Things That God Hates*
Posted: Tuesday, October 28, 2008
by John Waddey
firstcenturychristian
All have heard numerous sermons on the love of God. Surely there is no grander, more thrilling theme. But have you ever heard a lesson on the hatred of God? Contrary to popular notion, God does have such negative emotions. Of course, the hatred of God is on a far different plane than the hatred of men. Men hate each other, but God loves all men, even his enemies (Rom. 5:6-10). Men hate because of selfishness. When someone or something threatens their cherished position or possession, they experience the emotions of envy, jealousy, fear and hate. Often sinners hate the good man for the good he is doing, as they did Jesus (John 7:7). God's hatred never affects his love for man. He loves all including the lost (John 3:16). To fully know and appreciate the personality of God we should note some of those things he hates.
God hates false religion. Jesus said, "Thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans which I also hate" (Rev. 2:6). Truth makes men free (John 8:32). Error and falsehood enslave and bring men to hell (Hos. 4:6; Prov. 16:25). Like God, we should hate and abhor the false systems that lead men away from God. When the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch (Matt. 15:14). Some folks view world religious such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam and praise their beauty. But how can that which is deadly and destructive be truly beautiful? Denominationalism is not just a harmless variety of true Christianity. It is a plant which the Father hath not planted, which he will root up (Matt. 15:13). Those who pursue God through the medium of human traditions do so in vain (Matt. 15:9). Like David, we, too, should hate every false way (Ps. 119:104).
Solomon gives a divine catalogue of things which God hates in Proverbs 6:16-17:
A. Haughty eyes. This suggest the proud, arrogant soul whose eyes reflect contempt for his fellow-man and God's righteous law. The "pride of life" is not of the Father but of the world (I John 2:15-16). Christians must put away pride and arrogance.
B. A lying tongue. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8). We are tempted to excuse the "little" or "harmless" lies so long as we abstain from vicious diabolic lies. Remember all liars will pay the price. It is incumbent upon us to "put away falsehood" and speak truth if we would please the Master (Eph. 4:25).
C. Hands that shed innocent blood. He speaks not of chickens or pigs. God gave man dominion over the creatures (Gen. 1:28). God hates the shedding of innocent human blood. He ordained that "whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed" (Gen. 9:6). Thus, God ordained capital punishment for the murderer. God surely hates the astounding amount of brutal violence on America's streets. He hates the violence of the Communist governments which have exterminated millions of dissenters. But he also hates the practice of abortion which since 1973 has snuffed out over 45 million lives in America.
D. A heart that deviseth wicked purposes. God will give up those who have a "reprobate mind" (Rom. 1:28). There is a type of heart that is desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9). Such individuals are dedicated to wickedness. They scheme, plot and plan to do mischievous deeds toward others. Sometimes they hide their meanness behind a cloak of pretended righteousness. The pure in heart will be blest of God in this life and see him in eternity (Matt.5:8). Not so the wicked minded.
E. Feet swift in running to mischief. There is a marked difference between accidentally falling into sin and deliberately running into it. Wilful sin is especially hateful to God (Heb. 10:26-27). In fact, the wilful sinner can expect a fiery judgment. Because God so views deliberate sin, his children daily pray, "lead us not unto temptation" (Matt. 6:13).
F. False witnesses. Such are a special variety of liars. They are malicious and deadly. We have no way of computing the damage done to home, to society and the church because of false witnesses. Under Moses' law the false witness who testified against his neighbor was to be punished as "he had thought to do unto his brother" (Deut. 19:19). God's children will always speak the truth and lie not (I Tim. 2:7).
G. He that soweth discord among brethren. If factious people could perceive how God hates division and strife they would surely repent of their contentiousness. We see just how bad such attitudes and conduct are when we consider the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21). Strife, factions, division, and parties (cliques) he lists along with fornication, idolatry and drunkenness. He concludes that no man can go to heaven while practicing such things. The road to eternity is strewn with lost souls who were destroyed by discord in the church. Only the peacemakers are called the children of God (Matt. 5:9).
H. In Malachi 2:16, we are told that God hates the breaking up of homes by divorce. Some argue that Jesus' teaching is too severe. "Modern man cannot be expected to live by such stringent rules!" Such folks obviously have never realized how God views the sacredness of the home. God hates putting away and so should we.
Holy hatred being an attribute of God, then it is fitting that they who would be godly share that emotion toward the things God hates. "The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil .." (Prov. 8:13). With David we "hate and abhor falsehood" (Ps. 119:163). Paul exhorts us to "abhor that which is evil." (Rom.12:9). The Ephesian saints were commended for hating "the works of the Nicolaitans " Rev. 3:6). Jude exhorts us to hate "even the garment spotted by the flesh" (vs. 23).
While we should hate evil with God, may we never be found hating God or his holy law. Moses warns, "He (God) will not be slack to him that hateth him. He will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandment." (Deut. 7:10-11).
*The author is indebted to Gobel Music for the main idea of this lesson.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)We need to know what God hates, John and you chose the scriptures to support your article. It concerns me when we who call ourselves Christians need to find out what God hates just so that we know how much we can 'get away with without sinning.' This seems to be the practice of quite a number of "modern-day Christians" I've encountered. Instead of just living righteously . . . they want a benchmark. May this article open eyes to the knowledge that all unrighteousness is sin, including thoughts, as found in the Word about adultery.
Excellent points, John. And, speaking of Godly hate, don't forget about that thing Jesus said about hating certain people if you want to be His disciple. Most people either ignore what He said or try to explain it away, but that doesn't make it any less true.
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