God Hates Sin

Psalm 90:7,8
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled…Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
The image of God given to us here is a God of judgment. A God that hates sin. It is impossible to hide our sins from Him, the light of his presence reveals our sinfulness. This is the picture and perception that many people have of God. A God ready to strike us down as soon as we do something that misses the mark. It is true that God is Holy, and hates sin and is displeased with those who commit sinful acts of rebellion. But He is also a God of love and mercy. He sees our humanity, and our inclinations to satisfy self. It is because of His love that He sent Jesus to provide a way to save us from our sinful condition. We are all judgment bound and will stand before Him. We can stand before Him with clean hands and a pure heart if we have by faith accepted His love of grace and our sins have been covered by the blood of Christ. We can be judged guiltless because Jesus is standing in our place as our advocate.

A New Commandment

John 13:34.35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Does holiness of heart instantly give a person a heart that loves everyone no matter the situation or circumstances? Being sanctified wholly, with all on the altar, surrender to serve God, with self being crucified should do something in our hearts that allows us to love in spite of the hurt that is done to us. We are creatures of emotions that feel pain and suffer injustice by others who may reject or despise us. It is even more difficult when such action are by those who we have trusted and thought were friends. Jesus said, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments. A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another”. Love is not always a feeling, but a choice that we make. Can you love without feeing? I believe it is possible. I believe that perfect love is possible when we choose to love. If we have experience the love of Christ in our life, then we know what love is and how it works. In the face of indifference and hate, God gives us the ability to make the choice to love even when it is hard. 

Dwelling in Love

1 john 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Dwelling in God is to dwell in love. There is no room for hate when we are dwelling in love in the presence of God. God is love, and in Him we can know what real love is. The world has perverted the meaning of love with the pleasures of sin and self satisfaction. The love of God that is shed in our heart by the Holy Spirit gives us power over hate and we can not only survive, but we can be victors over hate. We are surrounded by the worldly view that we need to take care of self, or no one else will. I’m so thankful, that the God of Love cares for us and will provide for all our needs. For those that live in God, God lives in them and the fruit of love is seen in the actions and reactions of our life. We do what we do because the love of God constrains us to. What a pleasure to dwell in God and bathe in the presence of His love.

This World

John 17:14,15 “ I have given them Thy Word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”

This world is no friend of grace. The world stands in opposition to all that is godly, holy, right, and despises those who declare an absolute truth. The world is driven to please the pleasure of the flesh, it has no regard to the commandments of God. Christian’s world view comes from the teaching of Christ and the Holy Spirit that leads the believer into all truth. The Bible is the final word of what is morally right and wrong, and the world does not like what it has to say. It goes against their own fleshly desires to satisfy self. Therefore, the world rejects God’s Word as absolute truth. We are not to behave as the world does, even though we live in this world we are to remain from the world’s inclination to satisfy the base desires of the sinful flesh. It was the prayer of Jesus that we be kept from the love of the flesh. This world will pass away, but the Word of God will remain and every knee will bow and confess that He is Lord of all.  

Love Your Enemies

Luke 6:35 “ But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”-

It is not within human nature to love someone who hates you and is out to make life miserable for you. Loving your enemies requires a divine act of God. It requires that we say “No” to hate and “Yes” to love. It is a choice we make. We take sides with that which is good and holy. Being tempted to retaliate when someone does us wrong is a normal reaction as we try to defend our dignity and self worth. Being hurt and being tempted to hurt back is the part of the human nature that Jesus tells us that we must resist. He reminds us that Love conquers all and loving those who despitefully use us is possible when we know that God also shows mercy and forgiveness. Forgiving is not forgetting, but it does take resentment out of the heart and puts a love that passes human understanding. We love, because God first loved us.

Divine Forgiveness

Eph. 4:32 “and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”-

Real forgiveness is divine. Forgiveness implies that there is no animosity toward the person that did you wrong, or treated you unfairly. It is one of the most difficult Christian attributes to demonstrate when the heart is hurting and breaking. We were made with the emotions to love and hate. To hate is not wrong, we hate sin, we hate what sin has done to our society, and how it has affected those we love. When someone is hateful, we abhor the hate they manifest. It is difficult to separate hate and the one who is hating, or hurting. How can we forgive such a person who only thinks of themselves and lives to only gratify their lustful desires. God loves the hater (sinner) and died on the cross that the hater may know forgiveness and know eternal life. This is divine forgiveness that comes from God. In the human, such forgiveness is not found. Living in the Vine means that God’s love lives within us. We are instrument and vessel that He uses to show others how God loves. If we hold bitterness and resentment toward others, we have failed to show God’s forgiveness to them. Let us put aside our pride and be kind and tenderhearted toward those who may hurt us. In most cases, those that hurt others are also hurting. Christ desires to forgive and heal those that hurt.

Cain and Abel -Accountability

Genesis 4:3-16
Sin has no limits and boundaries. The blood relationship between Cain and Abel was severed because sin lurked in the heart of Cain. It is foolish to thinks that one can hide their secret deeds of sin from God. It did not matter what Cain thought or how he chose to justify his sin, the blood of Abel cried out from the ground until it reached the ear of God. Accountability is required of all men. Denying responsibility for deeds done in the flesh, does not release us from giving an account for the way we have chosen to live our lives. God is just and holy and judges all men fairly. What has God required of you? What sacrifice have you laid on the altar before Him? The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain He had no respect.

Abel’s Offering Unto the Lord- Brought an offering unto the Lord
• God instituted the blood sacrifice
• Family teaching of God’s commands
• The void in the heart. A desire for fellowship/relationship

Acceptable Unto God- The Lord had respect unto Able
• It is not your best that God wants, but your obedience
• Sincerity is good, but it is not enough
• It does matter how you worship God- heart and character
• By Faith- Faith in what? God’s command requires blood.
• False worship at its’ roots, is driven by self. I’ll do it my way!

Anger and uncontrollable emotions- Cain rose up.
• Sin at Cain’s door. Murder is motivated by hate, not judgment
• Anger, human emotion- Why are you angry? Sin, injustice, or is it for selfish reasons.

Accountable to God- Where is Able?
• So how is it between you and your brother?
• What have you done to try and reconcile?
• We our keepers and must be accountable one to anther.

Avenger of Sin- Now art thou cursed.
• Cursed form the earth
• Fugitive and vagabond
• God’s mercy still prevailed- the mark of protection
• The presence of God is departed.- Away for His presence is the greatest of all curses.