where nests I loved us Was not Esau Jacob's brother said the Lord yet. I loved Jacob and I hated Esau How was his hatred expressed look and laid his mountains and his heritage waste For the dragons of the wilderness. I destroyed him whereas Edom said we were impoverished and But we will return and build the desolate places We're going to rebuild Thus said the Lord of hosts they shall build but I will throw down And they shall call them the people the border of wickedness and the people against whom the Lord

[John Weaver] hath indignation forever Now that does not really sound like Loving a little less That just sounds like God hates Esau That's exactly what he said. Now, listen to me. Proverbs 6, verse 16. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him. When you get to Proverbs 18, verse 13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Pride, arrogancy, and the evil way and the fraud mouth do I hate.

[John Weaver] So let me Explain this before I go any further until a sinner even an elect sinner Until that sinner is regenerated and converted He is still under the curse the anger and the wrath of God Because of his sin and his sinful nature it is only the person work of Jesus Christ that propitiates God the Father and expiates that is washes away the sin of of the believing and repenting center.

[John Weaver] Now hang on with me. Hang on. The word propitiate means to satisfy. It means to appease. It means to placate. Jesus Christ appeased and placated and satisfied the righteous anger, justice, and holiness of God the Father. In propitiating God, He expiated or washed away our sins. Now listen carefully. It is only the person work of Jesus Christ that can propitiate the father it is only Through the son that we have access to the father Now hang on it is the work of Jesus Christ through imputation That removes the sin From the repenting believing sinner You'll find that in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21 I want you to listen carefully. So what did God do? God imputed our sins to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Our sins were placed upon Him and then He took that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ which He worked out and earned in perfect obedience to God and His law and imputed that to us. So yes it is true that God hates sin, but it is equally true that God hates the sinner because sin is located in the sinner. And listen to me, it is only because we are in Jesus Christ that we are made acceptable to God the Father.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. There's one word that you really, really need to grasp in this passage. I'm going to explain it to you, but I want you to see it. Ephesians chapter 1, and I want us to read verses 3 through 7. Watch this. Ephesians 1 verse 3. Blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

[John Weaver] According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved," now look at this verse,"...and whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Now, I want you to go back with me to verse 6. After all that God the Father has done for us, He says in verse 6,"...to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." So, make sure you underline this little word, accepted.

[John Weaver] The Greek word is karatao, and it literally means to make graceful, to make charming, to make beautiful, to make lovely, to make agreeable, and to compass with favor and honor and blessing. So here it is, the vile, wicked sinner, who was nothing but sin, who was hated by God, who was under the curse of God, the anger of God, and the wrath of God, is now made absolutely, perfectly pure and holy and righteous in Jesus Christ. He has made us acceptable. He's made us beautiful and charming and easily to behold. God the Father because when he sees us now he sees the perfection of his son the Lord Jesus Christ Now, please listen to me It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be acceptable to God the Father There's absolutely nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to please or to placate God the Father There's no way that we can come to him except through the Lord Jesus Christ Now I want you to think about this Think about this in verse 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us Accepted in the beloved he's made us acceptable.

[John Weaver] He's made us beautiful the opposite implication is just as true as Those who are not in Jesus Christ are not acceptable. They're not charming. They're not beautiful. They're not lovely No, no, no. No, they're outside of Jesus Christ and They're unacceptable to God the Father now. I want you to listen to some scriptures Just to show you that this is taught over and over in the Bible in Proverbs 10 and verse 16 the Bible says the labor of the righteous tended to life and The fruit of the wicked is sin. What do the wicked produce? Sin. Because they're sinners. Proverbs 10 in verse 20. The tongue of the righteous is of choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little worth. Wow. Proverbs 11 verse 23. The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. That's all he's gonna get. Proverbs 15 verses 8 and 9, I want you to listen.

[John Weaver] The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loveth him that follows that for righteousness. So now he says the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. The way of the wicked is an abomination. How about this one? Proverbs 15 in verse 26 the thoughts of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord Huh, so I sacrifice his way his thoughts.

[John Weaver] There's nothing he can do It would be acceptable to God the Father. How about this one in Proverbs 21 in verse 4? We are told that the plowing of the wicked is sin Not God ordained work The farming is not sinful in and of itself Look at David was a husbandry full of loving of husbandry. So was Solomon Solomon speaks about it many many times Why then is the plowing of the wicked sin? Because number one, they do not plow in faith. And number two, they do not plow for God's honor and God's glory. Everything they do, the word of God says, is the fruit of sin. And listen to this one in Proverbs 21 in verse 27, the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more would he bring of it with a wicked mind?

[John Weaver] When he thinks that he's going to be acceptable just simply because he gives something or sacrifices something. Now, no one, no one can be acceptable to God the Father unless it is in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, Romans 8, verses 6 through 8, makes this truth exceedingly clear. Listen. He said, for to be carnally minded is death. but to be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God which is a strong word for hatred because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be listen so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God so it's impossible for anyone to please God outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to think about our text. When the Word of God tells us that an unjust man is an abomination to the just, and the man that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. Wow. So let me ask you, Let's suppose that I could arrange, I can't, but let's suppose I could, that I could arrange for you to spend a few days with and have meals with George Soros, Bill Gates, Obama, I could name a lot of others.

[John Weaver] How many of you would jump at the chance? I have no desire to be around those men. And if I happen to be able to be around them, I would like to tell them that they're under the curse and the wrath of God, and then explain the grace and mercy of God to them. But in all probability, they would not listen. They would not hear a word that I said.

[John Weaver] But the point I'm making is this, I do not care how prominent someone is, I don't care how rich someone is, I don't care what position he holds, as long as he's wicked, There's no commonality. There's no common ground for fellowship or communion if you're righteous. I preached a lot of sermons where I've had people come up to me and simply say, wow, if you could preach that sermon in Congress, it would be wonderful.

[John Weaver] Well, first, that'll never happen. And secondly, if it did happen, they wouldn't listen. Years ago, I had the opportunity to preach to our state legislators. I was asked to come up and preach. And I did like one thing that they accomplished. They put all of those politicians in one room, kind of like a chapel with chairs, with a pulpit there, locked the doors. Nobody could get up and walk out And for 30 minutes, that's all they gave me I preached on the sovereignty and kingship of Jesus Christ and his law and their Responsibility to obey Christ and to obey his law and apply his law Let me tell you something You could have heard a pin drop in that with all of those legislators.

[John Weaver] I They were mighty quiet. I can assure you they had never heard anything like that in their entire lives You say what was the response? I Was never invited back You understand what I'm saying They don't want to hear They're not listening and they won't to listen. Someone is going to object and say well now wait a minute brother Weaver Are we commanded in the scripture to love our enemies and the answer is yes in Matthew chapter 5 verse 24 in Luke chapter 6 in verse 27 our Lord says Love your enemies But now you have to ask yourself, what in the world is love, and how do we love our enemies? So if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 13, I will show you very quickly how we are to love our enemies. I could show you a number of other passages, like in the book of Galatians, but this one will be sufficient. Romans, chapter 13, verse 8. Look if you would. God says, Oh, no man anything but to love one another.

[John Weaver] Then he makes a statement, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet. If there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. So how do I fulfill the law toward a wicked man? And the answer is, I act biblically toward Him.

[John Weaver] I do that which is scriptural. I do that which is right. God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them. All He requires of me is to be biblical toward them, to keep His love toward them. Since you're in Romans, look in Romans chapter 12 right there, beginning with verse 19. He says dearly beloved avenge not yourselves, but rather give place in the wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine.

[John Weaver] I will repay set the Lord therefore if I need any hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good So if I have my enemy before me and he's hungry and all I have is peace. That's what I share with him If he's thirsty, I give him a glass of water God does not require me to take him out to a steak dinner and buy him a latte, a coffee latte or whatever you call them. He doesn't require that.

[John Weaver] He just requires me to be kind and gracious and fulfill God's law toward him. That's how I love him. Love is the fulfilling of the law.

[John Weaver] Now, let me point something out. Although he tells us that we're to love our enemies, There is a vast difference between our enemies and God's enemies. There is also and should be a vast difference between our attitude toward our enemies and our attitude toward God's enemies. You know, so many Christians get so hurt Because they tend to think that well if I'm obedient if I'm holy if I'm righteous if I do that, which is good Then inevitably folks are going to love me and everything. Yeah.

[John Weaver] No, no, it doesn't work like that No No, do you realize that God is the apex the epitome of holiness? righteousness love grace and mercy and yet he has enemies galore and Wow Just because you are righteous and Holy and do that which is good does not preclude the fact that you're going to have enemies you will have enemies and They're going to be shocked Yet you do not act the way they act now listen carefully as I quote a few Psalms in Psalm 21 in verse 8 God says, thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. God has plenty of enemies. And he said, thy right hand shall find out all those that hate thee. May I ask you who the right hand man of God is?

[John Weaver] It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's sitting at the right hand of God the Father. His right hand, the Lord Jesus, is going to find out all of his enemies. So God's enemies hate him without a cause. This is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there is a verse, let me quote it for you, it's found in Psalm 69 and verse 4.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to listen. Psalm 69 is a Messianic Psalm, and this passage is quoted in reference to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In Psalm 69, verse 4, the Bible says this, They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. They that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. Then I restored that which I took not away." Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 15, you can see how this verse is applied directly to Jesus Christ. There's a message just in that one passage. But look in John chapter 15 beginning there with verse 21 John 15 verse 21 Our Lord says but all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake Because they know not him that sent me If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin Now look what he says He that hateth me hateth my father also If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.

[John Weaver] But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause." Wow. They hated Jesus Christ freely, deliberately. There was nothing in Jesus Christ that drew forth their hatred. He was and is the sinless Son of God. But they hated Him freely. They hated Him without a cause.

[John Weaver] There's no reason to hate Him. They hated Him because they hated Him. And the interesting thing is... I want to show you David's attitude. I told you there should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. Why? Usually our enemies are enemies or our own making we've been unkind or we've been impatient or we said things we should not have said And we just make enemies But that's not the way it is with God. So if you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 139 Psalm 139 and look if you would beginning there with verse 19 Psalm 139 verse 19 There should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. So in Psalm 139, beginning there with verse 19, look if you would what David says. Surely thou will slay the wicked, O God.

[John Weaver] Depart from me, therefore, you bloody men, for they speak against thee wickedly. Look, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Now watch David's attitude. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Now watch this. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.

[John Weaver] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. So David said, and remember, he's a man after God's own heart. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Am not I agree with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." And then he said, Oh Lord, search me and try me and know my heart. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Oh Lord, I don't want a bad attitude. If this is wrong, Lord, show me. Oh, what David is saying, this is the right biblical attitude that we should have toward God's enemies.

[John Weaver] Because they're seeking to dethrone God, overthrow God, destroy him, destroy his church, destroy his creation, destroy his kingdom. Yeah. The attitude is biblical. God's enemies hate him. They want to destroy him. They want to overthrow him. In fact, if we love God the way we should, if we love God according to the scripture, we would hate anything and everything that would be against Him. We would hate every sin like hell itself. We would hate His enemies. And by the way, He has enemies. George Soros is an enemy of God. So is Bill Gates. Anyone who fights against God is his enemy You know, the Bible says in Psalm 97 verse 10 ye that love the Lord hate evil If you love the Lord you're going to hate that which is evil And there are men that hate God and Guess what? There are men that God hates The feeling is mutual. You remember what God said in first Samuel 2 in verse 30 He said Them that honor me will I honor, saith the Lord, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

[John Weaver] You despise me? God says, that's fine. I'll despise you. The feeling will be mutual.

[John Weaver] Now, you remember the Lord Jesus Christ, and you certainly remember Isaiah 53 and verse 3. Listen to me. Here it is. He is despised and rejected of men, Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we had as it were our faces from him. He was despised Listen to this part and we esteemed him not you know what that means. It means we didn't even think that he was worth thinking about We would not even give him a moment in our minds He was despised and we esteemed him not and Want to show you truth since you're in Psalms if you will turn to Psalm 73 Psalm 73 is a psalm of ASAP ASAP has a real problem.

[John Weaver] He becomes envious when he looks around and he sees the prosperity of the wicked and Look in verse 2. He said but as for me my feet it well almost gone my steps it well I slipped for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked and then he describes all their prosperity there and And he's grieved now. Let's skip down to verse 12 look in verse 12 He says concerning these ungodly people behold. These are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches so his suffering while the wicked are prospering. So he says in verse 13, Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

[John Weaver] For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. If I say I speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me." In other words, he said, Lord, I don't understand this. I'm living right. I'm being holy. I'm being godly. I want to serve you. I want to honor you. And I'm suffering.

[John Weaver] Look at all the wicked and look how they're prospering. When I thought to know this, it was too difficult for me. It was too painful. Now watch verse 17. Until, until, Until I went into the sanctuary of God then understood I therein Surely thou did set them in slippery places thou casteth them down into destruction How they are brought into desolation as in a moment. They're utterly consumed with terrors Watch this as a dream and when awakeneth soul Lord when thou awakenest thou shalt despise their image Those who despise God shall be despised by God. Psalm 81 and verse 15 calls these people the haters of the Lord. Those who hate God shall be hated by God.

[John Weaver] Now let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this. I want you to think about the implications of this text. Those that despise God shall be despised by God, and then you have to add eternally despised. Man's disdain and man's despisement is absolutely nothing in comparison to the disdain and despisement of the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, almighty God of heaven and earth. If you want to challenge God, you are going to lose. It's just that simple. If you want to hate him, go ahead.

[John Weaver] You'll be hated by him. If you want to despise him, go ahead. You'll be despised by him. Here's the second one. Mutual feelings are wonderful as long as they are just, right, and holy and biblical feelings. However, mutual feelings of hatred, disdain, and despisement will inevitably result in a clash. Someone will lose. Someone will be destroyed. And it certainly will not be God. Man cannot overcome God. Man cannot prevail against Him.

[John Weaver] Proverbs 21 in verse 30 there is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord. There is none None none Here's the verse Psalm 37 verse 20 listen carefully but the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord are shall be as the fat of lambs, they shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away." It will not be God who loses the fight. I want mutual feelings of love between myself and the Sovereign God, and the only way I can have that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Have you ever thought about this? We love him. Tell me why? Because he first loved us. Not only did he first love us, he gave us his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the appreciation for our sins. Have you ever just stopped and felt about this and just said, Lord, thank you for allowing me to love you. Thank you, Lord, for placing in me a desire to love you, a desire to do what is right, a desire to be holy, a desire to be godly, a desire to be submissive and obedient. Ever thought about the grace and the mercy of God that has put mutual feelings between you and the Father? He loves you and you love Him. But there are also mutual feelings between those that hate God and those that God hates. Those that despise God shall be despised by Him. The feelings will be mutual. But those who despise God, the enemies of the Lord, shall be as the fat of lambs, that is, they're the sacrifice, and they shall consume away into smoke.

[John Weaver] If I was unsaved, I would be running to the Lord Jesus Christ as fast as I could run, for the only way that I could ever be acceptable to God the Father is through the person and work of His own dear Son. Mutual feelings are found in Scripture. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, You'd impress upon our hearts that which is right and holy and godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] it's a very uncomfortable subject to talk about hatred, you know, the way God looks at evil, and, you know, we Christians, I think we need more courage to speak about this more and to warn people, you know? Others, to warn them, you know, to warn them of the fire and the spot of fire, you know, the verse, you know, we don't worry about God's wrath, I mean, it's not that we're trying to and we're getting toward the end of something here.

[John Weaver] And we have to get these hard messages. Hard messages require, hard times require hard messages. I'm sorry if I sound a little jaded, but I've been up for 24 hours. So, you know, and I really appreciate you. You have an historical preaching that you did today. It was very encouraging. You're never going to hear this in mainstream. Thank you. By the way, think about it like this. Everybody said, well, that's hard preaching. No, it's biblical preaching. It's true preaching. But can you imagine if this kind of preaching was before Congress and if everybody understood you're either an enemy of God or the friend of God, you're either loved by God or hated by God? I think it didn't make a big difference in the sense of the word.

[John Weaver] You wouldn't have too many people pretending to be Christians. I don't think. But yeah, but it's a very serious message, that is for sure. All right, anyone else? Separate the sheep from the goats quickly, wouldn't it? Separate the sheep from the goats. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Yes, Ron. If someone tells you it's always wrong to hate, they certainly don't know the Bible. That's a fact. There is a biblical doctrine of hatred. So you need to go back and listen to that message on the biblical doctrine of hatred. Well, it's just like our Lord said, when he said, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. But wait a minute.

[John Weaver] If you're not rebuked and chastened, what does that mean? Means you're not loved if you're not loved it means you're hated So yeah, there's a lot more scriptures on that if you'd listen to that message All right. Well, let's have prayer then. Thank you father again for your love and grace and mercy Keep us safe lord and lead us and guide us and direct us in the name of jesus christ.

[John Weaver] We ask and pray amen

The Feeling Is Mutual

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	nNH-6OM3Oyg
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked
Genre	Sermon
Date	2025-04-23
Dictation Name
Book	Book 137: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 2 — Chapter 40
Source Timed Segments	89

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Mutual Feeling

Proverbs 29:27 expresses that the unjust are an abomination to the just, and the upright are an abomination to the wicked, a sentiment summarized as 'the feeling is mutual.'

Proverbs chapter 29, verse 27, and the title of the message is "The Feeling Is Mutual." You'll understand. Proverbs 29:27, look at it. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 29:27

"An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked."

So let me just explain it very quickly. An unjust man, a man who is unsaved, a man who is wicked, is an abomination to the just.

The Root of Enmity in Genesis 3:15

The animosity between the righteous and the wicked originates in the Protoevangelium, where God put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

So when you look at Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 27, we must understand that this verse teaches and also expresses not only the innate contrariness, in one sense of the word, or contrariety if you want to pronounce it like that, that exists between virtue and vice, that exists between light and darkness, that exists between good and evil, that exists between the righteous and the unrighteous. So we could just sum this verse up with a well-known sentiment: The feeling is mutual. Now the animosity, if you can use that word, that exists between the righteous and the wicked actually has its root and has its foundation in what is known as the Protoevangelium. If you hold Proverbs 29, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 3 and look at verse 15, you will see here what is known as the Protoevangelium, which is indeed the very first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. But I want you to note while you have this promise, there is also a declaration of the enmity that exists between the seeds.

So in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 we read this, God said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

So this verse not only teaches that our Lord is going to be our Savior—He is called the seed of the woman—but there's also the seed of the serpent. And it shall bruise thy head, that is, our Lord shall bruise the serpent's head. And he said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And thou shalt bruise his heel."

So a heel bruise is not anything fatal, but a head bruise certainly is. But notice, if you would, he said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"I will put enmity between thee and thy seed and the woman's seed."

And the word enmity in the Hebrew is the word ebah.

And it literally means enmity or that which you and I would call extremely strong hatred. Now, the interesting thing is most of the time we don't pay attention as we're reading some of the Proverbs, some of the Psalms. But if you would pay attention, you will see that there is this tension, and I'll even go farther, hatred that exists oftentimes on the part of the wicked and at times and should be on the part of the righteous.

Biblical Hatred in the Old and New Testaments

Numerous scriptures in both testaments command or describe hatred of evil and the wicked, including Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, and Romans 12:9.

For instance, listen to this. Let me just quote some verses because we're going to be looking at a lot. But in Psalm 25 and verse 19, David prays, and he said, "Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred." So David was a man after God's own heart, and yet he was hated with a cruel hatred. In Psalm 34 and verse 21, the Bible says, "Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." So once again, here's a group of people that hate the righteous. When you get to Psalm 97 verse 10, which I'll quote a little bit later as well, the scripture says,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 97:10

"Ye that love the Lord hate evil."

He preserved the life of the saints. He delivered them out of the hand of the wicked. So the wicked then are plotting against the righteous. When you get to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8 in verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate," saith the Lord. And then, of course, in Proverbs 29 in verse 10, the Bible says, "The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul." And here are three others that I want to really quote and emphasize. The next one is found in Amos chapter 5 and verse 10, and I want to explain this one momentarily. The scripture says, "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." So you have to remember then in Bible times, the gate was where the ruler sat. That's where you had the politicians. That's where you had the diplomats. And the Bible says they hate him that rebuketh in the gate. So anytime someone stands up against that which is evil and wicked and rebukes the wicked, they hate him. And then of course it said they hate him, abhor him that

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:10

speaketh uprightly. When he's just simply proclaiming the truth. And then when you get to Amos chapter 5 in verse 15, God says, "Hate the evil and love the good." Now here's the last one in the Old Testament—in the Old Testament—and that's Micah chapter 3 in verse 2. Listen to this one: "Who hate the good and love the evil and pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones." So here are people that are so absolutely wicked, they hate the good, they love anything that is evil and wicked, and they're willing to skin people alive, so to speak, and destroy them. Now, when you look at the Old Testament and you see all of these verses, someone is apt to say, "But, oh, that's Old Testament." Well, may I remind you that the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament, but you have the exact same truth in the New Testament. So if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 12 and verse 9.

Romans 12 and verse 9. Look what the Bible says. Romans 12 verse 9:

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:9

"Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good."

Now, let me just say, as you read through the Old Testament and the New Testament, when you see the word abhor, it is an exceedingly strong word for hatred. Romans chapter 12 in verse 9, God says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:9

"Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good."

Now the Greek word for abhor is apostugeo, and it literally means to dislike, to abhor, to have a horror of. And old John Trapp, the Puritan, said it like this: the word means literally to hate it as hell itself. In other words, hate evil as hell itself.

Now, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 exposes for us the lack of fellowship and the lack of communion between the righteous and the wicked. So if you will turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's look there at verses 14 through 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, beginning there with verse 14. Look at this now, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14: "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Now look at the questions. "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"

No Fellowship Between Righteous and Wicked

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 shows there is no common ground for fellowship, communion, or concord between righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness.

The answer would be none. "What communion hath light with darkness?" None. "And what concord hath Christ with Belial?"—the devil—none. "And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" None. "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" None. Then he says, "For you are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord." So, what the Apostle Paul is telling us is there are absolutely no grounds for fellowship between the righteous and the wicked. We are opposites. We have no common ground, and there cannot be any compromise. We are different, and they are different. Oil and water do not mix, and neither does righteousness and wickedness.

Now, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. The fact that there is no common ground for fellowship, and the fact that there is no basis for communion between the righteous and the wicked, does not negate kindness, graciousness, and consideration in general. In other words, it is not necessary to be hateful and unkind to those who hate and despise us. We are different, and we are to follow our Lord.

Misconception 1: Desire for the Wicked's Salvation

Despite the lack of fellowship, believers genuinely desire the conversion or condemnation of the wicked, understanding their former state and trusting God's effectual call.

We understand where they are because we have been there. We understand their blindness to the truth. We understand their hesitancy to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. We understand their loyalty to the flesh. We understand their desire to find pleasure in sin, and the reason we understand that is because we've been there. So if you'll turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. And I want you to pay close attention to this, and I'm going to come back and quote verse 3 a little bit later, but look at it. Ephesians 2 and verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past"

—that would be before your conversion—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation"

—or conduct—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

So, we know exactly where they are, because that is where we came from. We're no longer in the kingdom of darkness. We've been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Want you to turn right on over, if you would, to 1 Peter chapter 4 and look at verse 4. Here's a passage that has always caused me to smile, not because it is funny, but just simply because it exposes this lack of commonality. So let's read verse 3. He says, "For the time

past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles," that is, when we were lost, "when we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revelings, banqueting, and abominable idolatry." Let me just paraphrase that. He says, now you're fed up with sin. You don't want it anymore. You've had a sufficient amount of it, okay? So now we're talking about the lost. Look at it: "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles," that is those who are unsaved, "when we walked in"—now look at verse 4—"wherein they"—that would be the lost, that would be the Gentiles— "wherein they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." Now, has that thought ever entered in your mind that the wicked, that the unrighteous, that the ungodly think that you are strange? Now, the word strange is the Greek word xenizo. And in the context, it means to be surprised or astonished at the novelty of a thing, or to be shocked. So literally, the Bible says they are shocked. They're standing there gaping with their mouths open.

They cannot believe our lives. We shock them. Now, look at it: "When they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot." Now, the word excess is the word anachysis in the Greek, and it refers to an excess, an overflowing, pouring out. It is a metaphor that is used for a flood. So now let's go back: "Wherein they think it's strange"—they're shocked—"that you run not with them to the same overflowing outpouring of riot." Now the word riot is the word asotia, and it refers to a desolate life, that is a life of sin, wickedness, and rebellion. So look at this verse again: "Wherein they are shocked beyond measure, that you run not with them to the same excess, pouring out, flooding of wickedness, of rebellion."

And what is the consequence? Because they are so shocked at our demeanor and our disposition and our conduct, they speak evil of you. Now the interesting thing is the word "speaking evil of you" is the word blasphemeo in the Greek. They blaspheme you. It means they speak reproachfully of you, they revile you, and they blaspheme your name. Why? Because you're different. Because you're different. You don't live the way they live. You don't do that which they do. Now James asks a very good question in James chapter 2 and verse 7, when he asked this question, "Do not they blaspheme that worthy name wherewith you are called, or after which you are called?" What is that worthy name? Christ. We are called Christians after Christ who is the anointed one. And so when they speak evil of us, when they blaspheme us, at the same time they are blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ. But notice they're so shocked that we do not live the way they live. We can look around today, and boy, we can get shocked very easily when we see things that are going on. But they're just as shocked at us. Now, here's the thing.

When you stop and think about this, since there is so much animosity and so much hatred between the righteous and the wicked, and on the part of the righteous, I would have to say it would be a biblical hatred, which I will explain later. You would think that the righteous would have no regard at all for the wicked, but that's not true. We still have a desire to see them either converted or condemned. And we have a truth that they have no idea concerning. And that truth is found in Psalm 110 verse 3, which is quoted in the New Testament, when it says this,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 110:3

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

When you stop and look today at all the preaching, all the teaching that is being done, and it seems as if the wicked have stopped their ears, they refuse to listen. They have no desire for truth or righteousness. And yet we have this verse,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 110:3

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

They may be unwilling now to listen. They may not heed our testimonies. They may not listen to our witness. But when our Lord exerts his sovereign power upon them, He will make them willing. He shall overcome them. They may refuse and resist initially, but they cannot refuse and resist successfully, because He is a sovereign God of heaven and earth.

And when He calls them, they come. So I would challenge you to do something. Take you a pen and paper, read through the New Testament, and write down every time that Jesus Christ calls someone and they refuse to come. I'll save you some time. There are no instances like that in the New Testament. Every time Jesus Christ calls someone, they came to Him. Whether or not it was for salvation or for service, no one denied His call.

In fact, do you realize in the book of Romans chapter 1 in verse 6, those who are saved are referred to as the called of the Lord. He has called us into the fellowship of his dear Son. So the call came in such a way that it was effectual and actually brought us into fellowship with his dear Son. The first misconception I want to get rid of is that just because there is no common ground and there is no time for fellowship or communion, so to speak, between the righteous and the wicked does not mean that there is not a genuine concern that we have for their salvation and or condemnation. Okay? Here's the second misconception I want to get rid of.

Misconception 2: Separating the Sinner from His Sin

Sin exists only in the sinner; therefore, God hates both sin and sinners. Scriptures like Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5, and Malachi 1:2-3 demonstrate God's hatred of the wicked.

We have to make it clear in our minds and we have to understand that we cannot separate the sinner and his sin. Now let me explain what I mean by that. You probably heard this all of your life from preachers, as well as other Christians, that we must love the sinner and hate the sin. You heard that. I want you to stop and think with me about this. In fact, I've heard it said, God loves a sinner, but God hates the sin. Well, the only problem with that is that's not quite scriptural. That's not right. I want you to stop and think about this. Think about sin. Sin is not some ethereal, abstract phenomenon floating around somewhere in the universe. Sin does not exist in anything material. Sin is not anything outside of us. Anytime you place sin in something material, you've fallen into Greek dualism and Gnosticism. So, hear me out. The only place sin exists is in the sinner. If you did not have sinners, you would not have sin. Now, it is true that God hates the sin.

He says that. But it is equally true, which most people do not preach and would not preach, is that God also hates the sinners. You say, "But now wait a minute. The Bible says He's loved us with an everlasting love." That is true. That is true. But He loved us in Jesus Christ. He loved us in Jesus Christ. He did not love us in and of ourselves for what we are in and of ourselves.

Now listen to me very carefully. Sinners are hated by God, and I will show you, just as their sins are hated by God. Help me out. Psalm 7:11. Everybody can quote this verse.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:11

"God judgeth the righteous, but God is angry with the wicked every day."

Wow. There are no safe days for sinners. God is not only angry with the sinners every day, He's angry with them every hour, every minute, every moment. There's not one split second that God is not angry with sinners. That's what he says. God is angry with the sinners every day. How about this one in John 6 in verse 36?

Scripture Reading — John 3:36

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Now wait a minute. Those who are without Jesus Christ are facing the anger of God and the wrath of God abides upon them. And of course if you go to Galatians chapter 3, there's the curse of the law upon them as well. Now I want to—I want you to look back to Ephesians chapter 2. I told you I was going to come back to this but I'm going to look at verse 3. I want this to sink into your mind. Ephesians chapter 2, look at verse 3. Here's what the scripture says, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past," our conduct, we live like this, "in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and"—look at this—"and were by nature the children of wrath even as others." What are we by nature? What is everyone by nature?

A child of wrath. So what he is saying, even we as God's elect, even we as God's people, while we were yet unregenerate and unconverted, although he loved us with an everlasting love, we were still under his anger and under his wrath and under his curse. Wow. Romans 1 in verse 18, he said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Now years ago, I preached a message on the biblical doctrine of hatred. You remember that, Steve? Harold Hardy loved that message. Harold got about 20 or 30 copies of that message.

He was passing them out like candy. I said, "Harold, why don't—why don't you start off with something a little more—little easier and work them into something like this?" I never will forget what he said. Man, he said, "I like to separate the wheat from the chaff at the very beginning." And if you've ever listened to that message, it will separate the wheat from the chaff because I gave three points in that message. Here we go. The first point was the Sovereign's hatred. The second point was the Savior's hatred. And the third point was the saint's hatred. And by the way, it's still on SermonAudio. And I looked at it yesterday and there's been listened to 2,100 times. Wow.

Now, I'm not going to repeat that message, but I want you to understand something. And that is this: The sinner cannot be separated from his sin. Because sin does not exist outside the sinner. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the Psalms, we want to start with Psalm 5 and look, if you would, beginning there in verse 4. Psalm 5 beginning there in verse 4. Look at what scripture says. Psalm 5 verse 4: "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither

shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Are you looking at this? Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing"—or lying. "The Lord will abhor"—remember that's a strong word for hatred—"the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." So look back at verse 5: "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 5:4-6

" Why? Because that's where sin exists. Sin is in the sinner. That's why I said the Lord will abhor the bloody and the deceitful man. So if you look in Psalm 11, Psalm 11 and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Psalm 11 verse 5: "

The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright." Note, if you would, the Bible says, "But the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth."

Now, verse 6 tells you, upon those whom he hates, the wicked, he is going to rain snares, fire, brimstone, and a horrible tempest. That certainly does not sound like love to me. It's very clear that it is hatred. Now if you would turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Malachi, the very last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 1, and I want us to read just verses 2 and 3 to begin with. In fact, I will not even read all of verse 3, just part of it. Then I'm going to come back and read it. So look at Malachi chapter 1 verse 2.

God is speaking to Israel and he says in verse 2, "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, Wherein hast thou loved us?" Here's God's answer: "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." Now if you've been in the average church, you have heard this verse explained very easily by someone saying what this means is that God just loved Esau less than he loved Jacob. He just loved Jacob more. He still loved Esau. He just loved Esau less. Well, if that is your interpretation, I would like you to explain to me the rest of verse 3.

So let's read it again. We're beginning with verse 2. Look at this: "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." How was his hatred expressed? Look: "And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. I destroyed him." Whereas Edom said, "We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places. We're going to rebuild." Thus saith the Lord of hosts, "They shall build, but I will throw down. And they shall call them the people, the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord

hath indignation forever." Now that does not really sound like loving a little less. That just sounds like God hates Esau. That's exactly what he said. Now, listen to me. Proverbs 6, verse 16: "These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him." When you get to Proverbs 8, verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate."

Acceptance Only in Christ

Sinners are under God's wrath until regenerated and converted. Only through Christ's propitiation and imputed righteousness are believers made acceptable to God (Ephesians 1:6).

Now hang on with me. Hang on. The word propitiate means to satisfy. It means to appease. It means to placate. Jesus Christ appeased and placated and satisfied the righteous anger, justice, and holiness of God the Father. In propitiating God, He expiated or washed away our sins. Now listen carefully. It is only the person and work of Jesus Christ that can propitiate the Father. It is only through the Son that we have access to the Father. Now hang on. It is the work of Jesus Christ through imputation that removes the sin from the repenting, believing sinner. You'll find that in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. I want you to listen carefully. So what did God do? God imputed our sins to Jesus Christ.

Our sins were placed upon Him, and then He took that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ which He worked out and earned in perfect obedience to God and His law and imputed that to us. So yes, it is true that God hates sin, but it is equally true that God hates the sinner because sin is located in the sinner. And listen to me, it is only because we are in Jesus Christ that we are made acceptable to God the Father. I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. There's one word that you really, really need to grasp in this passage. I'm going to explain it to you, but I want you to see it. Ephesians chapter 1, and I want us to read verses 3 through 7. Watch this. Ephesians 1 verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

"According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Now look at this verse: "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Now, I want you to go back with me to verse 6. After all that God the Father has done for us, He says in verse 6, "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." So, make sure you underline this little word, accepted.

The Greek word is charitoo, and it literally means to make graceful, to make charming, to make beautiful, to make lovely, to make agreeable, and to compass with favor and honor and blessing. So here it is, the vile, wicked sinner, who was nothing but sin, who was hated by God, who was under the curse of God, the anger of God, and the wrath of God, is now made absolutely, perfectly pure and holy and righteous in Jesus Christ. He has made us acceptable. He's made us beautiful and charming and easily to behold. God the Father, because when he sees us now, he sees the perfection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, please listen to me. It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be acceptable to God the Father. There's absolutely nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to please or to placate God the Father. There's no way that we can come to him except through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want you to think about this. Think about this in verse 6: "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." He's made us acceptable.

He's made us beautiful. The opposite implication is just as true: those who are not in Jesus Christ are not acceptable. They're not charming. They're not beautiful. They're not lovely. No, no, no. No, they're outside of Jesus Christ and they're unacceptable to God the Father. Now, I want you to listen to some scriptures just to show you that this is taught over and over in the Bible. In Proverbs 10 and verse 16, the Bible says, "The labor of the righteous tendeth to life, and the fruit of the wicked is sin." What do the wicked produce? Sin. Because they're sinners. Proverbs 10 in verse 20: "The tongue of the righteous is of choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little worth." Wow. Proverbs 11 verse 23: "The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath." That's all he's gonna get. Proverbs 15 verses 8 and 9, I want you to listen.

Loving Enemies vs. Hating God's Enemies

Loving enemies means acting biblically toward them (Romans 13:8-10). However, believers should have a different attitude toward God's enemies, hating them with a perfect hatred as David did (Psalm 139:19-24).

Then he makes a statement, "For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." So how do I fulfill the law toward a wicked man? And the answer is, I act biblically toward him. I do that which is scriptural. I do that which is right. God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them. All He requires of me is to be biblical toward them, to keep His law toward them. Since you're in Romans, look in Romans chapter 12 right there, beginning with verse 19. He says, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine;

I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." So if I have my enemy before me and he's hungry and all I have is peas, that's what I share with him. If he's thirsty, I give him a glass of water. God does not require me to take him out to a steak dinner and buy him a latte, a coffee latte or whatever you call them. He doesn't require that. He just requires me to be kind and gracious and fulfill God's law toward him. That's how I love him. Love is the fulfilling of the law.

Now, let me point something out. Although he tells us that we're to love our enemies, there is a vast difference between our enemies and God's enemies. There is also and should be a vast difference between our attitude toward our enemies and our attitude toward God's enemies. You know, so many Christians get so hurt because they tend to think that, well, if I'm obedient, if I'm holy, if I'm righteous, if I do that which is good, then inevitably folks are going to love me and everything. Yeah. No, no, it doesn't work like that. No. No, do you realize that God is the apex, the epitome of holiness, righteousness, love, grace, and mercy, and yet he has enemies galore? And wow. Just because you are righteous and holy and do that which is good does not preclude the fact that you're going to have enemies. You will have enemies. And they're going to be shocked that you do not act the way they act. Now listen carefully as I quote a few Psalms. In Psalm 21 in verse 8, God says, "Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee." God has plenty of enemies. And he said, "Thy right hand shall find out all those that hate thee." May I ask you who the right hand man of God is?

It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's sitting at the right hand of God the Father. His right hand, the Lord Jesus, is going to find out all of his enemies. So God's enemies hate him without a cause. This is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there is a verse, let me quote it for you, it's found in Psalm 69 and verse 4.

Now, I want you to listen. Psalm 69 is a Messianic Psalm, and this passage is quoted in reference to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In Psalm 69, verse 4, the Bible says this, "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. They that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. Then I restored that which I took not away." Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 15, you can see how this verse is applied directly to Jesus Christ. There's a message just in that one passage. But look in John chapter 15 beginning there with verse 21. John 15 verse 21: Our Lord says, "But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin." Now look what he says: "He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.

But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." Wow. They hated Jesus Christ freely, deliberately. There was nothing in Jesus Christ that drew forth their hatred. He was and is the sinless Son of God. But they hated Him freely. They hated Him without a cause.

There's no reason to hate Him. They hated Him because they hated Him. And the interesting thing is... I want to show you David's attitude. I told you there should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. Why? Usually our enemies are enemies of our own making. We've been unkind or we've been impatient or we said things we should not have said, and we just make enemies. But that's not the way it is with God. So if you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 139, Psalm 139 and look if you would beginning there with verse 19. Psalm 139 verse 19: There should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. So in Psalm 139, beginning there with verse 19, look if you would what David says. "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God.

Depart from me, therefore, you bloody men, for they speak against thee wickedly. Look, and thine enemies take thy name in vain." Now watch David's attitude. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." Now watch this. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." So David said, and remember, he's a man after God's own heart. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." And then he said, "Oh Lord, search me and try me and know my heart. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Oh Lord, I don't want a bad attitude. If this is wrong, Lord, show me." Oh, what David is saying, this is the right biblical attitude that we should have toward God's enemies.

Applications: Mutual Feelings and Eternal Consequences

Those who despise God will be despised by Him eternally. Mutual feelings of love with God are only possible through Christ, while mutual hatred leads to destruction.

You'll be hated by him. If you want to despise him, go ahead. You'll be despised by him. Here's the second one: Mutual feelings are wonderful as long as they are just, right, and holy and biblical feelings. However, mutual feelings of hatred, disdain, and despisement will inevitably result in a clash. Someone will lose. Someone will be destroyed. And it certainly will not be God. Man cannot overcome God. Man cannot prevail against Him.

Proverbs 21 in verse 30: "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord." There is none. None. None. Here's the verse: Psalm 37 verse 20. Listen carefully: "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs, they shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away." It will not be God who loses the fight. I want mutual feelings of love between myself and the Sovereign God, and the only way I can have that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever thought about this? We love him. Tell me why? Because he first loved us. Not only did he first love us, he gave us his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for our sins. Have you ever just stopped and thought about this and just said, "Lord, thank you for allowing me to love you. Thank you, Lord, for placing in me a desire to love you, a desire to do what is right, a desire to be holy, a desire to be godly, a desire to be submissive and obedient." Ever thought about the grace and the mercy of God that has put mutual feelings between you and the Father? He loves you and you love Him. But there are also mutual feelings between those that hate God and those that God hates. Those that despise God shall be despised by Him. The feelings will be mutual. But those who despise God, the enemies of the Lord, shall be as the fat of lambs, that is, they're the sacrifice, and they shall consume away into smoke.

If I was unsaved, I would be running to the Lord Jesus Christ as fast as I could run, for the only way that I could ever be acceptable to God the Father is through the person and work of His own dear Son. Mutual feelings are found in Scripture. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, You'd impress upon our hearts that which is right and holy and godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Mutual Abhorrence Between Righteous and Wicked

Summary: Proverbs 29:27 teaches that the just and the unjust find each other abominable, reflecting a deep-seated, mutual enmity.

Evidence: The sermon opens with Proverbs 29:27 and the childhood phrase 'the feeling is mutual' to illustrate this reciprocal disdain.

The Enmity Established by God

Summary: The hatred between the seeds of the woman and the serpent was divinely instituted in Genesis 3:15 as part of the Protoevangelium.

Evidence: Weaver traces the root of the animosity to Genesis 3:15, emphasizing that God 'put enmity' between the two seeds.

God's Hatred of Sinners

Summary: Because sin is inseparable from the sinner, God hates both sin and the sinner, as shown in Psalms 5:5, 11:5, and Malachi 1:2-3.

Evidence: Weaver argues that sin does not exist outside the sinner, citing Psalm 5:5 ('Thou hatest all workers of iniquity') and Malachi 1:3 ('I hated Esau').

Acceptance Only Through Christ

Summary: Sinners are under God's wrath and can only be made acceptable through the propitiatory work and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Evidence: Ephesians 1:6 is highlighted: 'he hath made us accepted in the beloved,' with the Greek charitoo meaning to make graceful and lovely.

Biblical Hatred vs. Sentimental Love

Summary: Believers are commanded to hate evil and God's enemies with a perfect hatred, while loving enemies by acting righteously toward them.

Evidence: Psalm 139:21-22 ('Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?') and Romans 13:8-10 are used to distinguish between personal and divine enmity.

Eternal Consequences of Mutual Hatred

Summary: Those who hate and despise God will be eternally despised and destroyed by Him, while mutual love with God is a gift of grace.

Evidence: Psalm 73:20 ('thou shalt despise their image') and Psalm 37:20 are cited to show the fate of God's enemies.

Key Arguments

The feeling is mutual between the righteous and the wicked.

Summary: Proverbs 29:27 explicitly states that the unjust are an abomination to the just, and vice versa, indicating a reciprocal loathing.

Evidence: Weaver reads Proverbs 29:27 and explains, 'So the righteous, basically speaking, do not desire... to be around the wicked, and the wicked... have no desire... to be around the righteous.'

This enmity was ordained by God in Genesis 3:15.

Summary: The hatred between the two seeds is not merely human but divinely instituted as part of the curse and promise in Eden.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'the animosity... actually has its root and has its foundation in what is known as the Protoevangelium... I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.'

Sin cannot be separated from the sinner; therefore God hates sinners.

Summary: Sin is not an abstract entity but exists only in persons, so God's hatred of sin necessarily includes the sinner, as multiple scriptures affirm.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'Sin does not exist in anything material... The only place sin exists is in the sinner. If you did not have sinners, you would not have sin.' He then cites Psalm 5:5 and 11:5.

Acceptance with God is only through Christ's imputed righteousness.

Summary: Sinners are by nature children of wrath and can only be made acceptable when their sins are imputed to Christ and His righteousness imputed to them.

Evidence: Weaver explains Ephesians 1:6, 'he hath made us accepted in the Beloved,' and says, 'It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be acceptable to God the Father.'

Loving enemies means fulfilling the law toward them, not sentimental affection.

Summary: Romans 13:8-10 defines love as doing no ill to a neighbor and keeping the commandments, which is how believers love even their enemies.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law... God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them.'

Believers should hate God's enemies with a perfect hatred.

Summary: David's example in Psalm 139 shows a righteous hatred for those who hate God, which is distinct from personal animosity and is examined by God.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 139:21-22, 'Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?... I hate them with perfect hatred,' and notes David's prayer for heart examination.

Those who despise God will be eternally despised by Him.

Summary: Psalm 73:20 and 1 Samuel 2:30 show that God reciprocates the contempt of the wicked, leading to their ultimate destruction.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Those who despise God shall be despised by God... eternally despised,' referencing Psalm 73:20 and 1 Samuel 2:30.

Scripture References

Proverbs 29:27

Context: The main text: 'An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.'

Genesis 3:15

Context: The Protoevangelium where God puts enmity between the serpent's seed and the woman's seed.

Psalm 25:19

Context: David's enemies hate him with a cruel hatred.

Psalm 34:21

Context: They that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

Psalm 97:10

Context: Ye that love the Lord hate evil.

Proverbs 8:13

Context: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy, and the froward mouth.

Proverbs 29:10

Context: The bloodthirsty hate the upright.

Amos 5:10

Context: They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and abhor him that speaketh uprightly.

Amos 5:15

Context: Hate the evil and love the good.

Micah 3:2

Context: Who hate the good and love the evil.

Romans 12:9

Context: Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Context: No fellowship between righteousness and unrighteousness; come out from among them and be separate.

1 Peter 2:23

Context: Christ, when reviled, reviled not again.

Ephesians 2:1-3

Context: We were by nature children of wrath, walking according to the course of this world.

1 Peter 4:3-4

Context: The wicked think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.

Psalm 110:3

Context: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.

Psalm 7:11

Context: God is angry with the wicked every day.

John 3:36

Context: He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Psalm 5:4-6

Context: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity; the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Psalm 11:5-7

Context: The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Historical References

John Trapp, Puritan commentator

Context: Weaver quotes Trapp's comment on Romans 12:9: 'the word means literally to hate it as hell itself.'

Harold Hardy, a listener who distributed copies of Weaver's sermon on the biblical doctrine of hatred

Context: Weaver recalls Harold Hardy loving the message and passing out copies, saying he liked to 'separate the wheat from the chaff at the very beginning.'

George Soros, Bill Gates, Barack Obama as examples of prominent wicked men

Context: Weaver uses these contemporary figures to illustrate that he has no desire for fellowship with the wicked, regardless of their status.

Weaver's preaching to state legislators

Context: He recounts being invited to preach to state legislators on the sovereignty of Christ and His law, after which he was never invited back.

Important Quotes

An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

Significance: This is the foundational text of the sermon, establishing the mutual abhorrence between the righteous and the wicked.

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Significance: Weaver identifies this as the Protoevangelium, the divine origin of the hatred between the two seeds.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Significance: Used to prove that God hates sinners, not just sin in the abstract.

I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau.

Significance: Demonstrates God's personal hatred of an individual, not merely a lesser love.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Significance: Highlights that acceptance with God is only through Christ, making believers beautiful and lovely in His sight.

Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

Significance: David's example of righteous hatred toward God's enemies, which Weaver presents as a model for believers.

As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Significance: Shows that God will reciprocate the contempt of the wicked, despising them in judgment.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding the mutual abhorrence in Proverbs 29:27 affect your view of relationships with unbelievers?

Context: Weaver explains that the righteous and wicked naturally find each other abominable, which limits fellowship.

In what ways does the enmity of Genesis 3:15 manifest in the world today?

Context: The sermon traces the root of the conflict to God's declaration of enmity between the seeds.

How do you reconcile the command to love your enemies with the biblical teaching on hating God's enemies?

Context: Weaver distinguishes between personal enemies and God's enemies, using Romans 13 and Psalm 139.

Why is it important to affirm that God hates sinners and not just sin?

Context: Weaver argues that sin cannot be separated from the sinner, citing Psalms 5 and 11.

How does the doctrine of imputation provide the only ground for acceptance with God?

Context: Ephesians 1:6 is explained to show that believers are made acceptable only in Christ.

What does it mean to hate evil 'as hell itself,' and how can we cultivate that hatred?

Context: Weaver quotes John Trapp on Romans 12:9, urging believers to abhor evil intensely.

How should the reality of God's eternal despising of the wicked influence our evangelism?

Context: The sermon concludes with the warning that those who despise God will be eternally despised.

Applications

Recognize the mutual enmity and avoid unequal yoking.

Summary: Believers should not seek close fellowship or compromise with the wicked, as there is no common ground.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'there are absolutely no grounds for fellowship between the righteous and the wicked... Oil and water do not mix.'

Maintain a genuine desire for the salvation of the wicked.

Summary: Despite the lack of fellowship, believers should desire and pray for the conversion of the lost, trusting God's effectual call.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'just because the wicked hate and despise us does not mean that we have no desire for their salvation.'

Hate evil and God's enemies with a perfect hatred.

Summary: Believers are to abhor evil intensely and align their affections with God's, hating those who hate Him.

Evidence: Weaver cites Psalm 139:21-22 and Romans 12:9, urging a biblical hatred that is examined by God.

Love your enemies by acting righteously toward them.

Summary: Loving enemies means fulfilling God's law toward them—feeding them when hungry, giving drink when thirsty—without sentimentalism.

Evidence: Weaver explains Romans 12:20-21 and 13:8-10, saying, 'God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them.'

Flee to Christ for acceptance with God.

Summary: Since sinners are under God's wrath and can only be accepted through Christ's imputed righteousness, unbelievers should urgently seek salvation.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'If I was unsaved, I would be running to the Lord Jesus Christ as fast as I could run.'

Examine your heart for any wicked way.

Summary: Like David, believers should ask God to search their hearts to ensure their hatred is righteous and not sinful.

Evidence: Weaver notes David's prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 after expressing perfect hatred.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:51:32Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:05:07Z

Clean Transcript

The Feeling Is Mutual

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Proverbs chapter 29, verse 27, and the title of the message is "The Feeling Is Mutual." You'll understand. Proverbs 29:27, look at it. The Bible says, "An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked." So let me just explain it very quickly. An unjust man, a man who is unsaved, a man who is wicked, is an abomination to the just.
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That is, a snitch and a scoundrel. And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. So that man who is saved is an abomination to the wicked. I remember as a boy, whenever there was an argument between us and words and phrases and epithets began to be exchanged, we would receive them. We would listen to what everybody was saying about us. And then once we heard what they said, we would simply say, "Yeah, and double to you."
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And besides that, our feeling is mutual. Go fly a kite. So what we were saying is, I don't really care. I don't want to be around you. You don't want to be around me. And so you just stay out of my way. I'll stay out of your way. Basically, that was it.
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Now, oddly enough, as I was reading through the book of Proverbs again, this verse popped out because the sentiment is exactly the same that is expressed here between the righteous and the unrighteous. So the righteous, basically speaking, do not desire or have any strong inclination to be around the wicked, and the wicked, on the other hand, have no desire or strong inclination to be around the righteous. So the feeling is basically mutual.
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I could say it like this: I have no desire to be around drunkards or whoremongers or thieves or adulterers. And I'm sure that they have no desire to be around me. They're certainly not going to come to church. They're not going to sit with me while I study. They're not going to listen to me while I pray. And they're certainly not going to listen to me while I am preaching.
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So when you look at Proverbs chapter 29 and verse 27, we must understand that this verse teaches and also expresses not only the innate contrariness, in one sense of the word, or contrariety if you want to pronounce it like that, that exists between virtue and vice, that exists between light and darkness, that exists between good and evil, that exists between the righteous and the unrighteous. So we could just sum this verse up with a well-known sentiment: The feeling is mutual. Now the animosity, if you can use that word, that exists between the righteous and the wicked actually has its root and has its foundation in what is known as the Protoevangelium. If you hold Proverbs 29, but turn back in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 3 and look at verse 15, you will see here what is known as the Protoevangelium, which is indeed the very first promise of the Messiah in the Bible. But I want you to note while you have this promise, there is also a declaration of the enmity that exists between the seeds.
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So in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 we read this, God said, "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So this verse not only teaches that our Lord is going to be our Savior—He is called the seed of the woman—but there's also the seed of the serpent. And it shall bruise thy head, that is, our Lord shall bruise the serpent's head. And he said, "And thou shalt bruise his heel." So a heel bruise is not anything fatal, but a head bruise certainly is. But notice, if you would, he said, "I will put enmity between thee and thy seed and the woman's seed." And the word enmity in the Hebrew is the word ebah.
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And it literally means enmity or that which you and I would call extremely strong hatred. Now, the interesting thing is most of the time we don't pay attention as we're reading some of the Proverbs, some of the Psalms. But if you would pay attention, you will see that there is this tension, and I'll even go farther, hatred that exists oftentimes on the part of the wicked and at times and should be on the part of the righteous.
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For instance, listen to this. Let me just quote some verses because we're going to be looking at a lot. But in Psalm 25 and verse 19, David prays, and he said, "Consider mine enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with a cruel hatred." So David was a man after God's own heart, and yet he was hated with a cruel hatred. In Psalm 34 and verse 21, the Bible says, "Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." So once again, here's a group of people that hate the righteous. When you get to Psalm 97 verse 10, which I'll quote a little bit later as well, the scripture says, "Ye that love the Lord hate evil."
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He preserved the life of the saints. He delivered them out of the hand of the wicked. So the wicked then are plotting against the righteous. When you get to the book of Proverbs, chapter 8 in verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate," saith the Lord. And then, of course, in Proverbs 29 in verse 10, the Bible says, "The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul." And here are three others that I want to really quote and emphasize. The next one is found in Amos chapter 5 and verse 10, and I want to explain this one momentarily. The scripture says, "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, they abhor him that speaketh uprightly." So you have to remember then in Bible times, the gate was where the ruler sat. That's where you had the politicians. That's where you had the diplomats. And the Bible says they hate him that rebuketh in the gate. So anytime someone stands up against that which is evil and wicked and rebukes the wicked, they hate him. And then of course it said they hate him, abhor him that
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speaketh uprightly. When he's just simply proclaiming the truth. And then when you get to Amos chapter 5 in verse 15, God says, "Hate the evil and love the good." Now here's the last one in the Old Testament—in the Old Testament—and that's Micah chapter 3 in verse 2. Listen to this one: "Who hate the good and love the evil and pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones." So here are people that are so absolutely wicked, they hate the good, they love anything that is evil and wicked, and they're willing to skin people alive, so to speak, and destroy them. Now, when you look at the Old Testament and you see all of these verses, someone is apt to say, "But, oh, that's Old Testament." Well, may I remind you that the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament, but you have the exact same truth in the New Testament. So if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 12 and verse 9.
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Romans 12 and verse 9. Look what the Bible says. Romans 12 verse 9: "Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good."
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Now, let me just say, as you read through the Old Testament and the New Testament, when you see the word abhor, it is an exceedingly strong word for hatred. Romans chapter 12 in verse 9, God says, "Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good." Now the Greek word for abhor is apostugeo, and it literally means to dislike, to abhor, to have a horror of. And old John Trapp, the Puritan, said it like this: the word means literally to hate it as hell itself. In other words, hate evil as hell itself.
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Now, the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 exposes for us the lack of fellowship and the lack of communion between the righteous and the wicked. So if you will turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's look there at verses 14 through 18. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, beginning there with verse 14. Look at this now, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14: "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." Now look at the questions. "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?"
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The answer would be none. "What communion hath light with darkness?" None. "And what concord hath Christ with Belial?"—the devil—none. "And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?" None. "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?" None. Then he says, "For you are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
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"Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. And I will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord." So, what the Apostle Paul is telling us is there are absolutely no grounds for fellowship between the righteous and the wicked. We are opposites. We have no common ground, and there cannot be any compromise.
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We are different, and they are different. Oil and water do not mix, and neither does righteousness and wickedness.
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Now, I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. The fact that there is no common ground for fellowship, and the fact that there is no basis for communion between the righteous and the wicked, does not negate kindness, graciousness, and consideration in general. In other words, it is not necessary to be hateful and unkind to those who hate and despise us. We are different, and we are to follow our Lord.
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The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 2 in verse 23 concerning Jesus Christ, "When He was reviled, He reviled not again. When He suffered, He threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." So, to give you a good illustration, when he said, "When he was reviled, he reviled not again." So, if Ron stood up today and just cussed me out, up and down one side and down the other, here's my question: Does that give me a right to turn around and cuss him back?
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And the answer would be no. I'm not to render evil for evil, not by any stretch of the imagination.
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Now, before I go further, really preach what I want to today, I want to clear up some misconceptions. The first one is this: Simply because there are vast differences between the righteous and the wicked, and simply because there's no ground for fellowship or communion between us, at the same time, there is in the righteous a genuine desire to see the wicked either converted or condemned. In other words, just because the wicked hate and despise us does not mean that we have no desire for their salvation.
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We understand where they are because we have been there. We understand their blindness to the truth. We understand their hesitancy to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. We understand their loyalty to the flesh. We understand their desire to find pleasure in sin, and the reason we understand that is because we've been there. So if you'll turn in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Ephesians, chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. And I want you to pay close attention to this, and I'm going to come back and quote verse 3 a little bit later, but look at it. Ephesians 2 and verse 1: "And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past"—that would be before your conversion—"wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation"—or conduct—"in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."
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So, we know exactly where they are, because that is where we came from. We're no longer in the kingdom of darkness. We've been translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Want you to turn right on over, if you would, to 1 Peter chapter 4 and look at verse 4. Here's a passage that has always caused me to smile, not because it is funny, but just simply because it exposes this lack of commonality. So let's read verse 3. He says, "For the time
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past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles," that is, when we were lost, "when we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revelings, banqueting, and abominable idolatry." Let me just paraphrase that. He says, now you're fed up with sin. You don't want it anymore. You've had a sufficient amount of it, okay? So now we're talking about the lost. Look at it: "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles," that is those who are unsaved, "when we walked in"—now look at verse 4—"wherein they"—that would be the lost, that would be the Gentiles—
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"wherein they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you." Now, has that thought ever entered in your mind that the wicked, that the unrighteous, that the ungodly think that you are strange? Now, the word strange is the Greek word xenizo. And in the context, it means to be surprised or astonished at the novelty of a thing, or to be shocked. So literally, the Bible says they are shocked. They're standing there gaping with their mouths open.
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They cannot believe our lives. We shock them. Now, look at it: "When they think it's strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot." Now, the word excess is the word anachysis in the Greek, and it refers to an excess, an overflowing, pouring out. It is a metaphor that is used for a flood. So now let's go back: "Wherein they think it's strange"—they're shocked—"that you run not with them to the same overflowing outpouring of riot." Now the word riot is the word asotia, and it refers to a desolate life, that is a life of sin, wickedness, and rebellion. So look at this verse again: "Wherein they are shocked beyond measure, that you run not with them to the same excess, pouring out, flooding of wickedness, of rebellion."
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And what is the consequence? Because they are so shocked at our demeanor and our disposition and our conduct, they speak evil of you.
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Now the interesting thing is the word "speaking evil of you" is the word blasphemeo in the Greek. They blaspheme you. It means they speak reproachfully of you, they revile you, and they blaspheme your name. Why? Because you're different. Because you're different. You don't live the way they live. You don't do that which they do. Now James asks a very good question in James chapter 2 and verse 7, when he asked this question, "Do not they blaspheme that worthy name wherewith you are called, or after which you are called?" What is that worthy name? Christ. We are called Christians after Christ who is the anointed one. And so when they speak evil of us, when they blaspheme us, at the same time they are blaspheming the Lord Jesus Christ. But notice they're so shocked that we do not live the way they live. We can look around today, and boy, we can get shocked very easily when we see things that are going on. But they're just as shocked at us. Now, here's the thing.
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When you stop and think about this, since there is so much animosity and so much hatred between the righteous and the wicked, and on the part of the righteous, I would have to say it would be a biblical hatred, which I will explain later. You would think that the righteous would have no regard at all for the wicked, but that's not true. We still have a desire to see them either converted or condemned.
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And we have a truth that they have no idea concerning. And that truth is found in Psalm 110 verse 3, which is quoted in the New Testament, when it says this, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." When you stop and look today at all the preaching, all the teaching that is being done, and it seems as if the wicked have stopped their ears, they refuse to listen. They have no desire for truth or righteousness. And yet we have this verse, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." They may be unwilling now to listen. They may not heed our testimonies. They may not listen to our witness. But when our Lord exerts his sovereign power upon them, He will make them willing. He shall overcome them. They may refuse and resist initially, but they cannot refuse and resist successfully, because He is a sovereign God of heaven and earth.
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And when He calls them, they come. So I would challenge you to do something. Take you a pen and paper, read through the New Testament, and write down every time that Jesus Christ calls someone and they refuse to come. I'll save you some time. There are no instances like that in the New Testament. Every time Jesus Christ calls someone, they came to Him. Whether or not it was for salvation or for service, no one denied His call.
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In fact, do you realize in the book of Romans chapter 1 in verse 6, those who are saved are referred to as the called of the Lord. He has called us into the fellowship of his dear Son. So the call came in such a way that it was effectual and actually brought us into fellowship with his dear Son. The first misconception I want to get rid of is that just because there is no common ground and there is no time for fellowship or communion, so to speak, between the righteous and the wicked does not mean that there is not a genuine concern that we have for their salvation and or condemnation. Okay? Here's the second misconception I want to get rid of.
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We have to make it clear in our minds and we have to understand that we cannot separate the sinner and his sin. Now let me explain what I mean by that. You probably heard this all of your life from preachers, as well as other Christians, that we must love the sinner and hate the sin. You heard that. I want you to stop and think with me about this. In fact, I've heard it said, God loves a sinner, but God hates the sin. Well, the only problem with that is that's not quite scriptural. That's not right. I want you to stop and think about this. Think about sin. Sin is not some ethereal, abstract phenomenon floating around somewhere in the universe. Sin does not exist in anything material. Sin is not anything outside of us. Anytime you place sin in something material, you've fallen into Greek dualism and Gnosticism. So, hear me out. The only place sin exists is in the sinner. If you did not have sinners, you would not have sin. Now, it is true that God hates the sin.
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He says that. But it is equally true, which most people do not preach and would not preach, is that God also hates the sinners. You say, "But now wait a minute. The Bible says He's loved us with an everlasting love." That is true. That is true. But He loved us in Jesus Christ. He loved us in Jesus Christ. He did not love us in and of ourselves for what we are in and of ourselves.
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Now listen to me very carefully. Sinners are hated by God, and I will show you, just as their sins are hated by God. Help me out. Psalm 7:11. Everybody can quote this verse. "God judgeth the righteous, but God is angry with the wicked every day." Wow. There are no safe days for sinners. God is not only angry with the sinners every day, He's angry with them every hour, every minute, every moment. There's not one split second that God is not angry with sinners. That's what he says. God is angry with the sinners every day. How about this one in John 6 in verse 36?
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"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." Now wait a minute. Those who are without Jesus Christ are facing the anger of God and the wrath of God abides upon them. And of course if you go to Galatians chapter 3, there's the curse of the law upon them as well. Now I want to—I want you to look back to Ephesians chapter 2. I told you I was going to come back to this but I'm going to look at verse 3. I want this to sink into your mind. Ephesians chapter 2, look at verse 3. Here's what the scripture says, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past," our conduct, we live like this, "in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and"—look at this—"and were by nature the children of wrath even as others." What are we by nature? What is everyone by nature?
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A child of wrath. So what he is saying, even we as God's elect, even we as God's people, while we were yet unregenerate and unconverted, although he loved us with an everlasting love, we were still under his anger and under his wrath and under his curse. Wow. Romans 1 in verse 18, he said, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Now years ago, I preached a message on the biblical doctrine of hatred. You remember that, Steve? Harold Hardy loved that message. Harold got about 20 or 30 copies of that message.
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He was passing them out like candy. I said, "Harold, why don't—why don't you start off with something a little more—little easier and work them into something like this?" I never will forget what he said. Man, he said, "I like to separate the wheat from the chaff at the very beginning." And if you've ever listened to that message, it will separate the wheat from the chaff because I gave three points in that message. Here we go.
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The first point was the Sovereign's hatred. The second point was the Savior's hatred. And the third point was the saint's hatred. And by the way, it's still on SermonAudio. And I looked at it yesterday and there's been listened to 2,100 times. Wow.
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Now, I'm not going to repeat that message, but I want you to understand something. And that is this: The sinner cannot be separated from his sin. Because sin does not exist outside the sinner. So if you will turn in your Bibles to the Psalms, we want to start with Psalm 5 and look, if you would, beginning there in verse 4. Psalm 5 beginning there in verse 4. Look at what scripture says. Psalm 5 verse 4: "For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither
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shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Are you looking at this? Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing"—or lying. "The Lord will abhor"—remember that's a strong word for hatred—"the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." So look back at verse 5: "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Thou hatest all workers of iniquity." Why? Because that's where sin exists. Sin is in the sinner. That's why I said the Lord will abhor the bloody and the deceitful man. So if you look in Psalm 11, Psalm 11 and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Psalm 11 verse 5: "The Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright." Note, if you would, the Bible says, "But the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth."
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Now, verse 6 tells you, upon those whom he hates, the wicked, he is going to rain snares, fire, brimstone, and a horrible tempest. That certainly does not sound like love to me. It's very clear that it is hatred. Now if you would turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Malachi, the very last book in the Old Testament, Malachi chapter 1, and I want us to read just verses 2 and 3 to begin with. In fact, I will not even read all of verse 3, just part of it. Then I'm going to come back and read it. So look at Malachi chapter 1 verse 2.
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God is speaking to Israel and he says in verse 2, "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, Wherein hast thou loved us?" Here's God's answer: "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." Now if you've been in the average church, you have heard this verse explained very easily by someone saying what this means is that God just loved Esau less than he loved Jacob. He just loved Jacob more. He still loved Esau. He just loved Esau less. Well, if that is your interpretation, I would like you to explain to me the rest of verse 3.
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So let's read it again. We're beginning with verse 2. Look at this: "I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet you say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." How was his hatred expressed? Look: "And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. I destroyed him." Whereas Edom said, "We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places. We're going to rebuild." Thus saith the Lord of hosts, "They shall build, but I will throw down. And they shall call them the people, the border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord
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hath indignation forever." Now that does not really sound like loving a little less. That just sounds like God hates Esau. That's exactly what he said. Now, listen to me. Proverbs 6, verse 16: "These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him." When you get to Proverbs 8, verse 13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate."
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So let me explain this before I go any further. Until a sinner, even an elect sinner, until that sinner is regenerated and converted, he is still under the curse, the anger, and the wrath of God because of his sin and his sinful nature. It is only the person and work of Jesus Christ that propitiates God the Father and expiates—that is, washes away—the sin of the believing and repenting sinner.
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Now hang on with me. Hang on. The word propitiate means to satisfy. It means to appease. It means to placate. Jesus Christ appeased and placated and satisfied the righteous anger, justice, and holiness of God the Father. In propitiating God, He expiated or washed away our sins. Now listen carefully. It is only the person and work of Jesus Christ that can propitiate the Father. It is only through the Son that we have access to the Father. Now hang on. It is the work of Jesus Christ through imputation that removes the sin from the repenting, believing sinner. You'll find that in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 21. I want you to listen carefully. So what did God do? God imputed our sins to Jesus Christ.
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Our sins were placed upon Him, and then He took that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ which He worked out and earned in perfect obedience to God and His law and imputed that to us. So yes, it is true that God hates sin, but it is equally true that God hates the sinner because sin is located in the sinner. And listen to me, it is only because we are in Jesus Christ that we are made acceptable to God the Father.
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I want you to turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. There's one word that you really, really need to grasp in this passage. I'm going to explain it to you, but I want you to see it. Ephesians chapter 1, and I want us to read verses 3 through 7. Watch this. Ephesians 1 verse 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."
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"According as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Now look at this verse: "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Now, I want you to go back with me to verse 6. After all that God the Father has done for us, He says in verse 6, "To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." So, make sure you underline this little word, accepted.
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The Greek word is charitoo, and it literally means to make graceful, to make charming, to make beautiful, to make lovely, to make agreeable, and to compass with favor and honor and blessing. So here it is, the vile, wicked sinner, who was nothing but sin, who was hated by God, who was under the curse of God, the anger of God, and the wrath of God, is now made absolutely, perfectly pure and holy and righteous in Jesus Christ. He has made us acceptable. He's made us beautiful and charming and easily to behold. God the Father, because when he sees us now, he sees the perfection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, please listen to me. It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be acceptable to God the Father. There's absolutely nothing that we can do in and of ourselves to please or to placate God the Father. There's no way that we can come to him except through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I want you to think about this. Think about this in verse 6: "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." He's made us acceptable.
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He's made us beautiful. The opposite implication is just as true: those who are not in Jesus Christ are not acceptable. They're not charming. They're not beautiful. They're not lovely. No, no, no. No, they're outside of Jesus Christ and they're unacceptable to God the Father. Now, I want you to listen to some scriptures just to show you that this is taught over and over in the Bible. In Proverbs 10 and verse 16, the Bible says, "The labor of the righteous tendeth to life, and the fruit of the wicked is sin." What do the wicked produce? Sin. Because they're sinners. Proverbs 10 in verse 20: "The tongue of the righteous is of choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little worth." Wow. Proverbs 11 verse 23: "The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath." That's all he's gonna get. Proverbs 15 verses 8 and 9, I want you to listen.
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"The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness." So now he says the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. The way of the wicked is an abomination. How about this one? Proverbs 15 in verse 26: "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord." Huh, so his sacrifice, his way, his thoughts.
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There's nothing he can do that would be acceptable to God the Father. How about this one in Proverbs 21 in verse 4? We are told that the plowing of the wicked is sin. Not God-ordained work. The farming is not sinful in and of itself. Look, David was a husbandry, full of loving of husbandry. So was Solomon. Solomon speaks about it many, many times. Why then is the plowing of the wicked sin? Because number one, they do not plow in faith. And number two, they do not plow for God's honor and God's glory. Everything they do, the word of God says, is the fruit of sin. And listen to this one in Proverbs 21 in verse 27: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination. How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?"
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When he thinks that he's going to be acceptable just simply because he gives something or sacrifices something. Now, no one, no one can be acceptable to God the Father unless it is in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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Now, Romans 8, verses 6 through 8, makes this truth exceedingly clear. Listen. He said, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God"—which is a strong word for hatred—"because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." So it's impossible for anyone to please God outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Now I want you to think about our text. When the Word of God tells us that an unjust man is an abomination to the just, and the man that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked. Wow. So let me ask you, let's suppose that I could arrange—I can't, but let's suppose I could—that I could arrange for you to spend a few days with and have meals with George Soros, Bill Gates, Obama—I could name a lot of others.
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How many of you would jump at the chance? I have no desire to be around those men. And if I happen to be able to be around them, I would like to tell them that they're under the curse and the wrath of God, and then explain the grace and mercy of God to them. But in all probability, they would not listen. They would not hear a word that I said.
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But the point I'm making is this: I do not care how prominent someone is, I don't care how rich someone is, I don't care what position he holds, as long as he's wicked, there's no commonality. There's no common ground for fellowship or communion if you're righteous. I preached a lot of sermons where I've had people come up to me and simply say, "Wow, if you could preach that sermon in Congress, it would be wonderful."
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Well, first, that'll never happen. And secondly, if it did happen, they wouldn't listen. Years ago, I had the opportunity to preach to our state legislators. I was asked to come up and preach. And I did like one thing that they accomplished. They put all of those politicians in one room, kind of like a chapel with chairs, with a pulpit there, locked the doors. Nobody could get up and walk out. And for 30 minutes, that's all they gave me. I preached on the sovereignty and kingship of Jesus Christ and his law and their responsibility to obey Christ and to obey his law and apply his law. Let me tell you something. You could have heard a pin drop in that with all of those legislators.
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They were mighty quiet. I can assure you they had never heard anything like that in their entire lives. You say, what was the response? I was never invited back. You understand what I'm saying? They don't want to hear. They're not listening and they won't listen. Someone is going to object and say, "Well now wait a minute, Brother Weaver. Are we commanded in the scripture to love our enemies?" And the answer is yes. In Matthew chapter 5 verse 24, in Luke chapter 6 in verse 27, our Lord says, "Love your enemies." But now you have to ask yourself, what in the world is love, and how do we love our enemies? So if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Romans, chapter 13, I will show you very quickly how we are to love our enemies. I could show you a number of other passages, like in the book of Galatians, but this one will be sufficient. Romans, chapter 13, verse 8. Look if you would. God says, "Owe no man anything but to love one another."
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Then he makes a statement, "For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet. And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." So how do I fulfill the law toward a wicked man? And the answer is, I act biblically toward him.
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I do that which is scriptural. I do that which is right. God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them. All He requires of me is to be biblical toward them, to keep His law toward them. Since you're in Romans, look in Romans chapter 12 right there, beginning with verse 19. He says, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine;
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I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." So if I have my enemy before me and he's hungry and all I have is peas, that's what I share with him. If he's thirsty, I give him a glass of water. God does not require me to take him out to a steak dinner and buy him a latte, a coffee latte or whatever you call them. He doesn't require that.
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He just requires me to be kind and gracious and fulfill God's law toward him. That's how I love him. Love is the fulfilling of the law.
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Now, let me point something out. Although he tells us that we're to love our enemies, there is a vast difference between our enemies and God's enemies. There is also and should be a vast difference between our attitude toward our enemies and our attitude toward God's enemies. You know, so many Christians get so hurt because they tend to think that, well, if I'm obedient, if I'm holy, if I'm righteous, if I do that which is good, then inevitably folks are going to love me and everything. Yeah.
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No, no, it doesn't work like that. No. No, do you realize that God is the apex, the epitome of holiness, righteousness, love, grace, and mercy, and yet he has enemies galore? And wow. Just because you are righteous and holy and do that which is good does not preclude the fact that you're going to have enemies. You will have enemies. And they're going to be shocked that you do not act the way they act. Now listen carefully as I quote a few Psalms. In Psalm 21 in verse 8, God says, "Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee." God has plenty of enemies. And he said, "Thy right hand shall find out all those that hate thee." May I ask you who the right hand man of God is?
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It's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's sitting at the right hand of God the Father. His right hand, the Lord Jesus, is going to find out all of his enemies. So God's enemies hate him without a cause. This is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there is a verse, let me quote it for you, it's found in Psalm 69 and verse 4.
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Now, I want you to listen. Psalm 69 is a Messianic Psalm, and this passage is quoted in reference to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In Psalm 69, verse 4, the Bible says this, "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. They that would destroy me, being my enemies wrongfully, are mighty. Then I restored that which I took not away." Now if you'll turn over in your Bibles to the book of John chapter 15, you can see how this verse is applied directly to Jesus Christ. There's a message just in that one passage. But look in John chapter 15 beginning there with verse 21. John 15 verse 21: Our Lord says, "But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they had not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin." Now look what he says: "He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin.
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But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." Wow. They hated Jesus Christ freely, deliberately. There was nothing in Jesus Christ that drew forth their hatred. He was and is the sinless Son of God. But they hated Him freely. They hated Him without a cause.
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There's no reason to hate Him. They hated Him because they hated Him. And the interesting thing is... I want to show you David's attitude. I told you there should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. Why? Usually our enemies are enemies of our own making. We've been unkind or we've been impatient or we said things we should not have said, and we just make enemies. But that's not the way it is with God. So if you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 139, Psalm 139 and look if you would beginning there with verse 19. Psalm 139 verse 19: There should be a different attitude between our enemies and God's enemies. So in Psalm 139, beginning there with verse 19, look if you would what David says. "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God.
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Depart from me, therefore, you bloody men, for they speak against thee wickedly. Look, and thine enemies take thy name in vain." Now watch David's attitude. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." Now watch this. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.
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And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." So David said, and remember, he's a man after God's own heart. "Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies." And then he said, "Oh Lord, search me and try me and know my heart. See if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Oh Lord, I don't want a bad attitude. If this is wrong, Lord, show me." Oh, what David is saying, this is the right biblical attitude that we should have toward God's enemies.
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Because they're seeking to dethrone God, overthrow God, destroy him, destroy his church, destroy his creation, destroy his kingdom. Yeah. The attitude is biblical. God's enemies hate him. They want to destroy him. They want to overthrow him. In fact, if we love God the way we should, if we love God according to the scripture, we would hate anything and everything that would be against Him. We would hate every sin like hell itself. We would hate His enemies. And by the way, He has enemies. George Soros is an enemy of God. So is Bill Gates. Anyone who fights against God is his enemy. You know, the Bible says in Psalm 97 verse 10, "Ye that love the Lord hate evil." If you love the Lord, you're going to hate that which is evil. And there are men that hate God. And guess what? There are men that God hates. The feeling is mutual. You remember what God said in 1 Samuel 2 in verse 30? He said, "Them that honor me will I honor, saith the Lord, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
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You despise me? God says, that's fine. I'll despise you. The feeling will be mutual.
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Now, you remember the Lord Jesus Christ, and you certainly remember Isaiah 53 and verse 3. Listen to me. Here it is: "He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised." Listen to this part: "And we esteemed him not." You know what that means? It means we didn't even think that he was worth thinking about. We would not even give him a moment in our minds. He was despised and we esteemed him not. And I want to show you truth. Since you're in Psalms, if you will turn to Psalm 73. Psalm 73 is a psalm of Asaph. Asaph has a real problem.
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He becomes envious when he looks around and he sees the prosperity of the wicked. And look in verse 2. He said, "But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." And then he describes all their prosperity there, and he's grieved. Now let's skip down to verse 12. Look in verse 12. He says concerning these ungodly people, "Behold, these are the ungodly who prosper in the world, they increase in riches." So he's suffering while the wicked are prospering. So he says in verse 13, "Verily, I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
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For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning. If I say I speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me." In other words, he said, "Lord, I don't understand this. I'm living right. I'm being holy. I'm being godly. I want to serve you. I want to honor you. And I'm suffering.
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Look at all the wicked and look how they're prospering. When I thought to know this, it was too difficult for me. It was too painful." Now watch verse 17. "Until, until, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places, thou castedst them down into destruction. How they are brought into desolation as in a moment. They are utterly consumed with terrors." Watch this: "As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image." Those who despise God shall be despised by God. Psalm 81 and verse 15 calls these people the haters of the Lord. Those who hate God shall be hated by God.
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Now let me make just a couple of quick applications. The first one is this: I want you to think about the implications of this text. Those that despise God shall be despised by God, and then you have to add eternally despised. Man's disdain and man's despisement is absolutely nothing in comparison to the disdain and despisement of the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, sovereign, almighty God of heaven and earth. If you want to challenge God, you are going to lose. It's just that simple. If you want to hate him, go ahead.
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You'll be hated by him. If you want to despise him, go ahead. You'll be despised by him. Here's the second one: Mutual feelings are wonderful as long as they are just, right, and holy and biblical feelings. However, mutual feelings of hatred, disdain, and despisement will inevitably result in a clash. Someone will lose. Someone will be destroyed. And it certainly will not be God. Man cannot overcome God. Man cannot prevail against Him.
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Proverbs 21 in verse 30: "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord." There is none. None. None. Here's the verse: Psalm 37 verse 20. Listen carefully: "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs, they shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away." It will not be God who loses the fight. I want mutual feelings of love between myself and the Sovereign God, and the only way I can have that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Have you ever thought about this? We love him. Tell me why? Because he first loved us. Not only did he first love us, he gave us his only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the propitiation for our sins. Have you ever just stopped and thought about this and just said, "Lord, thank you for allowing me to love you. Thank you, Lord, for placing in me a desire to love you, a desire to do what is right, a desire to be holy, a desire to be godly, a desire to be submissive and obedient." Ever thought about the grace and the mercy of God that has put mutual feelings between you and the Father? He loves you and you love Him. But there are also mutual feelings between those that hate God and those that God hates. Those that despise God shall be despised by Him. The feelings will be mutual. But those who despise God, the enemies of the Lord, shall be as the fat of lambs, that is, they're the sacrifice, and they shall consume away into smoke.
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If I was unsaved, I would be running to the Lord Jesus Christ as fast as I could run, for the only way that I could ever be acceptable to God the Father is through the person and work of His own dear Son. Mutual feelings are found in Scripture. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we pray, Lord, You'd impress upon our hearts that which is right and holy and godly. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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It's a very uncomfortable subject to talk about hatred, you know, the way God looks at evil, and, you know, we Christians, I think we need more courage to speak about this more and to warn people, you know? Others, to warn them, you know, to warn them of the fire and the spot of fire, you know, the verse, you know, we don't worry about God's wrath, I mean, it's not that we're trying to—and we're getting toward the end of something here.
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And we have to get these hard messages. Hard messages require—hard times require hard messages. I'm sorry if I sound a little jaded, but I've been up for 24 hours. So, you know, and I really appreciate you. You have an historical preaching that you did today. It was very encouraging. You're never going to hear this in mainstream. Thank you. By the way, think about it like this. Everybody said, "Well, that's hard preaching." No, it's biblical preaching. It's true preaching. But can you imagine if this kind of preaching was before Congress and if everybody understood you're either an enemy of God or the friend of God, you're either loved by God or hated by God? I think it would make a big difference in the sense of the word.
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You wouldn't have too many people pretending to be Christians, I don't think. But yeah, but it's a very serious message, that is for sure. All right, anyone else? Separate the sheep from the goats quickly, wouldn't it? Separate the sheep from the goats. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Yes, Ron. If someone tells you it's always wrong to hate, they certainly don't know the Bible. That's a fact. There is a biblical doctrine of hatred. So you need to go back and listen to that message on the biblical doctrine of hatred. Well, it's just like our Lord said, when he said, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten." But wait a minute.
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If you're not rebuked and chastened, what does that mean? Means you're not loved. If you're not loved, it means you're hated. So yeah, there's a lot more scriptures on that if you'd listen to that message. All right. Well, let's have prayer then. Thank you, Father, again for your love and grace and mercy. Keep us safe, Lord, and lead us and guide us and direct us in the name of Jesus Christ.
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We ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T02:51:32Z

The Feeling Is Mutual

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Proverbs 29:27, showing that the righteous and the wicked have a mutual abhorrence rooted in the enmity established in Genesis 3:15. He clarifies that while believers have no common ground for fellowship with the ungodly, they still desire their conversion. Weaver argues that sin cannot be separated from the sinner, and thus God hates both sin and sinners, with acceptance only possible through Jesus Christ. The sermon concludes with applications about the eternal consequences of mutual hatred with God and the grace of mutual love through Christ.

Introduction: The Mutual Feeling

Proverbs 29:27 expresses that the unjust are an abomination to the just, and the upright are an abomination to the wicked, a sentiment summarized as 'the feeling is mutual.'

Proverbs chapter 29, verse 27, and the title of the message is "The Feeling Is Mutual." You'll understand. Proverbs 29:27, look at it. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 29:27

"An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked."

So let me just explain it very quickly. An unjust man, a man who is unsaved, a man who is wicked, is an abomination to the just.

The Root of Enmity in Genesis 3:15

The animosity between the righteous and the wicked originates in the Protoevangelium, where God put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.

So in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 we read this, God said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"And thou shalt bruise his heel."

So a heel bruise is not anything fatal, but a head bruise certainly is. But notice, if you would, he said,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 3:15

"I will put enmity between thee and thy seed and the woman's seed."

And the word enmity in the Hebrew is the word ebah.

Biblical Hatred in the Old and New Testaments

Numerous scriptures in both testaments command or describe hatred of evil and the wicked, including Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, and Romans 12:9.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 97:10

"Ye that love the Lord hate evil."

Scripture Reading — Amos 5:10

speaketh uprightly. When he's just simply proclaiming the truth. And then when you get to Amos chapter 5 in verse 15, God says, "Hate the evil and love the good." Now here's the last one in the Old Testament—in the Old Testament—and that's Micah chapter 3 in verse 2. Listen to this one: "Who hate the good and love the evil and pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones." So here are people that are so absolutely wicked, they hate the good, they love anything that is evil and wicked, and they're willing to skin people alive, so to speak, and destroy them. Now, when you look at the Old Testament and you see all of these verses, someone is apt to say, "But, oh, that's Old Testament." Well, may I remind you that the Old Testament is just as much the Word of God as the New Testament, but you have the exact same truth in the New Testament. So if you'll look in your Bibles to the book of Romans chapter 12 and verse 9.

Romans 12 and verse 9. Look what the Bible says. Romans 12 verse 9:

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:9

"Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good."

Now, let me just say, as you read through the Old Testament and the New Testament, when you see the word abhor, it is an exceedingly strong word for hatred. Romans chapter 12 in verse 9, God says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:9

"Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good."

No Fellowship Between Righteous and Wicked

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 shows there is no common ground for fellowship, communion, or concord between righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness.

Misconception 1: Desire for the Wicked's Salvation

Despite the lack of fellowship, believers genuinely desire the conversion or condemnation of the wicked, understanding their former state and trusting God's effectual call.

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past"

—that would be before your conversion—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation"

—or conduct—

Scripture Reading — Ephesians 2:1-3

"in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 110:3

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 110:3

"Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Misconception 2: Separating the Sinner from His Sin

Sin exists only in the sinner; therefore, God hates both sin and sinners. Scriptures like Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5, and Malachi 1:2-3 demonstrate God's hatred of the wicked.

Now listen to me very carefully. Sinners are hated by God, and I will show you, just as their sins are hated by God. Help me out. Psalm 7:11. Everybody can quote this verse.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:11

"God judgeth the righteous, but God is angry with the wicked every day."

Scripture Reading — John 3:36

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 5:4-6

" Why? Because that's where sin exists. Sin is in the sinner. That's why I said the Lord will abhor the bloody and the deceitful man. So if you look in Psalm 11, Psalm 11 and let's begin reading there with verse 5. Psalm 11 verse 5: "

Acceptance Only in Christ

Sinners are under God's wrath until regenerated and converted. Only through Christ's propitiation and imputed righteousness are believers made acceptable to God (Ephesians 1:6).

Loving Enemies vs. Hating God's Enemies

Applications: Mutual Feelings and Eternal Consequences

Those who despise God will be despised by Him eternally. Mutual feelings of love with God are only possible through Christ, while mutual hatred leads to destruction.

The Feeling Is Mutual

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	nNH-6OM3Oyg
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations: Praying Against the Wicked
Genre	Sermon
Date	2025-04-23
Dictation Name
Book	Book 137: Romans: Sin, Judgment, and Gospel Foundations - Volume 2 — Chapter 40
Source Timed Segments	89

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Mutual Feeling: Proverbs 29:27 expresses that the unjust are an abomination to the just, and the upright are an abomination to the wicked, a sentiment summarized as 'the feeling is mutual.'
The Root of Enmity in Genesis 3:15: The animosity between the righteous and the wicked originates in the Protoevangelium, where God put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent.
Biblical Hatred in the Old and New Testaments: Numerous scriptures in both testaments command or describe hatred of evil and the wicked, including Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 8:13, and Romans 12:9.
No Fellowship Between Righteous and Wicked: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 shows there is no common ground for fellowship, communion, or concord between righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness.
Misconception 1: Desire for the Wicked's Salvation: Despite the lack of fellowship, believers genuinely desire the conversion or condemnation of the wicked, understanding their former state and trusting God's effectual call.
Misconception 2: Separating the Sinner from His Sin: Sin exists only in the sinner; therefore, God hates both sin and sinners. Scriptures like Psalm 5:5, Psalm 11:5, and Malachi 1:2-3 demonstrate God's hatred of the wicked.
Acceptance Only in Christ: Sinners are under God's wrath until regenerated and converted. Only through Christ's propitiation and imputed righteousness are believers made acceptable to God (Ephesians 1:6).
Loving Enemies vs. Hating God's Enemies: Loving enemies means acting biblically toward them (Romans 13:8-10). However, believers should have a different attitude toward God's enemies, hating them with a perfect hatred as David did (Psalm 139:19-24).
Applications: Mutual Feelings and Eternal Consequences: Those who despise God will be despised by Him eternally. Mutual feelings of love with God are only possible through Christ, while mutual hatred leads to destruction.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

The feeling is mutual between the righteous and the wicked.

Proverbs 29:27 explicitly states that the unjust are an abomination to the just, and vice versa, indicating a reciprocal loathing.

Weaver reads Proverbs 29:27 and explains, 'So the righteous, basically speaking, do not desire... to be around the wicked, and the wicked... have no desire... to be around the righteous.'

This enmity was ordained by God in Genesis 3:15.

The hatred between the two seeds is not merely human but divinely instituted as part of the curse and promise in Eden.

Weaver states, 'the animosity... actually has its root and has its foundation in what is known as the Protoevangelium... I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.'

Sin cannot be separated from the sinner; therefore God hates sinners.

Sin is not an abstract entity but exists only in persons, so God's hatred of sin necessarily includes the sinner, as multiple scriptures affirm.

Weaver argues, 'Sin does not exist in anything material... The only place sin exists is in the sinner. If you did not have sinners, you would not have sin.' He then cites Psalm 5:5 and 11:5.

Acceptance with God is only through Christ's imputed righteousness.

Sinners are by nature children of wrath and can only be made acceptable when their sins are imputed to Christ and His righteousness imputed to them.

Weaver explains Ephesians 1:6, 'he hath made us accepted in the Beloved,' and says, 'It is only in Jesus Christ that we can be acceptable to God the Father.'

Loving enemies means fulfilling the law toward them, not sentimental affection.

Romans 13:8-10 defines love as doing no ill to a neighbor and keeping the commandments, which is how believers love even their enemies.

Weaver says, 'Love worketh no ill to his neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilling of the law... God does not require me to be gushy, emotional, or sentimental toward them.'

Believers should hate God's enemies with a perfect hatred.

David's example in Psalm 139 shows a righteous hatred for those who hate God, which is distinct from personal animosity and is examined by God.

Weaver quotes Psalm 139:21-22, 'Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee?... I hate them with perfect hatred,' and notes David's prayer for heart examination.

Those who despise God will be eternally despised by Him.

Psalm 73:20 and 1 Samuel 2:30 show that God reciprocates the contempt of the wicked, leading to their ultimate destruction.

Weaver says, 'Those who despise God shall be despised by God... eternally despised,' referencing Psalm 73:20 and 1 Samuel 2:30.

Scripture References

Proverbs 29:27: The main text: 'An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.'
Genesis 3:15: The Protoevangelium where God puts enmity between the serpent's seed and the woman's seed.
Psalm 25:19: David's enemies hate him with a cruel hatred.
Psalm 34:21: They that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psalm 97:10: Ye that love the Lord hate evil.
Proverbs 8:13: The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, arrogancy, and the froward mouth.
Proverbs 29:10: The bloodthirsty hate the upright.
Amos 5:10: They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and abhor him that speaketh uprightly.
Amos 5:15: Hate the evil and love the good.
Micah 3:2: Who hate the good and love the evil.
Romans 12:9: Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: No fellowship between righteousness and unrighteousness; come out from among them and be separate.
1 Peter 2:23: Christ, when reviled, reviled not again.
Ephesians 2:1-3: We were by nature children of wrath, walking according to the course of this world.
1 Peter 4:3-4: The wicked think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.
Psalm 110:3: Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power.
Psalm 7:11: God is angry with the wicked every day.
John 3:36: He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Psalm 5:4-6: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity; the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psalm 11:5-7: The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Historical References

John Trapp, Puritan commentator: Weaver quotes Trapp's comment on Romans 12:9: 'the word means literally to hate it as hell itself.'
Harold Hardy, a listener who distributed copies of Weaver's sermon on the biblical doctrine of hatred: Weaver recalls Harold Hardy loving the message and passing out copies, saying he liked to 'separate the wheat from the chaff at the very beginning.'
George Soros, Bill Gates, Barack Obama as examples of prominent wicked men: Weaver uses these contemporary figures to illustrate that he has no desire for fellowship with the wicked, regardless of their status.
Weaver's preaching to state legislators: He recounts being invited to preach to state legislators on the sovereignty of Christ and His law, after which he was never invited back.

Important Quotes

An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

This is the foundational text of the sermon, establishing the mutual abhorrence between the righteous and the wicked.

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Weaver identifies this as the Protoevangelium, the divine origin of the hatred between the two seeds.

The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Used to prove that God hates sinners, not just sin in the abstract.

I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau.

Demonstrates God's personal hatred of an individual, not merely a lesser love.

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Highlights that acceptance with God is only through Christ, making believers beautiful and lovely in His sight.

Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

David's example of righteous hatred toward God's enemies, which Weaver presents as a model for believers.

As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Shows that God will reciprocate the contempt of the wicked, despising them in judgment.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding the mutual abhorrence in Proverbs 29:27 affect your view of relationships with unbelievers?

[Context]

Weaver explains that the righteous and wicked naturally find each other abominable, which limits fellowship.

[Question]

In what ways does the enmity of Genesis 3:15 manifest in the world today?

[Context]

The sermon traces the root of the conflict to God's declaration of enmity between the seeds.

[Question]

How do you reconcile the command to love your enemies with the biblical teaching on hating God's enemies?

[Context]

Weaver distinguishes between personal enemies and God's enemies, using Romans 13 and Psalm 139.

[Question]

Why is it important to affirm that God hates sinners and not just sin?

[Context]

Weaver argues that sin cannot be separated from the sinner, citing Psalms 5 and 11.

[Question]

How does the doctrine of imputation provide the only ground for acceptance with God?

[Context]

Ephesians 1:6 is explained to show that believers are made acceptable only in Christ.

[Question]

What does it mean to hate evil 'as hell itself,' and how can we cultivate that hatred?

[Context]

Weaver quotes John Trapp on Romans 12:9, urging believers to abhor evil intensely.

[Question]

How should the reality of God's eternal despising of the wicked influence our evangelism?

[Context]

The sermon concludes with the warning that those who despise God will be eternally despised.

Applications

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