At the age of thirteen I began attending a local church. After graduating from high school, I attended the college of that denomination.  For years I did not question Christianity.  However, for many years now I have questioned what I was taught. In these later years when sitting in church and Sunday school I listen to shallow thinking.  I hear few definitions. Just words repeated and repeated but no explanation as to what they mean. So, I ask questions. One question I have asked many is what does the fear of the Lord mean? The United Methodist Church allows one to ask questions from their website. Their answer was, I like to think of it this way, I would not place my finger in an electrical outlet. Many pastors will say it means to respect God. Some will say the fear of the Lord is awareness of God’s presence and coming judgment. Others have said, the fear of the Lord isn’t about being afraid of God; it’s about revering Him above all else. When we do that, we position ourselves to receive all the benefits that come with putting God first in our lives.

The Bible defines the fear of the Lord this way, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil:” (Proverbs 8:13). To understand this definition, one must be able to define evil. What is evil?  In the Garden of Eden there was one tree Adam and Eve were not to eat from. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it” (Genesis 2:17).  After eating from this “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” they had knowledge of evil. They experienced evil. They committed evil.  Evil began in Eden. Evil needs to be identified, explained.

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.  What should we hate? Everyone needs to understand what is evil. God made vaginal intercourse. Satan made oral and anal sex. We should hate oral and anal sex. “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth (hates) him” (Proverbs 14:2). The upright fear God (hate evil). But the sexually perverse commit evil and hate God.

In scripture “The fear of the Lord” is used many times. When read it can be changed to “to hate evil”. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). Evil is used 595 times in the King James Bible. Can you imagine how much of the Bible is not understood when there is no explanation of evil?

Some examples of when you can change the

“fear of the Lord” to hate evil.

“Come… hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalms 34:11).

This can be said, “I will teach you to hate evil”.

“Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord” (Psalms 112:1).

This can be said, blessed it the man who hates evil.

“Fear the Lord and depart from evil” (Proverbs 3:7).

This can be said hate evil and depart from evil.

“For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1: 29).

They did not choose to hate evil.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs1:7).

Hating evil is the beginning of knowledge.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10).

                   Hating evil is the beginning of wisdom.

Once evil is defined and understood the Bible becomes more easily comprehended. We will have the knowledge to end the evil condition we see on earth at this time and the wisdom to bring heaven to earth. The purpose of Jesus will be made clear for he comes to teach all humans to hate evil. “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalms 34:11). I will teach you to fear the Lord means I will teach you to hate evil. Jesus comes to teach all people to hate evil. Therefore, Christianity should teach all people to hate evil—the sin that began in Eden—unnatural sex.  However, today we do not have a Christianity that teaches all people to hate evil. We have a Christianity that has not named what evil is. Understanding evil should be the foundation of Christianity. This present-day Christianity needs to define evil and teach all people to hate evil. Then this new Christianity that hates evil will heal our land.

Man’s Whole Duty

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: “Fear God (hate evil), and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The greatest commandment is to love God, love one’s self, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Oral and anal sex is evil and evil is hate. To love God do not commit evil, to love one’s self do not commit evil and to love your fellow humans do not expect, convince or force anyone to commit evil. If all people loved God no one would commit an act or oral or anal sex.

Jesus is promised to come in the last days.   “God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him” (Psalms 67:7). This can be said, “All the ends of the earth shall hate evil.”  Jesus is good news.