“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” Hebrews 1:9.
This most wonderful Scripture refers to Jesus, but I yearn for the day to see this character representation reflected in each of God’s professed people, including myself. One of my daily Scripture prayers is, “Let this mind be in me which is also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5 personalized.)
With the mind of Christ, we also will love righteousness and hate iniquity. That word, iniquity, is the same word as transgression found in I John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” When we ask for the mind of Christ, we are asking that we may also love righteousness and hate the transgression of the law, hate sin. Jesus hated sin but He loved righteousness.
And, if you will notice one more thing in Hebrews 1:9, it was because Christ loved righteousness and hated iniquity (sin), God anointed Him with the oil of gladness. That oil of gladness was the Holy Spirit. This is a real incentive to receive Christ; we also will love righteousness and hate sin.
“ ‘As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name’ (John 1:12). His promise is that if we accept His invitation, we shall be anointed with the oil of gladness, which is emptied from the two anointed ones into the hearts prepared to receive it. Shall we claim the promise? Shall we not receive the anointing of the holy oil?” The Southern Watchman, June 11, 1903.
Do you want the mind of Christ? He is knocking at the entrance into your heart. Will you open the door and allow Jesus to enter and bar every means that Satan can use to break in? If those doors are not barred, you will never hear God say to you, “thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity,” and you will never be anointed with the oil of gladness. Oh, what a sad loss, all because of loving iniquity and hating righteousness! Oh, what a terrible thing the devil has done to those who allow him to turn them around backwards and away from their Saviour!
Father, Oh, how I want the mind of Christ so that I may love righteousness and hate sin! My desire is to be anointed with the oil of gladness and to walk always in heavenly places. I choose today to take control of all of my senses and close every door in my life that Satan may have cracked. I willingly open the door to my Saviour, to receive Him for my very own, and to accept His righteousness and hate sin in its many forms. Amen.