Proverbs 6:16-19, Sins on God’s Hate List!
March 9, Proverbs 6:16-19
Rom. 3:1-23; 11:33-34 “Those that walk in prode he is able to abase” (Dan. 4:37).
Sins on God’s Hate List!
God Alone Can Define Hate. Surely God cannot hate, says man! Is He not the God who loves everyone, or so we are assured? Therefore, these words are quite startling to many. It seems inconceivable, if not totally inconsistent for God to hate! It is a sad fact that the greatest weakness of American Christianity is the loss of belief in the “wrath of God”. Machen said, “There is no doctrine that is more utterly pervasive in the Bible than the wrath of God.” When we use the word hate it is all sin-tainted. God, who is righteous and sinless, hates us with perfect hatred. The God of the Bible is holy, just and good. He must hate sin or He would be like the immoral gods of the heathen. God’s hatred, therefore, is not to be confused with our sinful ideas of hatred. We see what happens when politicians and social-activists define hate literature or obscene art! God alone has the sovereign prerogative to think, feel, and act according to His own pleasure and purpose. In God there is no malice, no enmity, no moral bias, as with fallen man. We must explain with the Apostle: Who hath known the mind of the Lord or who hath been his counseller? Having personified what is hateful, the Lord now lists seven things that He hates. These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven. Seven is the number of totality or perfection, and serves to intensify God’s hatred for these things.
No. 1 Deadly Sin: Hateful Pomposity – a proud look, – that pompous haughty bearing! Note how frequently the Bible presents pride has the No.1 sin. Strangely it is as distasteful to man himself as it is abominable to God. Pride comes first in the traditional list of the “Seven Deadly Sins” because it is the foundational sin to all the others. This may not seem obvious at first glance, but God so designated it, and it is the unanimous decision of those who have investigated this matter most deeply. a. The Sin of Angels: This is the first sin of which we have any knowledge, and it was pride that brought about their fall. Milton has their leader cry: “Better of reign in hell than serve in heaven.” While Milton is not Scripture, he highlights the awful fact that pride will go to any lengths to get what it wants. An angel became a devil that way! b. The Sin of Our First Parents: They yielded to the whisper of the Tempter enticing them with the prospect of being something they were not, gods. A once beautiful angel had coveted to be God. Though he failed in his bid, he held out the same bait to Eve and she fell for it, and thus sin entered the human race through pride. c. The Sin of Christians: What harm has been done in many churches by proud “elder” Christians! Has not pride also nipped in the bud the usefulness of many a promising young believer. Pride is still very much with us and continues to harm, not only many weak Christians, but also makes witnessing to unbelievers more difficult. How can followers of the Lowly Jesus be conceited or contemptuous of others? Yet sadly such is too often the impression that is given to the unbelieving world.
Thought: Pride both withdraws the heart from God, and lifts it up against God.
Prayer: Dear Lord, let me never forget that I’m only a sinner saved by Grace alone.