Things God Hates

God hates anything that is an attack against him, or a denial (or contradiction) of his nature. There are passages in which God specifically uses the word "hate" to describe his attitude toward something. Some of these verses are shown in the outline below.

If you wish to explore this topic further, you may want to look for other words which express a similar concept, such as abhor, detest, abomination, etc. Yet to be technically accurate, you could include anything that is sinful as something that God hates, even though the word "hate" (or something similar) was not present.

Note that the list of sins in this outline is quite varied, yet all of them are described as being hated by God. Even though people tend to rate some sins as worse than others, God describes them all the same way. He doesn't claim that he hates some of them "a little bit" and others "a lot." In God's sight, sins that we may call "horrendous" belong in the same category as those we may accept as being "politically correct."

As we examine these passages, we must ask ourselves about our own attitude toward these things. Do we hate what God hates... or love what God hates? We may claim to hate these things, but what about our heart attitude, our motives and our actions? God knows whether our claims match reality, and at the day of justice, our "true selves" will be exposed for all to see. Those who truly hate sin and love what is right will continue to hate sin and love what is right, for all eternity. They will spend eternity with the God who hates sin, and who's nature defines what is right. On the other hand, those who have a love for sin - regardless of what they claim to love - will be trapped in a love for sin, for all eternity - though unable to satisfy their desires. They will spend eternity separated from God and from everything that is morally right, for their hearts are incompatible with such things. It will be too late, because, at that time, there will be no further changes in people's hearts.

Let the one who is doing wrong continue to do wrong; the one who is vile, continue to be vile; the one who is good, continue to do good; and the one who is holy, continue in holiness. (Revelation 22:11 )

God Hates... [A verse in the New Testament]

A. The practices of the Nicolaitans.

1. Revelation 2:6
2. NOTE: Scripture (and history) does not tell us the precise nature of this group. This is probably because we are to hate any practice that God hates. Whatever the nature of this group, they were like a cancer that would kill, if not removed. They may have advocated some type of moral compromise - perhaps calling it "freedom." They may have also incorporated idolatrous practices into their worship. (Some of the other churches mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 were plagued with idolatry and sexual immorality - and in one of them, the teachings of the Nicolaitans were present.)

God Hates... [Verses in the Old Testament]

A. God hates both the planning and the committing of evil and wickedness.

1. The planning of it.
   • Proverbs 6:18
   • Zechariah 8:17
2. The committing of it.
   • Psalm 5:5
   • Proverbs 6:18
3. NOTE: These specific verses focus primarily on the general concept of committing sins against other people. Some specific sins against people are mentioned in Section C, below.
    

B. God hates sins committed directly against him.

1. Idolatry - Jeremiah 44:3-4
2. Religious activities, when injustice is tolerated - Amos 5:21-24
    

C. God hates sins committed against people.

1. Violence and strife.
   • Proverbs 6:19
   • Malachi 2:16
2. Murder - Proverbs 6:17
3. Theft, robbery.
   • Isaiah 61:8
   • NOTE: Translations of the phrase after the word "robbery" (or equivalent) will vary, depending on the translator's interpretation of the Hebrew word. Some view it as focusing on sin related to religious activities ("burnt offering") whereas others view it as focusing on sin in general ("iniquity").
4. Lying, in its various forms.
   • Lying - Proverbs 6:17
   • False witnesses - Proverbs 6:19
   • Lying under oath - Zechariah 8:17
5. Arrogance; considering one's self better than others - Proverbs 6:17
6. Divorce; breaking of one's marriage covenant - Malachi 2:16
    

D. What does God want instead? (The following two things were listed within the context of the verses in Section C, above. Anything else that is morally upright would also fit under this heading.)

1. Justice - Isaiah 61:8; Amos 5:21-24; Zechariah 8:16-17
2. Truthfulness - Zechariah 8:16-17
    

Dennis Hinks © 2002
Scripture quoted from: Holy Bible, New Living Translation,
copyright © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.
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