Worldly Love Versus Godly Love Part 3: Do You Love What God Loves and Hate What He Hates?

When you look at the topic of God’s love and hate you must consider what the Bible says on the subject. The Bible is very clear on what God loves and what He hates.   The Word tells you to, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This means that you can not reason with your own human logic. Instead present yourself to God diligently studying the Word for true understanding, so that you can apply the Word correctly in your life.

Here is a short list of the things that God hates:
Idolatry: Deuteronomy 12:31, and 16:22
Child sacrifice and sexual perversion: Leviticus 20:1-23

Those who do evil: Psalm 5:4-6, 11:5.

The following Scripture shows you seven things that God hates:

Proverbs 6:16-19 states,

“There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes (pride)

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood (murder),

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil (those who love evil),

a false witness who pours out lies,

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community (troublemakers).”

Contrary to what I have perceived in the past, the passage does not include only behaviors God hates; it includes people He hates. His hatred is directed not just at sin but at the sinner himself.

The reason is simple. Sin can only be separated from the sinner through the forgiveness available in Jesus Christ alone. Yes, God hates lying but lying involves a person who is a liar and chooses to lie. God cannot judge the behavior of lying without also judging the liar.

The Bible also teaches you that God loves the people of the world (John 3:16). God spared wicked Nineveh leading them to repentance in (Jonah 3). God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32).
He is patient to the extreme, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV).
This is all proof of God’s love because He wants what’s best for His creation.
But at the same time Psalm 5:5 says about god, “you hate all evil doers” and Psalm 11:5 is even harsher, “the wicked those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”

Before a person comes to the knowledge of God and repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ he’s considered an enemy of God.

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—”

(Colossians 1:21-22 NIV).
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this:

While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NIV).

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If you ask the question what happens when somebody rejects God’s love, refuses to repent, and stubbornly clings to sin you will find that the Scripture says God will judge him, because God is just He must judge sin. And that means judging the sinner. These are the wicked that God hates, people who choose to persist in sin and rebellion even though mercy and grace are available through Christ Jesus.

King David wrote, “you are not a God who delights and wickedness, evil may not dwell with you” (Psalm 5:4).

Evil cannot dwell with God in contrast to God’s children who take refuge in Him will be glad and ever sing for joy (v 11). There’s a stark contrast between verse five and verse eleven.  The contrast is between the righteous, those who take refuge in God, and the wicked, those who rebel against God. The righteous and the wicked make different choices and have different destiny’s. The righteous will see the ultimate expression of God’s love and the wicked will see the ultimate expression of God’s hatred for wickedness.

As human beings you do not have a perfect love nor a perfect hate. But God does both love and hate perfectly because He is God. Unlike mankind His hate is as pure as His love. There is no sin, malice, pride or evil intent in his hate. For example, if someone murdered your loved one you would automatically in your first reaction hate them for taking away someone you loved. That hate would include bitterness, violence, murder, evil desires, judgment, and revenge. These are not present in God’s perfect hate of sin and wickedness and those who choose it.

Hate is a natural response to those things that destroy love and righteousness. God hates with holiness and still lovingly forgives the sinner the moment that the sinner chooses to repent and put his faith and trust in God. When you release those who have harmed you, choose to forgive them and give them over to the just judge to decide their fate you can then experience a holy hatred of wickedness and what it cost Jesus and the world.
God hates for their many sins the wicked who are unforgiven, for they have rebelled (Psalm 5:10). But it’s important to remember that God desires the wicked to repent for their sins and find salvation and refuge in Christ. God calls to us through creation and so many things so that we turn to light and Truth but some will not respond.

“and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie, in order that judgment will come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.…”

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

The moment when someone repents and receives saving faith in Jesus Christ the wicked sinner is removed from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of love.

“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us

into the kingdom of the Son He loves (Colossians 1:13NIV).