The Seven Things That God Hates
Most people say God is love, and they are right: He is the author of love. But God also hates certain things. Today, I’ll focus on the seven things He hates, listed in Proverbs 6:16-19. But before I get there, I do want to mention sexual sin. God has a particular, deep hatred for all sexual and sex related sin. These are adultery, fornication, homosexuality, cross-dressing, and bestiality. These are referred to as abominations to God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, God, through Paul, says that if you persist in these sins without repentance, you will not see heaven. This is absolutely clear in Scripture and must be addressed if you choose to accept Christ as your Savior and Lord. That ridiculous notion that God takes us as we are is nonsense. If you are truly born again, you will strongly desire to repent and do God’s will in every aspect of your life from the moment you accept Christ. So, repent and do God’s will, per the Bible. That being said, let’s move on to the seven things God hates.
Proverbs 6:16-19
“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
First of The Seven Things That God Hates
The first abomination is a proud look. Also known as haughty eyes. This refers to arrogance or a superior attitude of a person who looks down on others. A proud look puts oneself above God and neighbor. Pride is what caused the fall of Satan and many men and women. The biggest problem is the fact that people have the audacity to put themselves before God. He is the creator, master, and sustainer of everything that ever was or will be, and you are not. We only exist through God’s grace and mercy, on a random pile of dust. We wouldn’t exist without Him. On the other hand, God would do just fine without us. So, putting yourself above God is crazy! We should also not put ourselves above others. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. God is no respecter of persons. In other words, God has no favorites and sees all as equal.
Second of The Seven Things That God Hates
God hates a lying tongue. In other words, bearing false witness, deception, dishonesty, and untruthfulness. A lying tongue breaks trust and distorts truth. God says, “ But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. This truth also includes gossip, because when you gossip, you almost never have the whole story, so much of what you’re saying is a speculative lie. Honesty and truthfulness are cornerstones of Christianity. Conversely, Islam is different. Islam permits concealment or deception (Taqiyya) in emergencies such as self-preservation under mortal threat, war, or to profit or further Islam. As Christians, we should always be truthful.
Third of The Seven Things That God Hates
God calls hands that shed innocent blood an abomination. First and foremost, God hates abortionists and mothers who sacrifice their children for the sake of convenience, hatred for the father, hatred for the child, financial concerns, lifestyle concerns, and other lame, stupid reasons for taking an innocent life. There are no reasons for an abortion except for a verified ectopic pregnancy. And that’s only true because the mother would almost certainly die. Murder of another person with malice and forethought or premeditation is an abomination. The shedding of innocent blood is an abomination to God and will keep you out of heaven unless you repent and never do it again. That still shouldn’t keep you out of jail, though.
Fourth of The Seven Things That God Hates
A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. You can define this as thinking up sinful, wicked, or deceptive practices to defraud, trick, or deceive people. The first thing that comes to my mind is all the fraud that the Samoli Muslims perpetrated in Minnesota. I also think of all the internet and phone scams and fraud. With malice, forethought, and planning, these fraudsters purposely hurt people and their finances. A heart that thinks up these wicked things is an abomination to God, and they will not see heaven unless they repent and stop defrauding people, businesses, and the government. The FBI says that in 2025 alone, cyber-enabled fraud and internet crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion across more than 1 million complaints.
Fifth of The Seven Things That God Hates
People who have feet that are swift to run to mischief. This is an impulsive person who wastes no time acting on temptation. There is a lack of conscience, hesitation, and restraint. This person reacts instead of acting. Reacting without thinking things through can cause trouble and lead you to do something stupid. This would include a person who kills themself without thinking it through. For instance, he gets angry because he catches his wife committing adultery, and kills both of them and then kills himself. Or, someone punches you in the face, and you punch them back without asking why. Who knows, they might have a good reason for punching you. Don’t be impulsive. God gave us a thinking mind. Use it.
Sixth of The Seven Things That God Hates
A false witness that speaketh lies is also an abomination. The 9th commandment forbids bearing false witness against your neighbor. God said don’t lie, commit perjury, slander, or distort the truth in a way that hurts a person’s reputation. So, God hates it when you hurt your spouse's reputation. He hates it when you lie in court. He hates it when you slander someone, either openly or through gossip. Bearing false witness is not just lying; it has dire consequences for those who lie or slander.
Seventh of The Seven Things That God Hates
He that sows discord amongst our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is someone who stirs up arguments, creates division, or ruins peace among brothers and sisters in Christ, family members, and friends. Many groups sow discord: witches, Satanists, cult members, gossips, bearers of false witness, and unrepentant sinners who try to persuade you that they are not sinning (homosexuals, drag queens, fornicators, polygamous people, adulterers, gossips, alcoholics, etc.). These are the people who split churches, break up families, and create apostate churches if the pastor and deacons let them get away with it. These types of people, who commit the seventh thing God hates, do more damage to churches than you would think.
Common Drivers of Church Division
Internal friction is most often cited as the root cause of splits within Protestant communities, but external influences are occasionally to blame:
Gossip: Members spreading unverified information or whispering doubts under the guise of concern. The 2nd, 6th, and 7th sins God hates
Sowing Discord Toward Leadership: Intentionally undermining pastors or deacons to create an "us versus them" mentality. The 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, and 7th sins God hates.
Power Struggles: Contentious individuals seeking control or demanding that their preferences be implemented without exception. The 1st and 7th sins God hates.
Trivial Arguments: Congregations have famously split or engaged in major conflicts over minor issues, including debates over worship, the pastor's beard, carpet color, or buying a filing cabinet. The 1st, 5th, and 7th sins God hates.
We, as individuals, need to guard ourselves against the seven things God hates. We need to police ourselves, and married men need to police the members of their family as the physical and spiritual leader of their home. Churches must use the Biblical principle of church discipline to stop these sins before they break up families, friends, and churches. Always be aware of what you are doing and why. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
Church Discipline
If a person is sinning and you know about it, use kindness and respect to ask them to stop and repent.
If they fail to stop and repent, take two or three members of the church’s leadership and, with kindness and respect, ask them to stop and repent.
If they fail to stop and repent, bring the sin before the congregation and the person in question, and determine the congregation's wishes. At this time, if the person refuses to stop and repent, excommunication is appropriate if the congregation agrees. Draft and send a letter of excommunication to the church member and retain a copy for the church records.
This church discipline should be used if any of the seven things that God hates creep into your congregation. It is also helpful for church members committing sexual sin. I hope this helps and blesses you!
Comments