If Hate is Necessary… then hate what God Hates

I know that this title will catch a few eyes so that is why I have left it as such.  There is a lot of disgust, detestation, abhorrence, and loathing going on in the world today, and that often translates down into one word which is hate.  I do not know how many times I have heard that little four-letter word come across my desk in the counseling office.  What saddens me is that those who come in and sit across from me are often guilty of the same sin that they say they “hate” in others.  They have come in for counseling, they came in for help yet once they sit down and begin to share their story with me what I hear is their anger and hatred of others.  In the midst of their story it is often noticeable that they are totally oblivious to the fact that they are equally as guilty of the same sin.  They are self-deceived and caught up in their own arrogance, oblivious to the sin that they are caught up in.

As I took the time the other day to go over my notes for the past week’s sessions that I had engaged in, the Lord revealed to me that this one common thread was running though almost every case.  That common thread was the phrase “I hate,” it was associated with almost every session.  As I sat there I began to wonder, was I too experiencing this same distaste?  Was I just as guilty as they?  And sadly I have to say guilty.  I was starting to go off course in my own life.  This led me to the conclusion that I needed to ask my God for forgiveness because I was going in a direction that He had not intended for any of us to go.  I was going in a direction that I did not want to be traveling.  I was starting to take things too personal and to selfishly.  It was then that I was reminded of a statement that George Washington once made, “There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.”  A very straight forward and sound statement and it is biblical in meaning.  “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14), “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

If I am to serve Christ and that is my desire then I need to change my way of thinking.  As I went to the Lord about this issue I had a new revelation, a new line of thought to pursue.  If we are to hate something we need to hate what God hates.  Our focus needs to be directed at exactly what it is that He hates.  There is a passage of Scripture that stand out here and that is found in proverbs which reads, “These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, (18) A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, (19) A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19)  It really cannot be much clearer than this, God Hates Sin.  I am convinced that this sin that He hates is one that all believers struggle with and that has its roots in selfishness and pride.  If not dealt with, this self-deception will work its way through every aspect of my ministry if it is not dealt with immediately. 

As we read this passage it is interesting to note that God says that there are six things he hates and of which seven are an abomination yet five of the things mentioned are lying or directly related to lying.  God here in this passage is clearly stating that He hates lying.  If God is adamant about hating lying should not we be also?  There is nothing more frustrating in the counseling situation or life in general than to be confronted by someone that you know or face and you know that that they are lying to you.  This sin is one that is committed by all believers and is a common practice by many.  I would dare say that if someone says to you that they do not lie there is a good chance that they just did.  Edmond Burke (1729-1797) once said, “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.”  This is one bold statement but one that hits the nail directly on the head.  If we are children of the Word then we must live, walk and breathe by the Word. 

Many try to cover up this sin using pleasantries such as “embellishment’s,” or “exaggeration’s” but the truth be known, they lied.  They strayed from the truth and lied, they did that which God hates, they have sinned note the following verses:

Proverbs 14:5, “A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.”

Proverbs 14:25, “A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.”

Proverbs 19:5, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape.”

Proverbs 19:9, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.”

Proverbs 19:22, “What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar.”

The problem is that we have deemed it socially acceptable to do so.  You cannot watch a program on the TV where lying not practiced, accepted or encouraged.  You cannot watch or listen to political ads and you must be leery of those we face from day to day.  It's almost a given that we really cannot trust most people that we wind up talking with until we know that they are not lying to us.  It is sad that we have to do so.  It is sad that we have to hunt the truth in everyday conversations.  We search it out in the writings and notes that we take in the counseling room.  Psalm 58:3 says “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.”  This truth is evident in that many of the people we encounter.  With some, they will rather tell a lie than the truth.  I do believe that this is why the psalmist wrote Psalm 120:2, “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.”  The Psalmist did not want to be around those who lied either.

I do believe that as believers we need to make an effort to return to the things of God.  We must return to the truth and the way of truth.  One of the first steps that we should take is one back to total honesty.  We must hate the sin of lying as God does.  Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.”  If we take this challenge, if we make it a priority, we will once again return to being a delight to the Lord.