Seven things God hates
I will not be continuing my Creationism posts today. I do plan to return to them soon.
Then, I plan to answer the response about Iraq. I am sorry for the change in plans. Plans, in reality, often are altered for one reason or another. “The best laid plans … often go astray.” Thank you for your understanding and patience.
How many unborn toddlers were murdered today because of the humanistic, paganish, barbaric decisions of the United States Supreme Court?
Stop the
Murder of
Unborn
Toddlers
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4: 17 (NIV)
http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/ShameOfKansas
www.childpredators.com
www.lifedynamics.com
www.aclj.org
www.libertylegal.org
www.alliancedefensefund.org
www.searchtv.org
I am posting a message that is from a weekly TV Bible program (“In Search of the Lord’s Way” which is aired on the FOX network at 7:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Peoria, Illinois area) because it contains information that is pertinent to a blog I am going to write about Barack Obama. I don’t know the date of the original program since I download selected messages for my own use. I do believe it is a 2007 program though. Because of the length of the material, I am posting it tonight without comment.
“Seven things God hates
Proverbs 6: 16-19
Some of the brightest lines between right and wrong in our society have become blurred. It has taken time, but it is very graphically called to our attention in the news media day after day. Yet, there is hope. That is our study today. Thank you for joining us.
Greetings to you my friend. Welcome to our program of Bible study In Search of the Lord's Way. There is a passage in the Old Testament book of Proverbs that speaks of some ‘hateful things,’ or some things God hates. We like to think of God as a God of ‘love,’ not hate. Oh, He is that alright; but when God loves something, it has to follow that He hates its extreme opposite, doesn’t it? So, there are some things God hates. It would be good to know what those things are, wouldn't you say? Such knowledge just might mean that, well; we would not fall into them somewhere along the way. We are calling today’s message ‘Seven Things God Hates’ from the reading of Proverbs chapter 6, verses 17, 18 and 19.
If you would like a free CD or audio cassette tape or a free printed copy of the message, you may have it by writing us, In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail searchtv@searchtv.org. Our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633. It is for your use, that telephone number is, and for making such requests as that. Everything is free to you, paid for by friends of yours, and ours also, in churches of Christ.” (You may also download the message given at www.searchtv.org which is what I do when I want a copy of the material presented. It takes about a week from the presentation day before it is posted and previous messages are also available.—my addition)
“We are reading today from the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 6. We will begin at verse 16. ‘These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (1) a proud look,
(2) a lying tongue,
(3) hands that shed innocent blood,
(4) a heart that devises wicked plans,
(5) feet that are swift in running to evil,
(6) a false witness who speaks lies,
(7) and one who sows discord among brethren.’ (I added the numbers to the verses—my addition) Now we will go to God in prayer. Father in heaven, we are so thankful that You have shown us a better way to live in Your word. And the things that would be pitfalls and injurious to us You have revealed to us so that we can avoid them. And the better way of life You have shown to us so that we can live it with the greatest measure of happiness and security here in this world, and then come to rest at the end of life believing that we have done Your will with the assurance that we can live with You through eternity. We thank You, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
The scripture we are studying today is a powerful expression of the mind of God about some things that are all too common to human behavior today. It is an Old Testament Scripture, and someone says, ‘I've always heard you folks in the churches of Christ don't believe in the Old Testament.’ Sorry about that, you have heard wrong. The Bible is the word of God, all of it both Old Testament and New Testament, and we believe and preach all of it. Romans chapter 15, verse 4 the Holy Spirit does say, ‘Whatever was written before [and that would be the Old Testament period] was written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’ It is true, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and, ‘having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us…He has taken it out of the way and nailed it to the cross’ (Colossians 2, verse 14).
Solomon was inspired of the Holy Spirit to write the Proverbs centuries before Christ was born in Bethlehem. And God's attitude toward things mentioned in this passage has not changed at all over the years. Social conditions may change, moral codes may change, man's attitude toward those hateful things may change, but God's attitude never changes. This passage is as relevant as if it were the last verse of the Bible, the last revelation God gave to us.
A good positive mental attitude is essentially a part of Christ's religion. The Christian is taught to think on the things that are true, and honest, and just, and pure, and lovely, and the things that are of good report (Philippians 4 and [verse—my addition] 8), and be thankful for those things. But, he is able to be informed of the evil things and he needs to have information about those negative forces, so he may avoid them and not fall victim to them. There comes a time when the most positive person in the world needs to face the reality of some of the darker things in life. If that growth on my ear or on my back is cancerous, it would be good for me to know it and give it the attention that is due it. If the habit I'm forming is addictive and damning, it would be good for me to know that, too, and face up to the dark reality of it, and if someone would point that out to me, he would be a blessing to me. Don’t you think?
So this passage says that there are six things that God hates; then a seventh is added, maybe as an afterthought, but more than likely and probably it is to suit the eastern poetic form, or the style of that day. Seven in this instance is not to be taken as a definite number, so as to exclude all other transgressions. No one should feel flattered because his sin isn't mentioned among these. All transgression of God's law is sin (1 John 3 and [verse—my addition] 4) and God hates all of it. Because God hates sin should be the reason enough for any of us to condemn it in the strongest ways possible, not only because He will surely and certainly punish all sin, but because it separates us from Him, and destroys a lovely relationship with Him as the Father of our spirits.
The passage says, ‘These six things does the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination to Him.’ That is strong language, isn’t it? Let's see what they are, so we may avoid them, what do you say?
‘A proud look’ is number one. God hates a proud look. The New American Standard Version says ‘haughty eyes’ in that verse. Say, that gets personal doesn't it? It gets pretty close to some of us, even the fellow who is proud of his humility. It's hard to live in a world that puts a premium on pride, and not develop a proud look. When we are taught from infancy almost, to be number one, and we are struggling and striving to be number one, it's hard not to act like it. In fact, we are told that the first step in becoming number one in anything is to act like you are number one. Well, what are we talking about? We are talking about that spirit or attitude that springs from an awareness of physical, intellectual, social, or spiritual superiority. The consciousness of superior strength, or beauty, or learning, or eloquence, or prominence of rank, or achievement that shows itself in a disdainful tone of voice, or a cutting remark, or some exclusive behavior. God hates that sort of thing. Perhaps He hates it because He sees something there that we don't always see. It is essentially a false thing. It is self-praise which is not really due, therefore, it is false. It projects a false image of one's self, and it's unbecoming. Any time any person who raises his eyebrow at another because of his color, or education, or wealth, or position—well, for any reason, it's unbecoming and unlovely. A proud look is also a cruel thing, cruel and thoughtless and inconsiderate. It wounds and it wounds deeply, and it wounds the most sensitive souls the worst. When Jesus was asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, He called a little child and set him in the midst of them and said, ‘Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.’ (Matthew 18: 4—my addition) Yes, ‘The Lord resists the proud, but He gives graces to the humble.’ (James 4 and [verse—my addition] 6).
Number two: God also hates ‘A Lying Tongue.’ Proverbs 12: 22 says, ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but those who deal truthfully are His delight.’ Abomination means disgusting. Perhaps one of the reasons why a lying tongue is so despicable in the sight of God is that He knows that ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’ (Matthew 12: 34). A lying tongue betrays a deceitful heart. We all misunderstand the words and actions of other people at times. Of course, we do. Misunderstanding is bad enough, even though it might be excused, but, to fabricate a story (I mean just plainly and simply sit down and conceive an out right lie) for whatever pretended high and noble purpose and go out and tell it against someone for personal gain or glory or advantage over him, is the most despicable and shameful thing people do. God hates that sort of thing, not only because it destroys the good name and the usefulness of the one against whom the lie is told, but because it's also ruinous to the soul of him who does it. A person who falls into that kind of habit is self-destructive. God has said, ‘All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death’ (Revelation 21, verse 8).
Number three: ‘hands that shed innocent blood.’ As we said awhile ago, sin is defined in the Scriptures as ‘transgression of the law’ (1 John 3 and [verse—my addition] 4). It is called ‘disobedience.’ Sometimes it is defined as ‘missing the mark,’ or ‘rebellion.’ All such behavior is offensive to God, but the greatest single affront to God is the sin of murder. Our first thoughts take us back to the very first pages of the Bible (Genesis chapter 4) to the story of Cain and Abel. Cain, in a fit of jealousy killed his brother, at which time God (not the Supreme Court of the United States; not man, but God) pronounced the death penalty on the murderer. In Genesis 9: 6, He said, God said, ‘Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed: For in his image He made man.’ That law has never been revoked or modified. This passage in Proverbs is often used to show the terrible sinfulness of abortion, legally taking the lives of more than one million little, helpless, innocent, pre-born or partially born babies in America every year. And certainly it does that. In the light of the Scripture, abortion is indefensible, my friend. A mother's freedom of choice over her own body is not the question. It's a question of her freedom to shed innocent blood, even if it is the blood (the life) of her own child. Legalized abortion is our national shame today for which we must be brought to our knees in repentance. We can never hope to convert our society of violence and fear that we are living in today into one of peace and tranquility until we have reversed Roe v Wade.
Number four: God hates ‘A heart that devises wicked plans.’ These are the people who use their inventiveness and their skills, not for the good of other people, not even for the good of their own families, but as the robber on the road to Jericho (Luke 10) they use their ingenuity to bring other people to distress and ruin. Whatever may be their motive, base gain, mere profit, to wield their power, or just because they are big enough to do it, or in the position to do it, they prey upon and seek the destruction of any one who crosses their wicked ways. The child molesters, the pornographers, the muggers, the rapists, those who for profit or for pleasure or just for misuse and abuse of other people fall into this condemnation.
Number five: Closely akin to them are the ‘feet that are swift in running to evil.’ The evil heart devises wicked imaginations and the feet are swift to carry out that wickedness. These are the people who consort together to do evil. They tell lies, they plan mischief and they do evil with no regard for the innocent people around them and that are involved in their mischief. You remember the school ‘bully,’ don’t you? Oh, every school I ever attended had one, and I assume all the others did—and still do. In my day he used his fists and his victims would have to get up off the ground and dust themselves off and rub their blackened eye. But nowadays he may be carrying a gun or some other dangerous weapon and his victim may wake up in the emergency room of the hospital somewhere. Well, the school bully grew up; graduated from the university, found a position in business, in social circles, often in the church, but he's still what he was then—the bully. He may use a gun or a knife or he may use the printing press or his money to throw himself around. And God hates that kind of behavior. It is the very opposite of what He would have us to be and do.
Number 6: ‘a false witness who speaks lies.’ It is generally understood that the Holy Spirit is speaking here of the act of ‘perjury,’ giving false testimony in a court of law. And there is no doubt that perjury is included here, but perhaps there's still another (more common) way a person can give false witness against another. What about propagating a lie about someone, because we have no proof of this validity; it is still a lie. We hear something that is totally untrue, we bear witness to it by telling it to other people with no thought at all of learning first whether it's true. Such a person didn't create the lie. He didn't personally fabricate the lie, but he gave it credence by repeating it as though it was the truth and he knew it was the truth. God hates that sort of thing, and that person will find himself in the same place as the liar, and that is the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
The last of these seven things that God hates is the practice of ‘sowing discord among brethren.’ The New American Standard Version says, ‘One who spreads strife among brothers.’ ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ says the Lord. ‘Cursed are the mischief makers,’ says our text. Another Proverb (chapter 16, verse 28) says, ‘A perverse man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth chief friends.’ Another says, ‘Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul’ (Proverbs 22: 24-25). Sowing discord among people is bad, bad business, friend. It's bad in social and business circles. It is even worse in the home, but it's at its very worst in the church. The Bible defines such discord and division among those who call themselves Christians as a work of the flesh that will keep a person out of Heaven (Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21). Let us pray. Thank You, Lord, for reminding us of the pitfalls into which we might stumble if we are not careful. Bless this lesson to every person listening to help us all to live closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Let us remember the things that God says He hates, yea, the things that are written in His book that are an abomination in His eyes, (1) a proud look, (2) a lying tongue, (3) hands that shed blood, innocent blood, (4) a heart that devises wicked imaginations, (5) feet that are swift in running to mischief, (6) a false witness that speaks lies, and (7) the person who sows discord among brethren. He hates them because whatever the pretense or disguise under which they are practiced, however noble their professed intentions are supposed to be, they are the works of the devil, himself. The practice of them will cause people to be lost in Hell. And, they destroy a person's beautiful and loving relationship and friendship with others—and with the Heavenly Father. There is a better way. It is the way of Christ that focuses man's attention and affection on things higher and more noble. His way offers man relief from the guilt of all such abominable behavior. Christ found people during his personal ministry whose lives were characterized with such evils as we have discussed today. And He invited them ‘come follow Me and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11: 28). And that invitation is still open; it is open to you today, my friend. And it is the purpose of this program to encourage you to confess Jesus Christ today (Romans 10: 17), repent of (or, turn from) all such sins as that and be baptized in His name in obedience to His command for the forgiveness of your sins just as the Bible says in Acts 2: 38. Oh, I hope you will do that and do it promptly, will you—today maybe.
I will not be continuing my Creationism posts today. I do plan to return to them soon.
Then, I plan to answer the response about Iraq. I am sorry for the change in plans. Plans, in reality, often are altered for one reason or another. “The best laid plans … often go astray.” Thank you for your understanding and patience.
How many unborn toddlers were murdered today because of the humanistic, paganish, barbaric decisions of the United States Supreme Court?
Stop the
Murder of
Unborn
Toddlers
“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” James 4: 17 (NIV)
http://www.kansasmeadowlark.com/2006/ShameOfKansas
www.childpredators.com
www.lifedynamics.com
www.aclj.org
www.libertylegal.org
www.alliancedefensefund.org
www.searchtv.org
I am posting a message that is from a weekly TV Bible program (“In Search of the Lord’s Way” which is aired on the FOX network at 7:30 a.m. on Sundays in the Peoria, Illinois area) because it contains information that is pertinent to a blog I am going to write about Barack Obama. I don’t know the date of the original program since I download selected messages for my own use. I do believe it is a 2007 program though. Because of the length of the material, I am posting it tonight without comment.
“Seven things God hates
Proverbs 6: 16-19
Some of the brightest lines between right and wrong in our society have become blurred. It has taken time, but it is very graphically called to our attention in the news media day after day. Yet, there is hope. That is our study today. Thank you for joining us.
Greetings to you my friend. Welcome to our program of Bible study In Search of the Lord's Way. There is a passage in the Old Testament book of Proverbs that speaks of some ‘hateful things,’ or some things God hates. We like to think of God as a God of ‘love,’ not hate. Oh, He is that alright; but when God loves something, it has to follow that He hates its extreme opposite, doesn’t it? So, there are some things God hates. It would be good to know what those things are, wouldn't you say? Such knowledge just might mean that, well; we would not fall into them somewhere along the way. We are calling today’s message ‘Seven Things God Hates’ from the reading of Proverbs chapter 6, verses 17, 18 and 19.
If you would like a free CD or audio cassette tape or a free printed copy of the message, you may have it by writing us, In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail searchtv@searchtv.org. Our toll-free telephone number is 1-800-321-8633. It is for your use, that telephone number is, and for making such requests as that. Everything is free to you, paid for by friends of yours, and ours also, in churches of Christ.” (You may also download the message given at www.searchtv.org which is what I do when I want a copy of the material presented. It takes about a week from the presentation day before it is posted and previous messages are also available.—my addition)
“We are reading today from the Old Testament book of Proverbs, chapter 6. We will begin at verse 16. ‘These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: (1) a proud look,
(2) a lying tongue,
(3) hands that shed innocent blood,
(4) a heart that devises wicked plans,
(5) feet that are swift in running to evil,
(6) a false witness who speaks lies,
(7) and one who sows discord among brethren.’ (I added the numbers to the verses—my addition) Now we will go to God in prayer. Father in heaven, we are so thankful that You have shown us a better way to live in Your word. And the things that would be pitfalls and injurious to us You have revealed to us so that we can avoid them. And the better way of life You have shown to us so that we can live it with the greatest measure of happiness and security here in this world, and then come to rest at the end of life believing that we have done Your will with the assurance that we can live with You through eternity. We thank You, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
The scripture we are studying today is a powerful expression of the mind of God about some things that are all too common to human behavior today. It is an Old Testament Scripture, and someone says, ‘I've always heard you folks in the churches of Christ don't believe in the Old Testament.’ Sorry about that, you have heard wrong. The Bible is the word of God, all of it both Old Testament and New Testament, and we believe and preach all of it. Romans chapter 15, verse 4 the Holy Spirit does say, ‘Whatever was written before [and that would be the Old Testament period] was written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.’ It is true, Jesus Christ fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies and, ‘having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us…He has taken it out of the way and nailed it to the cross’ (Colossians 2, verse 14).
Solomon was inspired of the Holy Spirit to write the Proverbs centuries before Christ was born in Bethlehem. And God's attitude toward things mentioned in this passage has not changed at all over the years. Social conditions may change, moral codes may change, man's attitude toward those hateful things may change, but God's attitude never changes. This passage is as relevant as if it were the last verse of the Bible, the last revelation God gave to us.
A good positive mental attitude is essentially a part of Christ's religion. The Christian is taught to think on the things that are true, and honest, and just, and pure, and lovely, and the things that are of good report (Philippians 4 and [verse—my addition] 8), and be thankful for those things. But, he is able to be informed of the evil things and he needs to have information about those negative forces, so he may avoid them and not fall victim to them. There comes a time when the most positive person in the world needs to face the reality of some of the darker things in life. If that growth on my ear or on my back is cancerous, it would be good for me to know it and give it the attention that is due it. If the habit I'm forming is addictive and damning, it would be good for me to know that, too, and face up to the dark reality of it, and if someone would point that out to me, he would be a blessing to me. Don’t you think?
So this passage says that there are six things that God hates; then a seventh is added, maybe as an afterthought, but more than likely and probably it is to suit the eastern poetic form, or the style of that day. Seven in this instance is not to be taken as a definite number, so as to exclude all other transgressions. No one should feel flattered because his sin isn't mentioned among these. All transgression of God's law is sin (1 John 3 and [verse—my addition] 4) and God hates all of it. Because God hates sin should be the reason enough for any of us to condemn it in the strongest ways possible, not only because He will surely and certainly punish all sin, but because it separates us from Him, and destroys a lovely relationship with Him as the Father of our spirits.
The passage says, ‘These six things does the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination to Him.’ That is strong language, isn’t it? Let's see what they are, so we may avoid them, what do you say?
‘A proud look’ is number one. God hates a proud look. The New American Standard Version says ‘haughty eyes’ in that verse. Say, that gets personal doesn't it? It gets pretty close to some of us, even the fellow who is proud of his humility. It's hard to live in a world that puts a premium on pride, and not develop a proud look. When we are taught from infancy almost, to be number one, and we are struggling and striving to be number one, it's hard not to act like it. In fact, we are told that the first step in becoming number one in anything is to act like you are number one. Well, what are we talking about? We are talking about that spirit or attitude that springs from an awareness of physical, intellectual, social, or spiritual superiority. The consciousness of superior strength, or beauty, or learning, or eloquence, or prominence of rank, or achievement that shows itself in a disdainful tone of voice, or a cutting remark, or some exclusive behavior. God hates that sort of thing. Perhaps He hates it because He sees something there that we don't always see. It is essentially a false thing. It is self-praise which is not really due, therefore, it is false. It projects a false image of one's self, and it's unbecoming. Any time any person who raises his eyebrow at another because of his color, or education, or wealth, or position—well, for any reason, it's unbecoming and unlovely. A proud look is also a cruel thing, cruel and thoughtless and inconsiderate. It wounds and it wounds deeply, and it wounds the most sensitive souls the worst. When Jesus was asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, He called a little child and set him in the midst of them and said, ‘Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.’ (Matthew 18: 4—my addition) Yes, ‘The Lord resists the proud, but He gives graces to the humble.’ (James 4 and [verse—my addition] 6).
Number two: God also hates ‘A Lying Tongue.’ Proverbs 12: 22 says, ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but those who deal truthfully are His delight.’ Abomination means disgusting. Perhaps one of the reasons why a lying tongue is so despicable in the sight of God is that He knows that ‘out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks’ (Matthew 12: 34). A lying tongue betrays a deceitful heart. We all misunderstand the words and actions of other people at times. Of course, we do. Misunderstanding is bad enough, even though it might be excused, but, to fabricate a story (I mean just plainly and simply sit down and conceive an out right lie) for whatever pretended high and noble purpose and go out and tell it against someone for personal gain or glory or advantage over him, is the most despicable and shameful thing people do. God hates that sort of thing, not only because it destroys the good name and the usefulness of the one against whom the lie is told, but because it's also ruinous to the soul of him who does it. A person who falls into that kind of habit is self-destructive. God has said, ‘All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death’ (Revelation 21, verse 8).
Number three: ‘hands that shed innocent blood.’ As we said awhile ago, sin is defined in the Scriptures as ‘transgression of the law’ (1 John 3 and [verse—my addition] 4). It is called ‘disobedience.’ Sometimes it is defined as ‘missing the mark,’ or ‘rebellion.’ All such behavior is offensive to God, but the greatest single affront to God is the sin of murder. Our first thoughts take us back to the very first pages of the Bible (Genesis chapter 4) to the story of Cain and Abel. Cain, in a fit of jealousy killed his brother, at which time God (not the Supreme Court of the United States; not man, but God) pronounced the death penalty on the murderer. In Genesis 9: 6, He said, God said, ‘Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed: For in his image He made man.’ That law has never been revoked or modified. This passage in Proverbs is often used to show the terrible sinfulness of abortion, legally taking the lives of more than one million little, helpless, innocent, pre-born or partially born babies in America every year. And certainly it does that. In the light of the Scripture, abortion is indefensible, my friend. A mother's freedom of choice over her own body is not the question. It's a question of her freedom to shed innocent blood, even if it is the blood (the life) of her own child. Legalized abortion is our national shame today for which we must be brought to our knees in repentance. We can never hope to convert our society of violence and fear that we are living in today into one of peace and tranquility until we have reversed Roe v Wade.
Number four: God hates ‘A heart that devises wicked plans.’ These are the people who use their inventiveness and their skills, not for the good of other people, not even for the good of their own families, but as the robber on the road to Jericho (Luke 10) they use their ingenuity to bring other people to distress and ruin. Whatever may be their motive, base gain, mere profit, to wield their power, or just because they are big enough to do it, or in the position to do it, they prey upon and seek the destruction of any one who crosses their wicked ways. The child molesters, the pornographers, the muggers, the rapists, those who for profit or for pleasure or just for misuse and abuse of other people fall into this condemnation.
Number five: Closely akin to them are the ‘feet that are swift in running to evil.’ The evil heart devises wicked imaginations and the feet are swift to carry out that wickedness. These are the people who consort together to do evil. They tell lies, they plan mischief and they do evil with no regard for the innocent people around them and that are involved in their mischief. You remember the school ‘bully,’ don’t you? Oh, every school I ever attended had one, and I assume all the others did—and still do. In my day he used his fists and his victims would have to get up off the ground and dust themselves off and rub their blackened eye. But nowadays he may be carrying a gun or some other dangerous weapon and his victim may wake up in the emergency room of the hospital somewhere. Well, the school bully grew up; graduated from the university, found a position in business, in social circles, often in the church, but he's still what he was then—the bully. He may use a gun or a knife or he may use the printing press or his money to throw himself around. And God hates that kind of behavior. It is the very opposite of what He would have us to be and do.
Number 6: ‘a false witness who speaks lies.’ It is generally understood that the Holy Spirit is speaking here of the act of ‘perjury,’ giving false testimony in a court of law. And there is no doubt that perjury is included here, but perhaps there's still another (more common) way a person can give false witness against another. What about propagating a lie about someone, because we have no proof of this validity; it is still a lie. We hear something that is totally untrue, we bear witness to it by telling it to other people with no thought at all of learning first whether it's true. Such a person didn't create the lie. He didn't personally fabricate the lie, but he gave it credence by repeating it as though it was the truth and he knew it was the truth. God hates that sort of thing, and that person will find himself in the same place as the liar, and that is the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
The last of these seven things that God hates is the practice of ‘sowing discord among brethren.’ The New American Standard Version says, ‘One who spreads strife among brothers.’ ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’ says the Lord. ‘Cursed are the mischief makers,’ says our text. Another Proverb (chapter 16, verse 28) says, ‘A perverse man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth chief friends.’ Another says, ‘Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul’ (Proverbs 22: 24-25). Sowing discord among people is bad, bad business, friend. It's bad in social and business circles. It is even worse in the home, but it's at its very worst in the church. The Bible defines such discord and division among those who call themselves Christians as a work of the flesh that will keep a person out of Heaven (Galatians 5, verses 19 to 21). Let us pray. Thank You, Lord, for reminding us of the pitfalls into which we might stumble if we are not careful. Bless this lesson to every person listening to help us all to live closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Let us remember the things that God says He hates, yea, the things that are written in His book that are an abomination in His eyes, (1) a proud look, (2) a lying tongue, (3) hands that shed blood, innocent blood, (4) a heart that devises wicked imaginations, (5) feet that are swift in running to mischief, (6) a false witness that speaks lies, and (7) the person who sows discord among brethren. He hates them because whatever the pretense or disguise under which they are practiced, however noble their professed intentions are supposed to be, they are the works of the devil, himself. The practice of them will cause people to be lost in Hell. And, they destroy a person's beautiful and loving relationship and friendship with others—and with the Heavenly Father. There is a better way. It is the way of Christ that focuses man's attention and affection on things higher and more noble. His way offers man relief from the guilt of all such abominable behavior. Christ found people during his personal ministry whose lives were characterized with such evils as we have discussed today. And He invited them ‘come follow Me and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11: 28). And that invitation is still open; it is open to you today, my friend. And it is the purpose of this program to encourage you to confess Jesus Christ today (Romans 10: 17), repent of (or, turn from) all such sins as that and be baptized in His name in obedience to His command for the forgiveness of your sins just as the Bible says in Acts 2: 38. Oh, I hope you will do that and do it promptly, will you—today maybe.
posted by Christian Gunslinger at 2:18 AM
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