Delighting in evil

1 Corinthians 13:6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (NIV)
Love does not delight in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. (NASB)
Love does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth. (NKJV)

evil - morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked; harmful; injurious

unrighteousness - not righteous; not upright or virtuous; wicked; sinful; evil; not in accordance with right or justice; unfair or unjust

iniquity - gross injustice or wickedness; a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin

Truth - in John 14:6, Jesus responds to Thomas that he is "...the way and the truth and the life." 
The greatest commandments given to each of us are to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neightbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27).  Paul is instructing the church at Corinth that Love does not delight or rejoice in that which is wicked or immoral or unjust or sinful; but rather rejoices in the truth.  What does that really mean for the follower of Christ?  If opposites cannot peacefully coexist in a single space, then it stands to reason that love cannot exist where there is wickedness, immorality, injustice, or sin.  Our hearts cannot be full of love if we are filling it with the opposite.  This means we shouldn't wish that something bad would happen to that person who hurt us.  This means that we shouldn't laugh when that person gets hurt as well.  But even more so, in 1 Corinthians 5, the church in Corinth was proud of their liberty - a distortion of grace.  There were some in their midst that were sexually immoral, perhaps had other immoral behavior, and the Corinthians were proud of it!  Sometimes today we justify filling our minds with wickedness for the sake of entertainment.  But Paul said we are not to delight in wickedness.  This doesn't mean just that we don't murder, or commit adultery, or be proud of injustice.  It also means we do not delight in it.  We should not fill our minds with it - via television, books, movies, etc.  We cannot be proud of our sinful behavior, but should turn our hearts and minds away from it.  All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God.  But when we sin, we need to repent and ask God to not only forgive us, but heal us. 

What happens if we allow sin to remain in our lives?  Or allow wickedness to permeate?  1 Corinthians 5:6 talks about yeast working through the whole batch of dough - sin does this in our lives.  If we allow sin in, then it will eventually work its way into all aspects of our lives.  We need to be new creations in Christ, and uphold holiness and discipline.  We should turn our hearts and our minds toward the truth - toward Christ.  We should rejoice in what is good and pure and love and truth.  If we don't, then we cannot fulfill the two greatest commandments.

Convicted?
I know I am!
God is amazing!!!