“There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to Him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.”
(Proverbs 6:16-19)
God is love, right? Yes, but God also hates! Isn’t that a contradiction in terms? No, because if you are Love, you hate all that is unlovely. Sadly, there are a lot of hateful things in this world, and we only have to look in a mirror to start seeing them.
These verses are a rogue’s gallery of things that God hates, and it’s an incriminating list. If anyone thinks they’re guiltless in regard to these verses, they deceive themselves, and the truth is not in them. So, what do we do with our evil hearts, hands, feet and tongues, etc.?
We can only come to God, sinners as we are, in repentance and faith that although we are hateful, He wants to lavish His love upon us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us, and trust in the work of His Holy Spirit to transform us.
It’s not enough to pray a mantra, a ‘sinner’s prayer’. We need God to help us to turn our lives around. Without Him, we are powerless.
We might ask God to help us to love the things He loves, but do we hate the sins He hates?