Things The Lord Hates!

By:  Jack Critchfield

Text: Prov. 6:16-19

 

FILING INFORMATION:

98026

Subject:  sin

Preached Originally: 5/24/98 – Rapid City, SD

 

I. Introduction

A.    There is a popular belief in the religious community that God is some kind of big teddy-bear, grandfather figure that does not know the meaning of the word hate. 

1.    The concept of a god who will destroy all is not very pleasant, so people ignore the very thought. 

2.    They go to scripture such as Matt. 5:43-44 and Jn. 13:34, and make statements such as, "But Jesus teaches love." 

3.    They may even go to 1 Cor. 13 and remove it from context to try and prove their point.

B.    Hate is a very strong word.  It is one of the few words in our language that has resisted metamorphous. 

1.     Sometimes it is used in a casual sense as in, "I hate to do yard work," but generally the word is reserved for when we feel the deepest dislike and despite.

C.    Hate means to loathe, detest, to despise; to feel ill will toward; to find deeply distasteful and disagreeable. 

1.     It is so strong an emotion that is can bring about change in men.  At the very thought of someone (thing) the stomach begins to boil. 

2.    The heart rate will rise, the blood pressure will rise.  Even the body temperature begins to rise.

3.    It is no wonder people consider hate a bad emotion.

D.   But consider this; hate is an attribute of God.

1.    Read the text…

 

II.  God HATES "A Proud Look." (Haughty Eyes, ASV)

A.    A proud look has nothing to do with the way some one might cast a glance (look) at someone else. 

1.     In this case, it has to do with the attitude a person displays toward another person.

2.    It is always used in the New Testament in an evil sense.

a. arrogant

b. Distasteful

3.    Certain of the Pharisees, "trusted in themselves that they were righteous and view others with contempt," (Lk. 18:9).

4.    This prompted Jesus to teach a parable showing that such pride will be humbled (Lk. 18:10-14).

B.  God wants us to have a different attitude (Matt. 5:3).

 

II. God HATES A "Lying Tongue."

A.    When we look into the Bible, we find lying to be an attribute of the devil - Jn. 8:44.

B.    Yet since the beginning of recorded time, this sin has plagued otherwise good men.

1.    But God hates a liar, no matter who it may be.

C.   Prov. 12:22 tells us "lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight."

D.   God wants us to put away the "old man" of lying and speak truth with one another.

1.    Col. 3:9-10

2.    Eph. 4:25

 

III. God HATES "Hands That Shed Innocent Blood."

A.    There are those that will tell us it is not Christian to carry out punishment that includes the death sentence, but the key word in this phrase is "innocent."

1.    God established Israel on a foundation of righteousness and justice (Psa. 89:14).

2.    Yet provision was made for the guilty to be punished and the innocent to go free

a.     Ex. 21:12ff

b.    Deut. 21:18-23

c.     Rom.13:4

3.    Deut. 16:18-20 - Judges were instructed to be fair and just in their decisions.

B.    Part of the reason for the Babylonian captivity was king Manasseh who "filled Jerusalem with innocent blood" (2 Kings 24:3-4).

C.   When you consider that wicked men shed the innocent blood of God’s Son, it is no wonder He hates this sin so much (Acts 2:23).

D.   God wants us to be fair, honest and impartial in all of our dealings, no matter who might be involved.

1.    1 Tim. 5:21

2.    Jas. 2:1, 9

 

IV. God HATES "A Heart That Devises Wicked Plans."

A.    It is one thing to sin in a moment of weakness, but quite another to plan to do it (Mic. 2:1-4).

B.    Both types of sin are bad and you are going to be held accountable for both.

1.    But one is committed out of lack of knowledge and weakness, while the other is high-handed rebellion.

2.    God hates such rebellion.

 

V.  God HATES "Feet That Are Swift In Running To Do Evil."

A.    It is hard for most to imagine there are actually those who hate good and love evil.  Yet David warned of such in Psa. 52:3, 5.

B.    God wants us to be different (Rom. 12:9).

C.   If this generation perishes, the number one reason could be WE DO NOT ABHOR SIN.

 

VI. God HATES "A False Witness Who Speaks Lies."

A.    After the people had been freed from Egyptian bondage, they were given various laws (10 commandments) at Mt. Sinai.  Among these was the command not to bear false witness (Ex. 20:16).

1.    To bear false witness suggests collusion to pervert justice.

2.    Prov. 19:5, 9 - And we are told that a false witness shall not go unpunished

B.    Mt. 26:59-60 - The Jews had to find such worthless men to bear witness against Jesus

C.   This is the kind of thing that reveals the heart of a man and defiles him (Matt. 15:19-20).

D.   You might want to remember this the next time you are tempted to say something that is untrue. 

1.    Remember, you will have to stand before God and He hates this.

 

VII. God HATES "One Who Sows Discord Among Brethren."

A. God wants His people to be united (Eph. 4:3).

1.    Paul told the Corinthians that strife, dissension and discord are signs of carnality and indicates this is not acceptable among God’s people (1 Cor. 3:1-3).

2.    And the Psalmist tells us it one of the things that is both good and pleasant (Psa. 133:1).

B.    Thing about this before you say something for no other purpose than to spread discontent.  Remember, God hates such.

 

VIII.  Conclusion.

A.    I hope one thing stands clear in this lesson and that is part of God’s character is the ability to hate.  And if He hates these things, so should we.

B.    We are not to hate the person who does these things, but we are to hate the acts the person commits.