Hello everyone. Let’s continue with our subject from the word of God concerning the word “hate”. We asked the following question last week:

What does the Bible truly mean when it states that God hates the wicked (unbelievers)?

We then learned that there are two views of “hate” in the Bible. One from God’s perspective and the other is the human perspective.

Due to the length of the post, we addressed the human perspective, providing scripture references that addressed this topic. It was noted that the commands from the Lord were only issued to believers as unbelievers do not have the capacity to obey the Lord neither do they seek to obey any of His commands.

Now let us turn the camera to view this topic from God’s perspective. We must first understand Who God is. The Bible declares all these things to be always true about God without any possibility of alteration. This means that these things about God makes Him who He is. They are called God’s attributes.

I will not list them all, just 15.

1.       God is infinite, the self-existing One

2.       God is immutable, never changes, for with Him this is an impossibility.

3.       God is self-sufficient. God has no needs.

4.       God is omnipotent. All powerful and greater than the summation of everything He created.

5.       God is omniscient. God knows all thing at once, at this moment in time.

6.       God is omnipresent. The Lord is always present. Where are you right now? He was waiting there until you arrived. Oh, and He was with you on the way to meet with Him.

7.        God is wise. God can perfectly create and bring His will to fruition.

8.       God is faithful. It is impossible for the Lord to fail.

9.       God is good. God’s goodness is revealed through His ability to be holy, yet be just and the justifier of them that hates Him.

10.   God is just. The Lord is infinitely unchangeably righteous and perfect in all He does.

11.   God is merciful. The Lord is infinitely compassionate and forbearing.

12.   God is gracious. God is always kind, gentle, and pleasant.

13.   God is loving. God is love. Love is who God is, not what He does.

14.   God is glorious. Who is like you, O Lord? Who is like you majestic in holiness, working signs, and wonders?

15.   God is holy. The Lord is awesomely, gloriously, majestically holy and there is none like Him nor will there ever be any other God.

With that understanding of God, do you still believe He loves someone who is the direct opposite of who he is. Not a chance!

Now let’s divide the word of God to find out exactly if God loves the sinner.

 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; YOU HATE ALL WORKERS OF INIQUITY. Psalms 5:5

The Greek word “sane” means to count as an enemy. There is no way to interject favor more or favor less into this verse.

11 God is a just judge, and God IS ANGRY WITH THE WICKED EVERYDAY. Psalms 7:11

5 The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and THE ONE WHO LOVES VIOLENCE HIS (God’s) SOUL HATES (Who loves violence; the righteous or the wicked? I will leave that for you to answer.) 6 UPON THE WICKED HE (God) RAIN SNARES; FIRE AND BRIMSTONE AND BURNING WIND will be the portion of their cup. (Sounds a lot like the lake of fire to me)
7 For the LORD is righteous, HE LOVES RIGHTEOUSNESS (Now ask yourself this question, can a wicked, unclean, defiled, wretched, unholy, filthy, abominable unbeliever produce righteousness? Absolutely not!); The upright will behold His face. (The upright [believers] are only upright because they are IN CHRIST, the righteous One) Psalms 11:5-7

15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the LORD IS AGAINST EVILDOERS (the unbelievers can only do evil because they are not in Christ. So, what will God to with the unbeliever? Love them? Read on.), TO CUT OFF (kill) THE MEMORY OF THEM FROM THE EARTH. (God intends to kill them with a second death which is the lake of fire. No matter how you spin it, that is not love. That is called justice.) Psalms 34:15-16

5 I HATE THE ASSEMBLY OF EVILDOERS (unbelievers), and I will not sit with the wicked (this is speaking of eternity when we are all gather before God’s throne to worship the King of Glory). Psalms 26:5

Let me assemble a list of those things God states concerning the sinner:

1.       God hates the WORKERS of iniquity

2.       God is angry with the WICKED all day, every day (daily)

3.       God hates the Soul of the wicked

4.       God is against Evildoers

5.       God hates when the WICKED assemble to conduct their religious activities.

After you read the biblical points, how many times did God state that He hates or is angry at the sins? NONE!!!!! Why not? Because it is upon the head of the sinning unbeliever where sins reside. Wherever sins reside, the wrath of God is present and it will kill with the second death anyone that dies with their sins upon their own heads.

The Lord then begin to go into detail about what He hates about the sinner by providing the progression of His hatred. Listen carefully.

The Holy Spirit, who is God, inspired King Solomon to write in Proverbs 15 concerning the contrast from God’s perspective, on how He views the believers (the saints) and unbelievers (the wicked). It’s a very interesting read and a joy for meditational study. However, for our study purposes, we will stick with the references concerning the unbelievers.

The Lord declares that the “sacrifice” which means worship and prayer which are part of their religion are an abomination to Him.

8 THE SACRIFICE OF THE WICKED is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. Proverbs 15:8

The Greek word for abomination is “tonebah”, which means a disgusting unclean thing. Anything that is unclean in God’s eyes will be instantly destroyed therefore we see the mercy of God on display daily for all wicked unbelievers.

The Lord then moves from their futile attempt to worship Him in holiness, to their lifestyles.

You may be thinking, what’s wrong with my lifestyle? Well, nothing in your eyes, my eyes, and the people of the world’s eyes but I will let the Lord Himself tell you what He sees.

9 THE WAY (lifestyle) OF THE WICKED is an abomination to the LORD, but He loves one who pursues righteousness. Proverbs 15:9

The Greek word for way is “derek” which means course of life, the road one is traveling – journeying upon. The unbeliever’s lifestyle is an abomination before the LORD.

What are the results of these first discoveries when we dig beneath the surface into the counsel of God’s hatred of the wicked? Did it result in punishment of just the sins or the sinner? Read on for the answer from the Lord in Proverbs 15.

10 GRIEVOUS PUNISHMENT IS FOR HIM who forsakes the way (God’s way of salvation); He who hates reproof (Did you reject God’s instruction of salvation? If you did, you) will die (not physically but die in their sins and be casted into the lake of fire which is the second death). Proverbs 15:10

The result is judgment. God declares that He hates the sinner’s sins and will punish the sinner because of his sins. Do you get that? The sins are on the sinner who will forever bear the wrath of God upon his sins. That is what the Bible teaches. But wait, we are not finished, there’s more for those that are not yet convinced.

The Lord declares that He hates the thoughts of the wicked too.

26 THE THOUGHTS OF THE WICKED are an abomination to the LORD, but the words of the pure are pleasant. (Who are these PURE people? The people who are IN CHRIST as only Jesus is pure in God’s eyes) Proverbs 15:26

Even their thoughts are in open rebellion against the holiness of the Lord by declaring that they are not unclean, malignant, wicked, defiled, wretched, and grotesque.

Next, we find that God exposes their offerings and intents.

27 THE SACRIFICE OF THE WICKED is an abomination; How much more when he brings it WITH WICKED INTENT! Proverbs 21:27

The Lord finds the unbeliever’s religious service a detestable thing. Why? Because the unbeliever and everything done by His hands are unclean. No, not like unwashed from dirt of this world. I am speaking of leper’s sores oozing with puss and partial scabs. They are sometimes referenced as boils. That’s how the unbeliever looks and smells to God who is absolutely pure and holy. Listen to the Apostle Paul:

15 To the pure all things are pure, BUT TO THOSE WHO ARE DEFILED AND UNBELIEVING NOTHING IS PURE but even THEIR MIND AND CONSCIENCE are defiled. Titus 1:15

Now listen to the prophet Habakkuk - 12 Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. 13 YOU ARE OF PURER EYES THAN TO BEHOLD EVIL AND CANNOT LOOK ON WICKEDNESS. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? Habakkuk 1:12-13

The most dangerous and misunderstood by people when it comes to God, is His holiness and righteousness. God IS HOLY! A CONSUMING FIRE! The descriptions given of God should scare us to death, but it doesn’t because we are DEAD to any form of holiness therefore since we have never seen it with our eyes, it is impossible for us to comprehend. We can only depend on the episodes recorded in the Bible whereby the Lord God gives us a glimpse of how holy He is.

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled…Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice… 18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” Exodus 19:16, 18-19; 20:18-19

16 Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 THE SIGHT OF THE GLORY OF THE LORD WAS LIKE A CONSUMING FIRE on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. Exodus 24:16-17

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5

1 The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! 2 Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. 3 A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about. 4 His lightnings light the world; The earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory. Psalms 97:1-6

9 “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; 10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened. Daniel 7:9-10

29 For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29

I can quote many scriptures in an attempt to show you just how Holy the Lord God is and how totally depraved you and I are. We are so wicked compared to God, outside of Christ, there is absolutely no reason for God to spare us from His righteous and justified wrath. If you cannot understand this, then it will be hard for you to understand salvation and its necessity.

This is why the Bible declares that Jesus was the lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world! Why before the world was created? Because God is too holy to look upon the sins of the sinner without killing them! The cross allows God to be merciful and longsuffering.

22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Romans 9:22-24

If not for the shed blood of Jesus Christ BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, there would be no creation for there is nothing that is clean in God’s site. Even the heavens are unclean in the site of the Holy One of Israel!

14 “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? 15 If God puts no trust in His saints, And the heavens are not pure in His sight, 16 How much less man, who is abominable and filthy, Who drinks iniquity like water! Job 15:14-16

2 “Dominion and fear belong to Him; He makes peace in His high places. 3 Is there any number to His armies? Upon whom does His light not rise? 4 How then can man be righteous before God? Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman? 5 If even the moon does not shine, And the stars are not pure in His sight, 6 How much less man, who is a maggot, And a son of man, who is a worm?” Job 25:2-6

It is absolutely scary to hear people talk about God. What they will say to Him and how they will walk up to His throne. WHAT! Are you kidding me! You will speak to the Holy One, before whom the heavens and the earth flee! WHAT! You will approach the throne of the King of Glory, whose radiant glory exceeds that of the sun in its full strength. Friend, you have no clue of whom you are speaking. I bow my head and my heart cry out to You, O Lord, merciful, kind, and true, that You will forgive such ignorance on our behalf. Forgive, Holy Father, our transgressions and blot out our iniquities. For we have spoken such arrogant and stout words against Your holiness, sovereignty, and righteousness.

 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 HE INDEED WAS FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (from God’s perspective) but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 1 Peter 1:17-21

What are you saying Kevin?

I am telling you that if Jesus was not sacrificed in God’s eyes before He created the world then God would not have created the world. Not that He would not, it would be because He could not. God understood that if He would ultimately reveal His attributes of love, mercy, and grace that He would have to allow for the possibility of sin.

Whoa, my friends we are treading in the deepest things concerning the mysteries of God. I need to move on from this topic before we depart our subject at hand.

Let’s wrap this up. God’s holiness, righteousness, and justice demands payment for sin. He cannot just say, okay, I accept your sincere apology. There must be a payment for rebellion, or His wrath will be poured out upon the person that has the sins.

Why is it okay for God to hate the sinner and the sins?

Because God is ETERNALLY PERFECT in holiness, righteousness, and justice without the possibility of change.

We find the final answer in Romans 9.

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.” 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, WHO ARE YOU TO REPLY AGAINST GOD? WILL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM WHO FORMED IT “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, ENDURED WITH MUCH LONGSUFFERING THE VESSELS OF WRATH PREPARED FOR DESTRUCTION, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Romans 9:14-24

The Lord alone is God, He rules in the heavens above and in the kingdom of men.

5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, 6 That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me.
I am the LORD, and there is no other; 7 I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things.’ 8 “Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it. 9 “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’? 10 Woe to him who says to his father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to the woman, ‘What have you brought forth?’” 11 Thus says the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. 12 I have made the earth, and created man on it. I—My hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host I have commanded. Isaiah 45:5-12

18 For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other. 19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’; I, the LORD, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. 20 “Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, who carry the wood of their carved image, and pray to a god that cannot save. 21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. 22 “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. 23 I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in Righteousness, and shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath. Isaiah 45:18-23

Thus says the Lord:

5 “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal and compare Me, that we should be alike? 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver on the scales; They hire a goldsmith, and he makes it a god.
They prostrate themselves, yes, they worship. 7 They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it and set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer
Nor save him out of his trouble. 8 “Remember this, and show yourselves men; Recall to mind, O you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, SAYING, MY COUNSEL SHALL STAND, AND I WILL DO ALL MY PLEASURE,’ 11 Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed, I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it. Isaiah 46:5-11