Rev. David Holwick O Communion Sunday
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 1, 2005
Proverbs 6:16-19
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I. Who is the biggest hater?
A. A pathetic obituary.
J.B. Stoner died this week at age 81.
The obituary was titled, "bombed church and hated with a
passion"
The first line said he was "an unrepentant white supremacist
and anti-Semite convicted in the civil rights-era bombing
of a black church."
It took 19 years for him to be indicted for the bombing.
At the trial he was shown an old newspaper clipping which
quoted a particularly hateful statement by him.
Did you say such a thing, he was asked.
He replied, "I don't think I said that, but I wish I had."
One civil rights worker noted that governor George Wallace
had been a racist, but he apologized in the end.
Stoner never apologized.
He hated to the end. #29609
B. Some would point to a bigger hater.
1) God is given this label by some.
a) His followers have killed and maimed down through the
ages.
1> (recall that Stoner labeled himself a Christian)
2> But maybe these believers got it all wrong?
b) Yet the Bible itself is filled with violence and hate.
1> In many passages, God is said to do the hating.
2) Does God hate?
a) If so, what does he hate, and why?
b) What should believers learn from it?
II. God hates sin.
A. List in Proverbs 6:
1) "Six...seven" is a poetic device.
a) It means the list is representative but not exhaustive.
b) Each one is a personal attitude or action.
c) They parallel Jesus' Beatitudes.
1> Haughty vs. poor in spirit.
2> Causing dissension vs. being a peacemaker.
2) The specific traits:
a) Haughty - arrogant ambition, thinking too much of self.
b) Lying - deception in speech.
c) Violent - emphasis on abuse of innocent.
d) Scheming - our hearts have had a problem from beginning.
Genesis 6:5, the days of Noah:
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth
had become, and that every inclination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time."
e) Rash (rush into evil) - eager to be involved.
f) False witness - what we call perjury.
g) Causing dissension - Proverbs uses the word to describe
people who argue all the time and have a short fuse.
3) If God hates these, then he must love:
humility, truthful speech, saving of life, pure thoughts,
eagerness to do good, honesty and harmony.
B. Other passages reinforce this association.
1) Psalm 5:5-6 is very similar to Proverbs 6:
"The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
you hate all who do wrong.
You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and
deceitful men the LORD abhors."
2) In Malachi 2:16, God hates divorce and abusive husbands.
3) When a sin is called detestable, that means God hates it.
C. We should hate what God hates. (moral sense)
1) Psalm 97:10 says: "Let those who love the LORD hate evil."
2) Proverbs 8:13: "To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate
pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech."
III. Does God hate people?
A. A big discussion at the American Christian School.
1) Teachers are hardcore there - most of them say "yes."
2) We need to appreciate the tension this question causes.
a) Far too often, believers decide God hates someone, so
anything that is done to them is acceptable.
b) For the most part, the Bible uses strong language but
mild actions.
B. God hates the evil in people.
1) By not repenting, we become identified with these sins.
a) Proverbs 6 starts out condemning evil traits, but
ends by condemning evil people.
b) Sin is not just something we do - it can become the
description of who we are.
2) Similar to "hardening of the heart."
a) First we do it, continually, as Pharaoh did in Exodus.
b) Then God does it, to confirm our character.
c) Don't let your heart get so hard it cannot bend before
God!
C. The special case of Esau.
1) The Bible seems to say God hated him.
a) Romans 9:13, which is alluding to Malachi 1:2-3.
2) But reference is to a nation (symbolized by Esau),
not an individual.
IV. God would rather love than hate.
A. The tone is set during the Exodus.
1) God's punishment is limited to the fourth generation,
but his love will extend to thousands. Exod 34:6-7
2) God is a righteous Judge, but he is not willing for any
to perish. 2 Pet 3:9
3) God is not at all like J.B. Stoner.
B. God loves the whole world, including the worst people. Jn 3:16
1) Jesus died for us even though we are enemies. Rom 5:10
2) It is only those who reject him forever, that God will
ultimately reject.
V. Does God hate you?
A. Due to circumstances, we may feel that way.
1) We interpret troubles and setbacks as God's punishment.
2) (maybe we feel guilty for something we have done)
B. He wants to love you. Do you want to love him?
1) Often we want to be close to God, but we want to sin
even more.
2) You can't have it both ways!
3) By choosing to love God, we must also choose to love what
he loves.
C. God calls you to believe and repent.
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#29609 "He Hated With A Passion," obituary in Star-Ledger newspaper,
Newark, New Jersey, April 28, 2005, page 34.
This and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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