Seek Good and Not Evil

“Seek good and not evil, that you may live;

And thus may the Lord God of hosts be with you,

Just as you have said!

Hate evil, love good,

And establish justice in the gate!

Perhaps the Lord God of hosts

May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” (Amos 5:14-15 NASB1995)

In what ways should we seek good? Well, as those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, we need to first of all believe in Jesus with biblical God-gifted faith in the Lord Jesus. Therefore, by the grace of God, we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as servants of God and of his righteousness, in the power of God at work within us, by his grace.

Then we must walk (in conduct) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, as empowered by God’s Spirit in holy living. We must live to please God in all that we are and say and do, for the glory and praise of God. We must be those who are dedicated to the teachings of the Scriptures who study them in their correct biblical context, and who are actively putting God’s instructions to us in practice in our daily living.

And what must we do to avoid seeking after evil? If our lives are committed and surrendered to Christ, to walking in his ways, according to his commands, and if we are following in his footsteps, according to his Word, we should no longer desire evil. And we should put out of our lives anything which might trigger old habits and which might tempt us to go back to living in sin. And we must resist the devil and draw near to our Lord in faith.

And why is this essential that we may live? Because we are not saved from our sins and on our way to heaven based on lip service only. We must die with Christ to sin and now walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, by the grace of God, and in the power of God. For this is what true faith should look like. And the Scriptures teach that faith = obedience, and that disobedience = unbelief, which results in death, not life eternal with God.

So, if we literally hate evil and love what is good, we will be those who no longer make sin our practice, but for whom righteousness, holiness, and godly living is our practice, by the grace of God. So we will want no part of our past lives where sin was our practice and obedience to God was not our practice. But our desire will be for the Lord, to please him in all that we are and do and say. And there is no better way to live than that, I assure you!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22] 

A Believer’s Prayer 

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray 

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

https://vimeo.com/114796263

Seek Good and Not Evil

An Original Work / January 8, 2026

Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love