7 Things God Absolutely Hates According to the Bible

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In the sacred pages of the Bible, the Almighty’s love and compassion shine brilliantly, yet, amidst these attributes, the Bible also unapologetically addresses the things God hates. Intertwined with divine love is an equally potent concept that may be challenging to grapple with – God’s hatred.

The scriptures depict specific actions, behaviors, and attitudes as drawing God’s displeasure and righteous indignation. Understanding these aspects is essential for believers seeking a deeper relationship with their Creator and a more profound comprehension of His divine nature.

God is a loving and merciful God, who desires to have a personal relationship with His people. He has shown His love and grace to us by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and to offer us eternal life. However, God is also a holy and righteous God who hates sin and evil. He has revealed His will and standards to us through His Word and the Bible, and He expects us to obey and honor Him. In this article, we will explore 7 things God hates according to the Bible and how we can avoid them and please Him.

1. Pride and Arrogance

At the top of the list stands pride and arrogance, a trait that exalts oneself above God and others. Pride and arrogance are dangerous sins that can infect our hearts. Of all the things God hates, pride is at the top of the list. Proverbs 6:16-17 tells us that “haughty eyes” are one of the seven abominations to the Lord.

When we are prideful and arrogant, we put ourselves above God and others. We act as if we are more important and more deserving than everyone else. We falsely believe that our value comes from ourselves rather than from God. This twisted mindset leads us to look down on others, boast about ourselves, and seek glory for our own name rather than God’s.

The prideful person is often blind to their own sin. They are so consumed with themselves that they cannot see their desperate need for God’s grace and mercy. Thankfully, there is an antidote to pride called humility. Humility means recognizing that all we have and all we accomplish comes only by God’s grace. The humble person lifts others up rather than putting them down. They quietly serve without seeking praise or recognition.

As followers of Christ, we must wage war against pride in our hearts. When we start to feel arrogant or self-important, we should pray for God to break our pride and renew a spirit of humility within us. We can remember that apart from Christ, we would be utterly lost. It is only by His sacrifice that we have any standing before God. As we walk in humility, we will be more like Christ and avoid the pitfalls of destructive pride.

2. Idolatry and False Gods

Idolatry is a constant temptation for us all. While we may not bow down to statues of false gods today, we are prone to worshipping idols in our hearts. Anything we esteem, love, or trust more than God becomes an idol.

The Bible sternly warns us against idolatry because it destroys our relationship with God. The One True God desires and deserves our full, exclusive worship. In Exodus 20, the Second Commandment forbids making idols or bowing down to worship them. God is revealing His divine jealousy over His people. He created us to know, love, and worship Him. Idols are spiritual adultery.

Idols come in many forms. For some it is money, possessions, or career success. For others it is human relationships like romance or family. Even noble things like health, leisure, or social causes can become idols if pursued outside of God’s will. An idol is anything that occupies the place in our heart meant for God alone. It is anything we obsess over, make sacrifices for, or trust in for security.

The path away from modern idolatry is simple but challenging: loving God with our whole heart, mind, and strength. He must become our greatest treasure. We must realign our thoughts, time, money, and energy to match the supreme worth we profess God to have. As we enthrone God as first in our lives, our idols are cast down. We enjoy the blessings of life without clutching to them. Our desires are satisfied in Him so we don’t look to lesser things. May our lives reflect the words of the song: “You Lord are more precious than silver, Lord You are more costly than gold.”

3. Shedding Innocent Blood

All human life is precious to God. He created us in His image and knit each person together in the womb (Psalm 139:13). Every life has inherent dignity and worth regardless of age, appearance, ability or background. Because God cherishes life, the taking of innocent life is utterly detestable to Him.

In Proverbs 6:17, God expresses His hatred of “hands that shed innocent blood.” Murder is an evil act that stains the hands of the killer with the blood of another. All homicides that are not justifiable self-defense or the righteous execution of justice are condemned. God esteems the sanctity of life so highly that even accidental killings were punishable under Old Testament law.

Beyond murder, there are other violations of human life that grieve God deeply. Oppression and violence that crush people created in God’s image provoke His wrath. He cares deeply for victims of abuse, human trafficking, religious persecution, ethnic cleansing and other injustices. Even angry words that tear down the image of God in others are forbidden.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a duty to champion the sanctity of life in every sphere. We should advocate for the vulnerable in our society, reach out in compassion to the hurting, and model Christlike mercy. Our hands should build up, not tear down. We must honor God’s design in creating and sustaining each precious life. And when innocent blood is shed through violence and murder, we should cry out to God for justice while also praying for the salvation of the perpetrators. Every single life matters greatly to God.

4. Deceit and False Witness

Truthfulness matters greatly to God because He is the God of truth. Lying and deceit are repulsive to Him because they contradict His holy nature. Proverbs 12:22 tells us plainly that “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.”

As followers of Jesus, truthfulness should be a defining mark of our character. A Christian’s word should be reliable and trustworthy. We serve the God who never lies, never misleads, and never cheats. Hebrews 6:18 assures us that “it is impossible for God to lie.” So as God’s ambassadors on earth, we too should be zealous for truth and integrity.

Lying may seem minor at first, but it erects barriers in relationships and erodes trust. Even “white lies” can become a slippery slope toward deceitfulness. So we must make truth-telling a matter of conscience before God. Our speech should reflect the sincerity and honesty of our hearts. We should keep our promises and conduct business with transparency.

Of course, truth must always be shared and upheld in a spirit of love. We speak truth to build others up, not to tear them down through bluntness or hostility. But we must never shy away from the truth because it feels awkward or difficult. For disciples of Christ, real love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).

May our lives, both public and private, be marked by a steadfast commitment to truthfulness. As we walk in integrity, we reflect God’s truth and light to the world. Lying lips are an abomination to God, but honest hearts bring joy to Him.

5. Discord and Strife

Unity among believers is very precious to God. He wants His church to reflect the oneness of the Trinity through spiritual harmony and loving relationships. That’s why Proverbs 6:19 lists “one who sows discord among brothers” as an abomination to the Lord. Anything that divides God’s family is repulsive to Him.

As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers who promote understanding and reconciliation. The body of Christ is meant to be a beautiful tapestry of diversity, not a place of hostility and factions. So we must make every effort to preserve the bond of peace that unites us (Ephesians 4:3).

Discord often begins when we stop seeing fellow believers as brothers and sisters in Christ. Pride and selfishness cause us to fixate on minor disagreements rather than major doctrines. We begin to gossip, slander, and accuse rather than patiently working through issues. Before long, petty disputes erupt into open hostility.

But with the Spirit’s help, we can overcome disunity. We can have grace for different opinions and personalities within the church. We can speak the truth but always with a tone of gentleness, patience and respect. We can humbly listen and try to understand perspectives different from our own. As peacemakers, we can bring reconciliation wherever there are strained relationships or bitterness in the body of Christ.

Our witness to the world depends on our unity. As Jesus said, people will know we are His disciples by our love for one another (John 13:35). So let us pursue the things that make for peace (Romans 14:19). May the body of Christ reflect God’s desire for harmony, undivided by any discord sown by the enemy.

6. Witchcraft and Occult Practices

God expressly forbids all kinds of occult practices because they undermine faith in Him. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 provides a stern warning against witchcraft, sorcery, divination, spell-casting, mediumship, spiritism, and other abominations. These forbidden practices reveal a heart that is seeking guidance, knowledge or power from sources other than the one true God.

The occult seeks to harness or manipulate supernatural forces to gain secret wisdom and control over people or events. But the spirit world is dangerous, deceptive territory that lures people away from God. Occult practices are completely incompatible with revering God as the sole authority over the invisible realm.

As followers of Christ, we must have nothing to do with astrology, seances, palm-reading, tarot cards, Ouija boards, crystal balls, horoscopes or other methods of predicting the future. These are doors to demonic deception. God calls us to look to Him alone as the source of truth, wisdom and guidance. We have no business dabbling in spiritual darkness.

7. Sexual Immorality

God created sexuality as a beautiful and intimate gift to be enjoyed exclusively within the marriage covenant. His design for the marriage bed is distorted whenever we engage in sexual immorality outside of this boundary. Adultery, fornication, pornography and other perversions of sex are consistently condemned in Scripture because they violate God’s good plan.

In 1 Corinthians 6:18, Paul urges believers to actively flee from sexual sin. As followers of Christ, we must make no compromise with temptations to immorality. We need to guard our eyes and our hearts, abstaining from pornography and anything that feeds lust. Singles must reserve sexual intimacy for the marriage relationship alone. Married couples must nurture intimacy and fidelity in their union.

God’s commands concerning sexuality are given for our flourishing, not to deprive us. Within the marriage bed, sex is a beautiful expression of physical, emotional and spiritual oneness between husband and wife. It cements their lifelong covenant commitment. But outside of marriage, it brings disaster spiritually, relationally and emotionally.

As disciples of Jesus, we honor God by upholding the sanctity of sex within marriage. We glorify Him by using our bodies as instruments of righteousness, not impurity. And if we have sinned, we can receive God’s full forgiveness and grace to walk in sexual holiness from this day forward. By God’s power at work within us, we can flee from immorality and shine as lights of purity in this sexually broken world.

Conclusion

As we reflect on these 7 things God hates according to the Bible, let us seek to align our lives with His will, embracing love, humility, compassion, and justice. Through a deeper understanding of God’s emotions and His expectations for His people, we can live transformed lives, shining His light in a world that desperately needs His love and truth.