God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). He is flawless in character, limitless in wisdom and knowledge, and balanced in judgment and mercy. And He created human beings to think like Him—to grow in character, wisdom and knowledge, judgment and mercy. We must learn to think more like our Father.

Here is a biblical formula to help you think like God: “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good …” (Amos 5:14-15).

How simple. But learning to think like God in a world ruled by the devil isn’t easy. It means striving each day, each moment, to evaluate our choices, words and thoughts by this formula: hate evil, love good.

Satan and his society love evil and hate good. The devil broadcasts this attitude into our minds (Ephesians 2:2), and even ministers who once served God can begin to “hate the good, and love the evil” (Micah 3:2). We can all fall into this trap. The entire lesson of the two trees is that we can only tell what is good and what is evil if God shows us. But once God shows you, you must feel deeply and act decisively!

“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil …” (Psalm 97:10). “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:104). To learn what God hates, study His law (verses 128, 162-163).

Amos prophesied that in the modern era, even people in God’s own Church would be “at ease in Zion,” lacking urgency and glutted on luxury (Amos 6:1-5). He condemned them for not being “grieved for the affliction of Joseph” (the United States and Britain). God said, “I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces” (verse 8). “What we esteem highly in our societies, God abhors!” Gerald Flurry writes in The Lion Has Roared, request your free copy. “That is a strong statement! What Israel exalts, God hates!”

“Amos had God’s view,” Mr. Flurry continues. “Hatred of evil motivated this godly prophet. If we are going to be motivated to dispense God’s message, we are going to have to hate what God hates! We must hate what is happening in Israel and to Israel. We must hate how people are defaming God …. When I read those words [in verse 8], I know I don’t hate this world as God does.”

Living in Sodom, righteous Lot was surrounded by evil—pride, gluttony, excess, idleness, haughtiness, sexual perversion (Ezekiel 16:49-50; Jude 7)—just as we are today. The Apostle Peter commended Lot for being “greatly distressed by the licentiousness [unbridled lust, shamelessness]” around him, and said he was “vexed [tormented] in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deeds” (2 Peter 2:7-8; Revised Standard Version).

Could God say the same about you? The more you think like God, the more repulsed by this world and grieved by its sins you will be! The more motivated to have your sin purged. And the more urgently you will pray daily, “Thy Kingdom come”!

With wickedness so common, it is hard to really hate it as we should. Lot’s sons-in-law thought Lot was joking when he said they needed to escape (Genesis 19:14). Even Lot himself lingered when God tried to get him out! (verse 16). This almost cost him his life!

Christ said, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). He said a time is coming when we will have to flee this sinful society just as Lot and his family did. When it comes, don’t make the mistake she did! “Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom and was turned to a pillar of salt. She still yearned for the sodomite lifestyle,” Mr. Flurry writes. “She left a powerful warning for God’s very elect today. This evil world must have no appeal for us. Our desire is to get out of Sodom. We must have the desire to flee. … This world is a sinking ship. We must get our minds off worldly ways and onto the commission God has given us. There should be nothing in this miserable, evil world that we want.We should only want to finish our commission, so we can create a new world with God!” (The Epistles of Peter—A Living Hope; emphasis added).

Once you have escaped the world’s pollutions, don’t go back! (2 Peter 2:20-22). Keep your mind clean and pure. This world is about to die. Live the way of the World Tomorrow! Don’t be conformed to this world—be transformed by the renewing of God’s Spirit (Romans 12:2). Fix your mind on what is good and godly. “Abhor [detest utterly] that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (verse 9).

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (verse 21). If you are careless, evil will overcome you. But you can overcome it with good! Fill your mind with the law and ways of God. Think on what is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report—things of virtue and praise (Philippians 4:8). Submit yourself to God’s influence and learn to love what God loves!

“[H]e that will love life, and see good days … Let him eschew evil, and do good …” (1 Peter 3:10-11; see also Psalm 34:12-16 and 37:27-29). What a marvelous formula for learning to think like God!