"What God Hates" February 19 Readings: Leviticus 16-17, Mark 1:1–20, Psalm 25:13–22, Proverbs 6:16-19

Today's Readings - Leviticus 16-17, Mark 1:1–20, Psalm 25:13–22, Proverbs 6:16-19

Devotional - What God Hates

There are six things that the Lord hates,

    seven that are an abomination to him: Proverbs 6:16

I'm sorry, I must have read that wrong. Surely the God of the Bible does not hate anything or anyone. How could a God of love also hate? It must not really mean what it says, right?

Reading about the real God of the Bible is so strange sometimes, because we have created an artificial God, one who always behaves like we want him to, who is tame, who stays within the boundaries we have set for him. But the God of the Bible cannot be confined in our cages. He is grand and powerful and multifaceted and awesome. 

Yes, God is love. He demonstrated his love in amazing ways when he sacrificed his Son for our sins. His love is boundless and governs all his dealings with us. We see that love daily. But his love does not rule out his wrath. They work together.

The fact is that there are things that our God of love hates. He loves us with an eternal love, but there are things that we do that he bitterly hates. There are actions which are so contrary to the nature and character of God that they arouse his ire. It is well for us to know what it is that offends God and avoid those actions. Seven such behaviors are spelled out in Proverbs 6:17-19. 

God is offended by arrogance. He is the God of glory and when we take glory to ourselves, it offends him. It angers him. We must not rob the glory of God by living self-centered, self-glorying lives. 

God is offended by dishonesty. He is the God of truth who cannot and will not lie. It is the Enemy who is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). We must not lie like the devil, but speak the truth of God in love at all times. 

God is offended by violence. A violent man hurts another to get what he wants. Of course, most of us do not use physical violence in that pursuit, but sometimes we may use verbal violence to hurt another. We ought never hurt others to get our way, lest God be angered. 

God is offended by those who plot evil. We are called to pursue the goodness of God and to advance the interests of the Kingdom in this world. We must not devote ourselves to manipulation and scheming in the pursuit of sinful things. 

God is offended by people who seek evil. The world is full of evil, of wicked things, and they hold such allure for us. Satan advertises well, making his vile ways look so appealing. We must seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness, not the evil of this world. 

God is offended by those who pervert justice to accomplish our own ends. A corrupt system that acquits the guilty and convicts the innocent is an offense to God. 

God is offended by those who stir up strife and dissension in the Body of Christ. There is a time to stand and be counted, even if others do not like it. But we must not be agents of division and dissension in the church by pursuing our own goals, our own egos and our own agendas. If we believe 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, causing dissension in the Body is one of the most serious sins we can commit. 

The good news is that Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of sinners, so that our sins might be put under the blood of Christ. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. But we are saved to walk in Christ and not in the ways of the world. By the power of the Spirit, we must abandon those things that offend God and walk in ways that honor and please him. 

Father, may I never presume on your grace by living in sin because you are so forgiving. May your forgiveness and love never be an excuse for my sin, but a motivation for me to live as you demand. 

Think and Pray

Which of the readings spoke most powerfully to you today?
Is the Spirit of God moving you to repent of something you are doing, to begin something new, or to change something about your life as a result of your readings? What?