“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate” (Revelation 2:6).
Recently, we’ve looked at the church at Ephesus and observed how God had commended them, then later criticized them for losing their first love. Today’s verse mentions one thing in their favor. They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. God hated those deeds as well. The Nicolaitans were a very evil group of people whose lives were filled with immorality and idolatry. God hates sin, but He is not willing that any should perish. When we see others we know are blatant sinners, we tend to shun them. We forget we were once sinners. We cannot condone their sin, but, we must remember they have a soul and Christ died for them. If we are to shine in love, we must follow Christ’s example. As much as He hates sin, He loves the sinner.
You may have noticed that this week’s devotional titles all ended with a question mark. How we answer these questions will determine how brightly we shine in love.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: Pray for total consecration: “Take My Life and Let It Be (Rejoice! p. 507).
