We are called to a higher standard of love than what the world offers. God's love is unconditional, sacrificial, and redemptive. In contrast, the world's definition of love has become the affirmation of all lifestyles and beliefs, even those that go against God's Word. However, God's love and hate is holy and just. I wrote previously about the dichotomy of God’s Love and Hate when compared with our human definition of them: 

“God's love is not sentimental or based on human emotions. Instead, God's love is rooted in His perfect character and His desire for what is best for us. …when we look at the cross, we see the ultimate expression of God's love for us, which is far beyond what we could ever comprehend or experience on our own. …when we don't understand God's love in this deeper sense, we may mistake it for hate because it doesn't fit with our preconceived notions of what love should be. …in reality, He is working for our good and drawing us closer to Himself.”

Affirmation is not love if it goes against God's truth and holiness. If it stands against Biblical truth, it ultimately leads to destruction and separation from God. In contrast, true love is sacrificial, unconditional, and rooted in God's truth, and it calls us to love others enough to tell them the truth, even if it is uncomfortable or unpopular.

God is often described as a holy God in the Bible. Holiness is a fundamental characteristic of God's nature that describes His purity, perfection, and separation from sin. Because God is holy, He cannot be with things that are not holy. The only way for us to become holy is salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ and the process of sanctification by the work of the Spirit.

Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit transforms a believer into the image of Christ. It is a continuous work of the Spirit in the life of a Christian, whereby the believer becomes more and more conformed to the character and will of God. Sanctification begins at the moment of salvation, when the believer is regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. From that point on, the Holy Spirit works in the believer's life to bring about the fruit of the Spirit and to empower the believer to live a life pleasing to God.

We must stand firm in representing God’s impartial and just love and Christ’s redeeming sacrifice by not affirming that which makes us unholy. To be with God we must be holy - yet we are unable to make ourselves holy. The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross makes us holy. To encourage anything other than this by affirming the world’s sinful desires is the opposite of love.

Stand firm in God’s definitions, affirm that which is holy, and decry evil. All sin is an offense to a perfect God, a just abhorrence to the Almighty.

References: Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 4:22-24, Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, James 1:14-15,1 John 2:15-17, Ephesians 4:15-16, 1 John 3:18-20, Psalm 99:5, Leviticus 11:44-45, Isaiah 6:3, Philippians 2:12-13, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 1:9-14, “On God’s Just Hate by Will Hamilton”