Hating evil or loving your enemies?

Hate is not necessarily bad. To hate and fight against that - i.e. evil - which destroys others we are entrusted to love, protect, and care for, is actually loving those being destroyed by what we hate.

Nevertheless, it is not our job individually or collectively as the church to repay evil with evil.

While it is legitimate to call out, expose, and even resist evil (harmful and destructive behavior); to exercise retaliation or retribution against evil is not. That is God's job.

However, how that is worked out in real life is not always as cut and dried as we might prefer.

There is a tension that lies within what appears to be contradictory teachings in scripture.

There are two distinctions that need to be made to sort this out. We have to distinguish between: 

1. Self-defense vs punishment/retribution. 

And also between 

2. Personal vs civil punishment/retribution.

I will address personal vs civil punishment/retribution first.

God has appointed civil authorities to punish wrongdoing per Romans 13. So the punishment of wrongdoing is legitimate and necessary. But Scripture indicates that punishment of evil is assigned by God only to governing authorities and not just anyone in general. Governing authorities are appointed by God to reward good and punish evil (Rom 13:3-4; I Pet 2:14).

On the personal/private level, however, Christ teaches us (as private individuals and followers of Christ) to love our enemies, forgive those who do evil against us, and to turn the other cheek. 

These are two very different ways of handling evil. To resolve this we must understand that scripture distinguishes between the civil and personal (or public and private if you will) in addressing evil. 

As an example, during his campaign speeches, the crowds called for Trump to lock up Clinton for two reasons. 1. They (as individual private citizens) do not have the legitimate authority to do so. 2. Therefore they were appealing to Trump to do so (a not yet, but soon to be appointed civil authority). 

This is the same reason a policeman can legitimately take a life when a private citizen can not, assuming an officer is doing so legitimately within their allowed sphere of authority. 

Only civil authorities must do so and only within the boundaries clearly laid out in scripture. If they do not, they are no longer operating legitimately and must be tried by the very same laws they are authorized to enforce. For more on this click here. 

We often confuse these two. Because we, as private individuals/citizens, are instructed to love our enemies, we may think there is never a justification for calling out or punishing evil. That everyone must always "turn the other cheek" (and on a personal level this is correct). Some (those in civil authority) however are appointed by God to "take up the sword" and exercise or carry out God's judgment for wrongdoing on those who violate His law.

Some would say we are unloving if we desire and call for justice. However, wanting civil justice is not only right but we are encouraged and called to pursue righteousness (Mat 5:6) personally and as a nation/state. But it is not our role to enforce it as private citizens. On the public or civil level this is the role of civil authorities i.e. why they exist and at times must legitimately carry out this role.

Now to the second point regarding self-defense vs punishment/retribution.

Self-defense and protecting persons or things God has entrusted to my care is different from punishment or retribution. If someone breaks into my home and seeks to harm my family I am responsible to protect them and have every right to do so by whatever means necessary. Even taking the life when necessary of the one seeking to harm my family or me. This is not necessarily punishment or retribution. I am not acting out of revenge (no harm by an offender has has occurred yet) but out of defense of my loved ones as well as self-defense. The end result might be the same in both (the taking of another life) but the motive is entirely different. Protecting loved ones or even self defense could be considered a form of  stewardship i.e. faithfully caring for that which God has entrusted to me.

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If you wish to see a further discussion of evil and the necessity of judgment, I discuss these in the following two posts...

* The necessity of judgment.

* Is God angry at evil

I also discuss further my understanding of Romans 13 at …

* Obeying the authorities