Taking a Stand

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  1 Corinthians 13:6

What does it mean to delight in evil?  Why would this even be a warning for believers?

I think it means that love does not support evil things; it does not enjoy unrighteousness; love does not exult sinful things.

Truly having godly love means that you recognize the difference between good and evil, and that you actively seek to support good.  It means you turn off the movie, shut down the conversation, turn away from the behavior.  It means you take a stand against ungodly things.

It means you do the hard part of love.

It means you say, I'm sorry guys, I don't want to hear this gossip.

Ouch.

It means when the world tries to convince you that this or that sin is not so bad, so go ahead and overlook it, you say no.  It means you are so tuned into God and his ways and his wants that evil disgusts you.


We must be careful what we celebrate.

My caution is with language.  I think I've gotten to the point in this media age where I almost don't hear bad language anymore.  And yet, we've been warned, "let no unwholesome word proceed for your mouth" (Ephesians 4:29).  When evil is a part of our culture, and we do not take a stand against it; when we do not choose to do good instead of wrong, that evil becomes a part of our internal culture.  That is not love.

Love isn't just not cussing.  It's not listening to cussing.  It's not just not gossiping.  It's not listening to gossip.

Love is taking a stand for good.