This is a touchy subject that many people either don’t understand or do not take the time to study what the thing is that God hates the most.
Before touching this subject, I would like to briefly explain how the Bible should be studied. So further on, you as the reader, can understand why and how the Bible helped me with coming to this conclusion with this study.
Now the Bible says:
(2Cor 13:1) This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
(Deut 19:15) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
What these verses in context mean, if you have multiple individuals who are giving their testimony in a case that has a similar subject matter. If each person’s testimony matches, then there must be some truth in each of their stories.
Similar to a court case where if there is not enough evidence provided to help with the outcome of the case then the judge must take into consideration the testimonies of the witnesses. If those witnesses’ testimonies match up then the judge can rule fairly on the case.
As you can see from these two examples, what the Bible says in Duet 19:15 and 2Corithians 13:1 is true, but we must make sure that we are allowing the Bible to interpret itself and not being taken out of context.
The Bible states in Isaiah 28:13:
(Isa 28:13) But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
We must also make sure that we are not putting our own interpretations on what the Bible is saying either.
(2Pet 1:20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
To summarize everything written above, when studying the Bible, we should find multiple verses or passages to help support the hypothesis as well as the conclusion we have arrived at. Making sure that it makes sense logically and spiritually and that nothing has been taken out of context. Please note that each verse or passage does count as a witness, especially if it is taken from different books in the Bible or comes out of the mouth of two different individuals.
Now we can understand how the Bible should be studied. So, then what is the thing that God hates?
Before proceeding through the rest of this article please read the following notes below:
- When I am speaking of the disobedient children or the bad children (I am referring to the unrepentant sinners)
- When speaking of the obedient children or good children (referring to the repentant sinners)
There are two things that God can express hatred towards: the Sin or the Sinner and only one of them God does hate.
Some pastors love to use the following verses below on this subject, which in my opinion these are the worst verses for this subject matter: Malachi 1:1-3 and Romans 9:13
(Mal 1:1- 3) I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
(Rom 9:13) As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
After reading these verses you would think that God hates the individual (sinner).
It is true that if you die in your sins that there is no salvation for those who died in their unrepentant and unconfessed sin. But does that mean God hates you if you die in your sin?
We need to take a second look at Malachi 1:1-3 and Romans 9:13 again. It is correct to say that God does not actually hate Esau in this case but that God is displeased, or He “hates” the fact that Esau had chosen the path of sin. God gave Esau multiple opportunities during Esau’s life to repent and he never did.
Also, Esau was one of God’s creations. God loves all things in which He created. However, numerous times in the Old and New Testament, God laid out before the people that the punishment of disobedience is death. This punishment of death of the wicked in the lake of fire may be seen as a form of “tough love” given to disobedient children.
Later on in the study we will come back to this topic of how God administers tough love on to the disobedient children later on in this study. For now, I’d rather focus on the question asked earlier “does God hates you if you die in your sin?”
Looking at Esau’s case again in Hebrew 12:14-17 we see how God expresses His frustration over Esau’s failure to repent.
(Heb 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
(Heb 12:15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
(Heb 12:16) Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
(Heb 12:17) For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
After reading the verses above this is similar as a God-fearing parent with their own disobedient children why?
Well, here is a great example: There were Christian parents that have a son whom they tried to raised in the Bible. Because this family is not living in the best of neighborhoods, the child also learned things from the neighborhood as well as the schools he attends. By the time the son enters high school, he hangs around the wrong crowd and becomes a gangbanger. Every day he smokes, drink, gets into fights with other gangs, steals and robs. The God loving parents continue to warn him to stop and give up that lifestyle because it could lead to him being put in jail or death.
The child refuses, and the day comes where the child’s evil activities finally catch up to him and he is murdered. Because of the death of their son, does a loving parent ever once say that they hated their child or do they lament that if the deceased child would have listened, he would have been alive and have had a life of a totally different and better outcome?
Every day, God is reaching out to us through dreams, through our brothers and sisters, and even in the Bible. Asking all of us, both the good as well as the bad children, to repent of our sins and for us to humbly make reconciliation with Him.
Just because a bad child does not repent, it does not mean that God hates them. Just like the parents in the example, God is angry with sinners because they have all the time in the world to repent and yet choose not to do so; same as Esau.
One thing that God never does is hide His character from us. A true Christian would know that God’s character is shown throughout the entire Bible because He wants us to trust in Him. So why would God hide traits of His character from us? Especially when it is the duty of the Christian to go out and win souls for God’s Kingdom by telling others about how wonderful His character is. It is true we may not understand all His ways or the things that God does. But the Bible puts in full display that His character is a God of Love, Truth, and of Justice.
And this character is displayed in many of the stories told in the Bible. First, Absalom, David’s son in 2 Samuel chapters 13 to 18, Absalom started a rebellion against David and tried to overthrow his father to become king even gone as far as sleeping with David’s concubines and Absalom was trying to bring physical harm to his own father. David never once said that he hated Absalom. In fact, David grieved when he heard the news of Absalom’s death.
Second, Job’s children in Job chapter 1:4-5 explains how Job believed while celebrating that his children had sinned against the Lord and cursed God to their hearts, and Job never said that he hated them for engaging in sinful activities. He simply prayed and ask God for forgiveness of their sins on their behalf. Job even went the extra mile by doing sacrifices.
In fact, the entire chapter of Ezekiel 18 talks about how God handles the individuals. Note particularly that in Ezekiel 18:32 God says “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” And then repeats Himself again in Ezekiel 33:11 by saying: “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”
The Lord is clearly saying here He does not take any pleasure in the death of the wicked. This means it hurts Him to have to punish His children who are disobedient. He knows it must be done to protect the obedient children. This is the same as a parent who disciplines their child in a form of a spanking and then says to the child afterwards “this hurt me more than you.”
Why do you think God continues to encourage us to repent and turn from our wicked ways? not only did he just mention this in Ezekiel 18:32 & Ezekiel 33:11 above but also in the following verses below:
(Eze 7:3) Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.
(Eze 7:8) Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.
(Act 17:30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:
Throughout the Old Testament, there have been numerous times God has said that He was angry with the children of Israel and the house of Judah for the sin they were engaging in. Now, what is the definition of angry? Strong’s Concordances definition of “angry “are listed below:
A primitive root; to breathe hard, that is, be enraged: – be angry (displeased). (H599)
From H2196; angry: – displeased. (H2189)
From H2194; strictly froth at the mouth, that is, (figuratively) fury (especially of God’s displeasure with sin): – angry, indignation, rage. (H2195)
A primitive root; properly to boil up, that is, (figuratively) to be peevish or angry: – fret, sad, worse liking, be wroth. (H2196)
Now the bible does say that those who keep God’s word and His laws. God claimed as His sons and daughters shown in 2nd Corinthians 6:17 & 18:
(2Cor 6:17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(2Cor 6:18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
However, many Christians forget that the Lord also makes mention in the following verse and makes claim that everything in the earth is His in the verses below:
(Exo 19:5) Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
(Col 1:16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
(Eze 18:4) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
This validates my reason for calling all of Mankind God’s good and bad His children. Now let us look at Ezekiel 18:4 one more time:
(Eze 18:4) Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Not only is God making a claim that all people on the earth are His. But it gives the punishment for sin as well. And the punishment of sin is death.
God mentions this in the following verses:
(Eze 18:20) The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
(Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(1Cor 15:56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Now if you have made it this far, I want to thank you for reading this. But we clearly see that the thing that God hates the most is sin.
The Bible makes all of this clear in Proverbs 6:16-19 with a list of things God hates while also saying that those who do these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God in Galatians 5:19-21 while also giving the punishment that the disobedient children will face in Revelations 21:8:
Proverb 6:16-19
(Pro 6:16) These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
(Pro 6:17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
(Pro 6:18)An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
(Pro 6:19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Galatians 5:19-21
(Gal 5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
(Gal 5:20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
(Gal 5:21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelations 21:8
(Rev 21:8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Now just because the disobedient children will not be allowed into God’s Kingdom to come, does not mean He hates them. This will be the punishment that God has set for them.
This is the same as a parent who tell their child that if he/she do not get good grades or misbehave in school, they will not be able to go on the family vacation. This is the consequence for their actions.
Just like any other parent who set rules and goals within the home for their children to obey and fulfill. Rewards or penalties will be given based on whether the child fulfilled or failed to meet the requirements given.
God is doing the same thing here there are no rewards for those children who are disobedient. They will be missing out on the reward which is entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life. Instead, for their disobedience they will receive the punishment of the Lake of Fire which is the second death.
God has laid out the requirements and goals in His words that He wants each one of us to obey and fulfill. Though He loves all His children. It makes sense for Him to give more of His attention to helping the obedient children who have made the decision to obey His word and His Laws and reward them for their works. And for those children who made the decision to refuse to turn from their sinful ways, let them be. Because just like any God Fearing parent that administers “tough love” as a last resort onto their own disobedient children. God will be following the same process by administering tough love onto the disobedient children with the punishment God has set for them.
The bible states the following in Ecclesiastes 12:14 & Revelations 20:11-15
Ecclesiastes 12:14
(Ecc 12:14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Revelations 20:11-15
(Rev 20:11) And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
(Rev 20:12) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
(Rev 20:13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
(Rev 20:14) And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
(Rev 20:15) And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
In the Steps to Christ by Ellen G White (page 58) it says quote
“He hates sin, but he loves the sinner, and he gave Himself, in the person of Christ, that all who would, might be saved, and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory.”
This quote cannot be any clearer and true. God does love the sinner or else He would not have sent His Son our Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins. But it is up to the individual whether they want to be an obedient or a disobedient child of God in the end.
And I hope and pray that you were blessed by this Study God has given me to share to you.