Almost everybody says he loves God or that he or she does not hate God. Even our atheist friends say they do not hate God because he does not exist. So, what does hate mean? Hate means abhorrence, detestation, revulsion, disgust, animosity, or odium. There are two reasons for hate: (1) hating sin in order to attain godliness; and (2) hating godliness in order to attain evil. Whilst the former is worthy of God, the latter is destructive to the soul. We also show hate to God when we fail to abide by his instructions or commandments.
Deuteronomy 11: 1 says you shall therefore love the LORD your God, and keep his charge, his statutes, his ordinances, and his commandments always. Our failure to love God’s instructions means we hate him. Jesus said in Matthew 12: 30; Luke 11: 23 he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Jesus said in Luke 10: 16 he who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.
How do we manifest our hate for God?
A number of our deeds on the contrary show that we actually do not love God but hate him in reality though we profess to be Christians. Examples are as follows:
Paying lip service without the heart
Jesus said in Matthew 15: 8-9; Mark 7: 6-7 these people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. Rendering only lip service without works is deceit and amounts to dishonesty to God or hate for God. Matthew 5:37; Luke 5: 12 say, let your yes be yes, and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.
Rejecting the Lordship of Christ Jesus
Jesus said in Matthew 12: 30; Luke 11: 23 he who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. Only an enemy with hate will fail to support a worthy course of a friend. To Jesus failing to join him is synonymous with scattering what he has gathered.
Failing to do God’s will
Jesus said in John 4: 24 my food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. We express hate to God when we fail to accomplish the will and work of God through Christ Jesus as our spiritual sustenance upon which our souls depend. We treat God’s will and work with contempt and hate when we place no value or urgency on his will and work.
Being untruthful in worship
John 4: 24 says God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. To worship in spirit is to place the needs of the spirit above that of the flesh. Our priority must be to enhance the spirit rather than the flesh. We worship in truth when we see ourselves as God sees us rather than living double lives, one in secret and another in public. 1 Corinthians 11: 31 says but if we judge ourselves truly, we should not be judged.
Acting without conscience
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:8 that finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. These are the works of conscience to guide us to the truth. The guide and guard of our conscience is the Holy Spirit. God abhors seared conscience because it is a mark and product of evil.
Keeping friendship with the world
James 4:4 says friendship with the world is enmity with God. Friendship of the world means identifying with materialism rather than spiritual needs. Matthew 6: 24; Luke 16: 13 says no one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. God and the world have different sets of rules. God rather requires righteousness not sin.
Rivaling God’s divinity
Exodus 34: 14 says you shall worship no other God, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. We rival God when we shift focus from him to giving prominence to other things. Examples include idolizing pastors, prophets, objects, spirits, cult, charms, magic, ornaments etc. Christ Jesus is the only heavenly approved intercessor between us and God. Acts 4: 12 says there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Failing to teach God to our children
Deuteronomy 4: 7 says teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. We mislead our children when we fail to tell them about God and Jesus Christ the savior. Mark 9:42 says whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea.
Adulterating God’s word
Deuteronomy 4: 4 says you shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it. We sometimes interpret the word anyhow or twist its meaning to suit our own desires yet attribute to God what he has not said. We must teach and speak the word in its true and pure form. John 8: 32 says ye shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. We must speak the truth no matter the cost to us.
Being complacent with sin
1 John 1:8-9 says if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Sin is simply a moral wrong and anything contrary to scripture. Complacency includes rejecting God’s grace in Christ Jesus. Mark 2: 17 says those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. We cannot assume God’s infallibility.
Consequences of hating God
Hate for God attracts punishment. Deuteronomy 7: 10-11 says God requites to their faces those who hate him, by destroying them; he will not slack with him who hates him, he will requite him to his face. You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which I command you this day. By this caution, God says neglecting his word means hate for him.
God said in Deuteronomy 32: 41… I will take vengeance on my adversaries, and will requite those who hate me. Psalms 5: 5 says… thou hates all evildoers. However Psalms 97: 10 says the LORD loves those who hate evil; he preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Therefore Zechariah 8: 17 says do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, says the LORD. Christ Jesus is waiting with love to cure our hate for him and the Father in heaven as the physician of our souls. Come to Christ Jesus now.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus Christ, we have hated you and repent of our deeds. We want to renew our relationship with you so wash away our sins in your precious blood and save our souls today. Be close to us in our daily walk in this life. Clothe us in righteousness in your holy name, Amen!!
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