Psalms 97:10
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Love for the Lord and hatred of evil go together, for those who love Him hate evil. Turning from evil means refusing to cherish wrong sentiments in the mind and refusing to reveal them in speech or works. It means keeping the heart pure and in harmony with God and aglow with His love. It means speaking cheerful and pleasant words instead of engaging in light trifling conversation, complaining, faultfinding, or speaking evil of others.
Hating evil in serving God means putting away evil speaking and selfish plans and avoiding conduct that harms others or leads them astray, and this is the way to gain higher ground. It further means putting away speech that would hurt the influence of others or confuse their judgment. It means emptying the heart of all self-seeking, speaking words that leave no wrong impression on the mind, and living so that no soul is led to make false moves.
Those who love Jesus hate the evil course so fully that they shun even the conversation and companionship of their own relatives when those relatives have given themselves soul, body, and spirit to work the works of Satan under his control with imaginations and intentions bent on wickedness. He preserves and guards the lives and souls of His saints and delivers and rescues them out of the hand and power of the wicked. He sows and gives light for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart, so the righteous rejoice in the Lord and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
This call to love, hatred of evil, and higher ground is for every soul now, because the end of all things is near and character building will soon stand the test of the investigative judgment.