What Are The Seven Things God Hates?
Question: "What are the seven things God hates?"
Answer : Greetings in Jesus wonderful name! Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things in 6 days and to complete a week with a day of rest which is 7th day. Altogether everything in a cycle gets completed in a week within 7 days. So where do we get the idea that God hates seven things specifically, it is taken from Proverbs 6:16–19.
Here are the verses, " 16 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren." (Prov 6:16-19).
These are not exhaustive list of sin that God hates, as God hates all sin and the Bible says, "whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4). In other words, the very attitude of having no restraint in life by fearing no one by either self-justifying oneself in to self-righteousness or to completely ignore the conscience within which is the lamp of the Lord to thus walk in the darkness of one's own understanding is sin (Luke 18:9; 10:29; Prov 20:27; Rom 10:3; 2:13-16). Here the Bible rounds up seven sins that God particularly hates because, these sins are not just external ones but rather these are sins that comes out of the hidden wrong motives of our heart. So the bottom line is, by knowing these seven sins that God hates, we can be able to check our true spiritual condition that we are in presently. The Bible thunders, "Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?" (Prov 20:9). As all the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but as the LORD weighs the motives of our heart, these seven sins are given for a heart scan that we can do for ourselves to find if there is any sin of our heart that have come to block our spiritual life arteries and veins to cause danger to our continued growth and existence in our life on earth (Prov 16:2).
As we know that our heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand its problems that keep coming up within? (Jer 17:9). To find an answer to this question and not be a part of the kind who are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness of their heart because of a lack of internal heart scan to maintain their optimal continued spiritual health, will end in death suddenly if such spiritual check are being ignored continually for a long time (Prov 30:12). We who play religion and churchianity and justify ourselves in the sight of men, and even many times because of our good external behavior are even highly esteemed among men, usually find ourselves naked and detestable in the sight of God because He sees our heart motives which are not right and good within (Luke 16:14-15). So these seven are in line with our Lord Jesus Christ’s elaboration of the Ten Commandments in to Beatitudes of motives which influences ones decision making to become right or wrong, that was explained by Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–48). May God help us do a heart check often to keep our spiritual heart healthy and hale. By having close communion with Jesus we should open every area of our heart willingly compartment by compartment, department by department and every nook and corner to make Him cleanse and change our attitudes, put eye ointment to know where we are spiritually and then receive from Him white garments to cover our nakedness and also receive golden sash to keep our garments intact and continue to be rich for the Glory of God (Rev 3:18-19, 20).
Remember, "For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends [seeing the motives of his heart]." (2 Corinthians 10:18).
The following is Proverbs’ list of seven things God hates:
Arrogant (Haughty) Eyes:
The haughty eyes always is the one that thinks highly of itself while it look down on others. The Bible says to think highly of others and yourself less, and apostle Paul referred to this Character as the mind with which Jesus Christ Himself lived on earth to be an example to others like us (Philippians 2:3, 5–11). Jesus never looked down on even the worst of sinners but rather loved them to the extent he was called the friend of sinners (Matt 11:19), because He understood his total dependence on the Father God to sustain Him by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep him victorious and continue to keep him in the sinless righteous state of perfection in his spiritual life with which He was born (John 5:19, 30; Matt 12:28; 10:24-25; 2 Cor 5:21; John 8:46). God wants us to realize like Jesus and wants us to live in God's righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit just like Him (John 15:3, 5). We cannot be ever righteous apart from Jesus who have become our righteousness before God and we not only need to be found with the righteousness of God without our working to produce it through God's imputational righteousness in receiving salvation, but also we need to be perpetually found in our Christian life with the impartational righteousness which comes movement by movement in our Christian life from God by faith in Christ Jesus, so that we could be rewarded for our righteous work done for God (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 10:3; Php 3:9). So no veteran believers are in any way superior to any new convert or a baby believer, except the grace of God that has empowered a senior believer as a gift provided by God to walk in a powerful way (Gal 6:1, 3; 1 Cor 15:10). So there is no way we should allow the thinking of spiritual superiority to come in to us trying to compare our righteous life with others. We must perish the very thought of pride of superiority over others when ever we look in to ourselves and find it at any place or time in our Christian life, no matter how much we are used by God to fulfill His purposes. God hates this prideful attitude, so must we in our Christians life at all times! This sin of pride is so detested by the LORD that Paul was kept from committing this sin by being provided with “a thorn in the flesh” to humble him (2 Corinthians 12:7). We might also be allowed by God to fall in to sins, weaknesses and trials so that we could remain humble if God has given us so much grace to use us for His Glory (Rom 7:16-21). We must accept these failings humbly before God and should continue to delight in the law of God to serve it to thus overcome the law of sin which might try to pull us down to it level to remain in our members to control us, if we confess our sins to God He is faithful and just to keep us under grace so that sin shall not continue to have dominion over us (Rom 7:22-23, 24-25; Rom 6:12-14; 1 John 1:7, 9). And only in humility we can receive God's grace to live victoriously for the Glory of God (James 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:5-6). Praise the Lord!
Lying Tongue:
The Bible clearly says that "The lip of truth shall be established [by God] for ever [in His blessings]; But a lying tongue is but for a fleeting moment [and cannot inherit God's blessing]." (Prov 12:19). In the same context the Book of Proverbs continues saying "Lips that lie [continually] are disgusting to the LORD [and therefore He regard with disgust and hatred towards a person who lies], but honest people [i.e. who acknowledge their mistake and lies] are his delight." (Prov 12:22, GWT). We should never knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others should lie against our brothers and sisters, or impugn to kill the character of a brethren or flatter a friend. God hates such lying attitude. With no words to mince Jesus said directly in the face of the Jewish religious unsaved men, " 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”" (John 8:44-46). In other, words Jesus is teaching to us that a believer cannot keep continuing in living a lifestyle of habitual lies, only a unsaved person will live like that because they with pride in their heart want to conceal the truth of God and His Word due to the evil influence of their nature which rules over them. So a person who habitually lies should first check whether he is really saved or not, then if they are saved then immediately they should confess their lies and should turn to God to live in His righteousness again (2 Cor 13:5-6; Amos 5:4; Isa 45:22; Ezek 18:32). There are people who deceive others and tell lies in the court against their brethren, and on the outside act as though they are great spiritual leaders of the Church. Woe to such people who are in such deception of the devil, they must turn to God and be washed by the blood of Jesus to turn from deception of lies or else face death naturally to go to hell fire if they are unsaved or experience death in their spiritual lives to live fruitlessly which will rob them of their eternal reward if they are saved (Prov 19:9; 1 Cor 3:14-15; 2 Cor 5:9-10, 11). Our God is a God of truth (John 14:6), so we must reflect Him to Glorify Him for saving us from sin and death rather than bring shame to His glorious Name because of unrepentant lying that more closely resemble the devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44). We should put away lying against our brethren and neighbors altogether or else devil will have an opportunity given by us to control our lives and make us miserable without the blessing of God (Eph 4:25-27). May God help us not to lie to one another, seeing that we have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Colossians 3:9-10). If we continue to deceive people by lies even after knowing the Lord Jesus, soon the shame of our secret lying lives will be made public by the Lord (Luke 8:17). Truly habitual and unrepentant sinners who are "...all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:8). May we keep ourselves always away from lying tongue, so that our life may always please the Lord.
Hands That Shed Innocent Blood:
The murderers like Cain are not the only one of those who are in this category that God hates, but according to the New Testament Jesus said that if anyone hates his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment for murder (Matt 5:20-21). In other words, God considers hatred against brethren as equal to the sin of natural murder (1 John 3:15). Here is what apostle John the apostle of Love reveals, "10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:10-15). In the above verses we see that if there is no sign of love for brethren to forgive their faults and show kindness to one another (Col 3:13; Eph 4:32; 1 Peter 3:8), the apostle John rebukes such person who is in the Church as an unsaved person and warns to check themselves whether they are children of God or still in the category of the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness [of faith which humbles oneself to remain in forgiveness, kindheartedness and mercy towards others] is not of God but is of the religious devil which has deceived them, nor is he who does not love his brother and does not realize the seriousness of living in hate which is equal to murder in the sight of God. Have you murdered your brother with hate like Cain? If you have hated your brethren without cause, have you realized that your works are evil while your brother's work are righteous? You need to realize that if you still do not turn back the opposite way and continue to love and live in it, you are living in death and need to be saved from sinful life. Let not your religious mind deceive you to hell fire which is the only place fit for a murderer. If the world hates a Christian brother, it is acceptable because they live in death and have no life of God which is eternal life dwelling in them. But when a brother hates a brother, they should repent or else they are in serious trouble before God who will allow demons to inflict them until they start to love the brethren which God does to prove that the only sign that they themselves have to know that they have passed from death to life is their love for their brethren (Matt 18:32-33, 34-35). Learn to live in the unconditional Love of God that the Holy Spirit gives abundantly by filling our heart (Rom 5:5), so that we may live pleasing to God at all times, bringing a smile on His face always for all the goodness He has shown towards us freely.
A Heart That Devises Wicked Schemes:
Any sin conceived in heart is basically a wicked scheme. But the modern day terrorist mindset that conceives evil against any individual or group for personal benefit or other misguided objectives of religious fanaticism is very much included in this. God hates it with a perfect hatred. Also sin of adultery and fornication which is lusting after another woman who do not legally belong to them by marriage covenant and fantasizing after her beauty are included in it (Matt 5:27-28). Remember, the great man David who was called as the man after God's own heart sinned against Uriah the Hittite and married Bathsheba his wife when he first saw from his roof with lustful eyes and realized that she was very beautiful to experience in reality (2 Samuel 11:2-4). First the heart devised wicked things and then the external actions confirmed the intentions. But thank God that David repented of his sin so deeply that he wrote a Psalm which has blessed countless millions and billions to experience God's mercy through it (2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psa 51:1-19).
The sin of pornography is something that comes in this list, in it the person who sees the naked graphical images of men and women to intensely lust, also indulge in masturbation mostly because of the burning lust for reality that burns and devises within the heart to have a feel of self-satisfaction to appease the demon of lust that works within. If only a person could realize that it is the demon that sits in our sinful flesh rightfully and gives such lustful thought to work in the body to satisfy itself through a human, immediately they will see their own hand which the demon is trying to use it as instrument of unrighteousness, and then command the demon working through it saying, "In Jesus name I command the demon of masturbation to leave right now..." to see victory over such lustful things that defiles the body (Mark 9:43-44). Or else the thoughts of fantasy that has stayed within our inner mind when we lustfully saw a woman who went before us with lustful eyes, then if we will rebuke that thought saying, "In Jesus name, I take this lustful thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.." (Mark 9:47-48; 2 Cor 10:4, 5), then we will see the power of God victoriously rule over the wicked scheme that the devil devised against us to make it run inside our heart to defile it which is actually the temple of the living God where He resides in holiness (2 Cor 6:16, 17). The moment we declare obedience to Christ, all those thoughts of fantasy will leave, and the blood of Jesus will cover our mind again to cleanse it completely for God to control it again. May God help us all to overcome this rampant sin in our generation that the devil has brought from the pit of hell to defile the whole thinking of this entire generation like he did in the times of Noah that will end in increase in more and more lawlessness and violence against each other (Gen 6:2, 5, 11-12).
If by the weakness of the flesh if we have fallen in to this twin sin of pornography or masturbation, immediately we should run to the Lord to confess it as soon as possible, and not let this sin of the heart remain in the body to rule over us by the law of sin to obey its lust, rather receive grace to have dominion over it and also after this choose wisely by instead of presenting your body as instrument of unrighteousness to sin, now change your mind by renewing it and present yourselves to God as instrument of righteousness (1 John 2:1-2; 1:9; Rom 6:12, 13, 14). May His children be empowered by the Holy Spirit to receive grace in the eyes of the Lord and in their heart to thus overcome this sin of the evil heart that devises evil plans that the Lord hates (Gen 6:8). Remember, that Jesus foretold that, "As in the day of Noah [where evil thinking, corrupted mind and violence] ruled over the world of humanity, so also will be in the days of the time when the Son of Man Jesus Christ will be preparing to reveal His wrath to the world." (Luke 17:26-27; 1 Thess 1:10; 2 Thess 1:6, 7-8, 10).
I have also seen people who receive good things from the children of God materially in love towards for gaining their soul, they receive all they can materially and will also use all the physical help available to the max, then they will device wicked plans against the very people who have helped them to deceive and topple them (Prov 17:13). Woe to such people! Are they really saved? Do they really love the brethren? The Lord says to the righteous children of God, "Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." (Psa 37:7). The Lord continues saying, "Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed." (Psa 21:11). Such wicked people "plan wickedness upon their bed; They sets themselves on a path that is not good; They do not despise evil, but with perversity in their heart will continually devise evil, and will spread strife. " (Psalm 36:4; Prov 6:14). Such wicked people will cause division among brethren and also will try to slander those who helped them.
The Lord is saying to such wicked people, "Do you still wink your eyes to devise perverse things? Do you still compress your lips to bring evil to pass? You will be called a schemer. Like a rogue, your weapons are evil; you devise wicked schemes to destroy the afflicted with slander, even though the needy one speaks what is right. I the righteous God will frustrate the plotting of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success. In pride the wicked hotly pursued the afflicted; But they will be caught in the plots which they have devised. Finally I the righteous God will condemn the man who devises evil against those who have done good as my children." (Prov 16:30; 24:8; Isa 32:7; Job 5:12; Psa 10:2; Prov 12:2). Let us turn away from the evil heart that devises wicked schemes and turn to the righteousness of God to live righteously by faith to please God at all times.
Feet That Are Quick To Rush Into Evil:
Those whose feet are quick to rush into evil display no resistance whatsoever to sin. They despise the fear of the Lord and turn to do evil with all their strength to gain materially what they want. The righteous man's beautiful feet do not run after money, rather they wear the shoe of the gospel of peace to bring sinners to God and make them righteous through sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph 6:15; Rom 10:15). What a blessedness in contrast to the feet that are quick to rush in to evil!
In the Garden of Eden, Eve had the first experience of temptation. She displayed no resistance to the serpent’s temptation because of lack of self-control and knowledge (1 Tim 2:11-14; Hosea 3:6). Instead, as soon as the devil attracted her to the fruit, she “saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). The moment she decided in her heart by seeing and thinking against the commandment of God, her feet rushed towards evil that the serpent placed before her and thus disobeyed God. In the same way, Satan already conceived in the heart of Judas the root of covetousness when he was acting as a thief undercover (John 12:6), so that when at the right time after the last supper once he received bread from Jesus, his heart was not there with Him, but was after the silver coin that has been promised, because of that Satan filled and entered him, and his feet rushed and ran after that to betray Jesus and sell Him for the meager money in that dark night (John 13:27, 30; Luke 22:5-6). Also contrast to the above scenarios the attitude of Jesus was completely different when He was tested : When He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry, when the tempter came to test Him, simply he did not allow the temptation to overcome his mind, for in every temptation he said, "It is written...", and the devil was completely defeated as he was not given the opportunity to enter in to his mind. In other words, because Jesus did not yield Himself to temptation, the temptation was killed in His mind before it had the ample opportunity to grow and become sin to have control over Him (Matt 4:1-11; James 1:14-15). We learn here from Jesus that if we have to really overcome temptation of the devil in our lives, we have to be loaded with the Spirit and the Word so that the Spirit will take the stored Word within us and use it as the Sword of the Spirit against Satan and his demonic minions to help us experience victory over the devil (Eph 6:17). Another thing we have to learn from Jesus is, not to yield to temptation easily but resist it with weapons of the Word which are mighty in God, as only yielding without killing the thought of evil becomes sin.
The Bible says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). We see that the feet does not run until the heart is already attracted towards evil to make the feet rush to fulfill its desire. So we should take the evil thoughts of our mind captive to the obedience of Christ and punish such disobedience by perishing the thought that drives us in to evil (2 Cor 10:4, 5-6). Automatically once the mind is controlled, our feet will stop moving in the wrong direction. Then we should meditate on the Word of God to keep ourselves and our feet in control (Prov 1:15-16; Psa 119:101, 11).
May God help our feet to leap and run like a deer lifted in to great heights spiritually, to keep doing the will of God, and to keep our heart intact in His peace and direct our step towards Himself (Isa 58:13-14; Psa 18:33; Hab 3:19; Php 4:6-7; Psa 37:23; Prov 16:9).
False Witness Who Pours Out Lies:
These are to those people who dare to sue the brethren by taking them to the worldly court of law where they pour out false witness against them through speaking lies after lies to make their lie seem real (1 Cor 6:1). The very reason they have gone not to the saints in the Church but to the worldly court is because they have chosen the path of the devil who is the father of lies. It is a utter failure of God children to despise God's ways (Matt 18:15-17). If a brother goes to court against a brother, God will not be pleased to see his children go before a unbeliever seeking for justice (1 Cor 6:6-7). When the brethren bind and loosen the authority of heaven against such false witness who take the brethren to the worldly court, the Lord will let loose His hand of anger against them until they will realize and run back to ask pardon to the brother whom they have offended, and repent towards God in sincerity to never again do such a evil thing to bring shame to the great name of the Lord (1 Cor 6:4-5, 8, 2-3; Matt 18:18-20).
Some people like Ahab run after property and even go to the extend of giving in to Jezebel's hand to gain it through murdering Naboth's through false witness, what a shame to say that such are God's people (1 Kings 21:8–14). This is similar to the sin of the lying tongue mentioned earlier, but this form of lying is given special mention as it could send an innocent person to jail or even lead to him being stoned to death as in the case of Naboth. Still others in the same way bear false witness against the just and go to court against them in order to milk money out of the afflicted people who sacrificially live for God, but it is very dangerous to play with God's people and servants because the same love of money that leads those people who dare to go against God to bear false witness will make them stray from faith in their greediness, and will pierce themselves with many sorrows that cannot be taken away from them (1 Tim 6:10). Such people who desire to be rich through being false witness will fall in to temptation and a snare, and in to many foolish and harmful lusts which will drown them in destruction if saved and perdition if unsaved (1 Tim 6:9).
God says, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape and will perish." (Prov 19:5, 9). The very ninth of the Ten Commandments itself says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exod 20:16), how much more after knowing the good news of the Gospel of salvation can a so called brethren bear false witness against his own Brother? God says to us who are New Testament Christians, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." (Eph 4:25). The very spirit of falsehood and lies should be put away and the attitude in us should become like that of Jesus' Love which keeps forgiving and forgetting all the shortcomings to continue in the unconditional love which the Holy Spirit gives (1 John 2:4; Col 3:13-14; Eph 4:32; Rom 5:5). Colossians 3:9–10 explains the reason for the continued prohibition against lying is because Christians are new creations in Christ and that they should live out that new desire of God's character to imitate Him for the Glory of God as His dear children (2 Corinthians 5:17; Eph 5:1). As we Christians have been released from our “old self” with its evil practices such as lying and bearing false witness, we should not again get entangled in the bondage of such sins to bring shame to the name of the Lord, but rather glorify God by faith working through love in gratitude for what He has already done for us through giving us salvation (Gal 5:1, 6; Rom 8:32). May we learn to live pleasing to Him in all things and make it our aim in this earthly life (2 Cor 5:9).
A Man Who Stirs Up Dissension Among Brothers:
Brothers are created beautifully by God to live in unity (Psalm 133:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). Believers are actually Brothers and Sisters because we all have one Father and one Brother Jesus Christ our Lord (Eph 4:6; Heb 2:11). There are so called brethren who are not deep in faith, Satan and demons use them as instruments to divide husband and wife, children and parents, brothers and sisters, etc...(1 Cor 11:18-19; 1 Tim 1:19-20; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Peter 4:5-6; Acts 23:1; 24:16). These who are worldly will create division and so the spiritual people must recognize it, and avoid any division among the brethren by warning them of God's judgment if they continue in their insidious work of the devil (1 Cor 1:10; 3:3).
The Church is also the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27), but anyone who purposely causes disruption to peace in the body of Christ will displease God above all, since that person walks in darkness not knowing where he is going, not only he causes himself to sin and but also gives room for others to sin by spreading rumors, slander and lies (1 John 2:9–11; 4:19–21). God hates such people who cause division among Brothers (Prov 17:9). Such perverted heart that devises evil continually and sows discord should be found out by the illumination of God's Spirit (Prov 6:14; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 John 4:1; Rev 2:2). We should watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that we have been taught, and avoid them so that there be no division and hindrance to the work of God (Romans 16:17-18).
Like Paul the Apostle says we should "...avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." (Titus 3:9-11).
The perverse spirit that influences our heart to device wickedness to sow discord among brethren should be recognized when we see the symptom of it in jealousy, anger, covetousness, unforgiveness, slander, etc.. and then we should perish those evil thoughts, so that unity of the Spirit can be maintained for the Glory of God (Eph 4:3). God who see it will be pleased to see that we try our best by His ability to be His ambassadors of peace, being His very own sons who are peacemakers by choice (Matt 5:9). God will bless us abundantly seeing our godly attitude in this life which seeks to please Him in all things.
We know that God hates using our individual six members like the eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet and lips of the body to be used to do or promote sin which the Lord hates, yes, seventh which is the root cause and the instrument of division against the united body of the Church is an abomination to Him (Prov 6:16-19). The final seventh thing that divides the Body of Christ causes disgust or loathing or even deep hatred for those who use themselves to be a instrument of division by bidding for the devil. So beware of God's hatred when causing division! In the same vein, Paul the apostle asked, "19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues." (1 Cor 12:19-27). Make sure that you bring unity in the body of Christ and not allow yourself to be used by the devil as the instrument of division and become abominable to God which will only bring a curse and not a blessing upon you and your family. BEWARE OF CAUSING DIVISION WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST! But promoting unity within the Body of Christ brings smile to God's face and causes His heart to rejoice over us. PROMOTE UNITY WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST BY FOCUSING ON THE ESSENTIALS OF CHRIST AND HIS SALVATION BY FAITH AND LETTING DIVERSITY IN NON-ESSENTIALS OF GIFTING AND PRACTICE OF IT.
Much Blessings.....
Answer : Greetings in Jesus wonderful name! Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things in 6 days and to complete a week with a day of rest which is 7th day. Altogether everything in a cycle gets completed in a week within 7 days. So where do we get the idea that God hates seven things specifically, it is taken from Proverbs 6:16–19.
Here are the verses, " 16 These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren." (Prov 6:16-19).
These are not exhaustive list of sin that God hates, as God hates all sin and the Bible says, "whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4). In other words, the very attitude of having no restraint in life by fearing no one by either self-justifying oneself in to self-righteousness or to completely ignore the conscience within which is the lamp of the Lord to thus walk in the darkness of one's own understanding is sin (Luke 18:9; 10:29; Prov 20:27; Rom 10:3; 2:13-16). Here the Bible rounds up seven sins that God particularly hates because, these sins are not just external ones but rather these are sins that comes out of the hidden wrong motives of our heart. So the bottom line is, by knowing these seven sins that God hates, we can be able to check our true spiritual condition that we are in presently. The Bible thunders, "Who can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin"?" (Prov 20:9). As all the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but as the LORD weighs the motives of our heart, these seven sins are given for a heart scan that we can do for ourselves to find if there is any sin of our heart that have come to block our spiritual life arteries and veins to cause danger to our continued growth and existence in our life on earth (Prov 16:2).
As we know that our heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can understand its problems that keep coming up within? (Jer 17:9). To find an answer to this question and not be a part of the kind who are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness of their heart because of a lack of internal heart scan to maintain their optimal continued spiritual health, will end in death suddenly if such spiritual check are being ignored continually for a long time (Prov 30:12). We who play religion and churchianity and justify ourselves in the sight of men, and even many times because of our good external behavior are even highly esteemed among men, usually find ourselves naked and detestable in the sight of God because He sees our heart motives which are not right and good within (Luke 16:14-15). So these seven are in line with our Lord Jesus Christ’s elaboration of the Ten Commandments in to Beatitudes of motives which influences ones decision making to become right or wrong, that was explained by Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21–48). May God help us do a heart check often to keep our spiritual heart healthy and hale. By having close communion with Jesus we should open every area of our heart willingly compartment by compartment, department by department and every nook and corner to make Him cleanse and change our attitudes, put eye ointment to know where we are spiritually and then receive from Him white garments to cover our nakedness and also receive golden sash to keep our garments intact and continue to be rich for the Glory of God (Rev 3:18-19, 20).
Remember, "For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends [seeing the motives of his heart]." (2 Corinthians 10:18).
The following is Proverbs’ list of seven things God hates:
Arrogant (Haughty) Eyes:
The haughty eyes always is the one that thinks highly of itself while it look down on others. The Bible says to think highly of others and yourself less, and apostle Paul referred to this Character as the mind with which Jesus Christ Himself lived on earth to be an example to others like us (Philippians 2:3, 5–11). Jesus never looked down on even the worst of sinners but rather loved them to the extent he was called the friend of sinners (Matt 11:19), because He understood his total dependence on the Father God to sustain Him by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep him victorious and continue to keep him in the sinless righteous state of perfection in his spiritual life with which He was born (John 5:19, 30; Matt 12:28; 10:24-25; 2 Cor 5:21; John 8:46). God wants us to realize like Jesus and wants us to live in God's righteousness by the power of the Holy Spirit just like Him (John 15:3, 5). We cannot be ever righteous apart from Jesus who have become our righteousness before God and we not only need to be found with the righteousness of God without our working to produce it through God's imputational righteousness in receiving salvation, but also we need to be perpetually found in our Christian life with the impartational righteousness which comes movement by movement in our Christian life from God by faith in Christ Jesus, so that we could be rewarded for our righteous work done for God (1 Cor 1:30; Rom 10:3; Php 3:9). So no veteran believers are in any way superior to any new convert or a baby believer, except the grace of God that has empowered a senior believer as a gift provided by God to walk in a powerful way (Gal 6:1, 3; 1 Cor 15:10). So there is no way we should allow the thinking of spiritual superiority to come in to us trying to compare our righteous life with others. We must perish the very thought of pride of superiority over others when ever we look in to ourselves and find it at any place or time in our Christian life, no matter how much we are used by God to fulfill His purposes. God hates this prideful attitude, so must we in our Christians life at all times! This sin of pride is so detested by the LORD that Paul was kept from committing this sin by being provided with “a thorn in the flesh” to humble him (2 Corinthians 12:7). We might also be allowed by God to fall in to sins, weaknesses and trials so that we could remain humble if God has given us so much grace to use us for His Glory (Rom 7:16-21). We must accept these failings humbly before God and should continue to delight in the law of God to serve it to thus overcome the law of sin which might try to pull us down to it level to remain in our members to control us, if we confess our sins to God He is faithful and just to keep us under grace so that sin shall not continue to have dominion over us (Rom 7:22-23, 24-25; Rom 6:12-14; 1 John 1:7, 9). And only in humility we can receive God's grace to live victoriously for the Glory of God (James 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:5-6). Praise the Lord!
Lying Tongue:
The Bible clearly says that "The lip of truth shall be established [by God] for ever [in His blessings]; But a lying tongue is but for a fleeting moment [and cannot inherit God's blessing]." (Prov 12:19). In the same context the Book of Proverbs continues saying "Lips that lie [continually] are disgusting to the LORD [and therefore He regard with disgust and hatred towards a person who lies], but honest people [i.e. who acknowledge their mistake and lies] are his delight." (Prov 12:22, GWT). We should never knowingly and willingly, with an intention to deceive others should lie against our brothers and sisters, or impugn to kill the character of a brethren or flatter a friend. God hates such lying attitude. With no words to mince Jesus said directly in the face of the Jewish religious unsaved men, " 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”" (John 8:44-46). In other, words Jesus is teaching to us that a believer cannot keep continuing in living a lifestyle of habitual lies, only a unsaved person will live like that because they with pride in their heart want to conceal the truth of God and His Word due to the evil influence of their nature which rules over them. So a person who habitually lies should first check whether he is really saved or not, then if they are saved then immediately they should confess their lies and should turn to God to live in His righteousness again (2 Cor 13:5-6; Amos 5:4; Isa 45:22; Ezek 18:32). There are people who deceive others and tell lies in the court against their brethren, and on the outside act as though they are great spiritual leaders of the Church. Woe to such people who are in such deception of the devil, they must turn to God and be washed by the blood of Jesus to turn from deception of lies or else face death naturally to go to hell fire if they are unsaved or experience death in their spiritual lives to live fruitlessly which will rob them of their eternal reward if they are saved (Prov 19:9; 1 Cor 3:14-15; 2 Cor 5:9-10, 11). Our God is a God of truth (John 14:6), so we must reflect Him to Glorify Him for saving us from sin and death rather than bring shame to His glorious Name because of unrepentant lying that more closely resemble the devil, who is the father of lies (John 8:44). We should put away lying against our brethren and neighbors altogether or else devil will have an opportunity given by us to control our lives and make us miserable without the blessing of God (Eph 4:25-27). May God help us not to lie to one another, seeing that we have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator (Colossians 3:9-10). If we continue to deceive people by lies even after knowing the Lord Jesus, soon the shame of our secret lying lives will be made public by the Lord (Luke 8:17). Truly habitual and unrepentant sinners who are "...all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:8). May we keep ourselves always away from lying tongue, so that our life may always please the Lord.
Hands That Shed Innocent Blood:
The murderers like Cain are not the only one of those who are in this category that God hates, but according to the New Testament Jesus said that if anyone hates his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment for murder (Matt 5:20-21). In other words, God considers hatred against brethren as equal to the sin of natural murder (1 John 3:15). Here is what apostle John the apostle of Love reveals, "10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." (1 John 3:10-15). In the above verses we see that if there is no sign of love for brethren to forgive their faults and show kindness to one another (Col 3:13; Eph 4:32; 1 Peter 3:8), the apostle John rebukes such person who is in the Church as an unsaved person and warns to check themselves whether they are children of God or still in the category of the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness [of faith which humbles oneself to remain in forgiveness, kindheartedness and mercy towards others] is not of God but is of the religious devil which has deceived them, nor is he who does not love his brother and does not realize the seriousness of living in hate which is equal to murder in the sight of God. Have you murdered your brother with hate like Cain? If you have hated your brethren without cause, have you realized that your works are evil while your brother's work are righteous? You need to realize that if you still do not turn back the opposite way and continue to love and live in it, you are living in death and need to be saved from sinful life. Let not your religious mind deceive you to hell fire which is the only place fit for a murderer. If the world hates a Christian brother, it is acceptable because they live in death and have no life of God which is eternal life dwelling in them. But when a brother hates a brother, they should repent or else they are in serious trouble before God who will allow demons to inflict them until they start to love the brethren which God does to prove that the only sign that they themselves have to know that they have passed from death to life is their love for their brethren (Matt 18:32-33, 34-35). Learn to live in the unconditional Love of God that the Holy Spirit gives abundantly by filling our heart (Rom 5:5), so that we may live pleasing to God at all times, bringing a smile on His face always for all the goodness He has shown towards us freely.
A Heart That Devises Wicked Schemes:
Any sin conceived in heart is basically a wicked scheme. But the modern day terrorist mindset that conceives evil against any individual or group for personal benefit or other misguided objectives of religious fanaticism is very much included in this. God hates it with a perfect hatred. Also sin of adultery and fornication which is lusting after another woman who do not legally belong to them by marriage covenant and fantasizing after her beauty are included in it (Matt 5:27-28). Remember, the great man David who was called as the man after God's own heart sinned against Uriah the Hittite and married Bathsheba his wife when he first saw from his roof with lustful eyes and realized that she was very beautiful to experience in reality (2 Samuel 11:2-4). First the heart devised wicked things and then the external actions confirmed the intentions. But thank God that David repented of his sin so deeply that he wrote a Psalm which has blessed countless millions and billions to experience God's mercy through it (2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psa 51:1-19).
The sin of pornography is something that comes in this list, in it the person who sees the naked graphical images of men and women to intensely lust, also indulge in masturbation mostly because of the burning lust for reality that burns and devises within the heart to have a feel of self-satisfaction to appease the demon of lust that works within. If only a person could realize that it is the demon that sits in our sinful flesh rightfully and gives such lustful thought to work in the body to satisfy itself through a human, immediately they will see their own hand which the demon is trying to use it as instrument of unrighteousness, and then command the demon working through it saying, "In Jesus name I command the demon of masturbation to leave right now..." to see victory over such lustful things that defiles the body (Mark 9:43-44). Or else the thoughts of fantasy that has stayed within our inner mind when we lustfully saw a woman who went before us with lustful eyes, then if we will rebuke that thought saying, "In Jesus name, I take this lustful thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.." (Mark 9:47-48; 2 Cor 10:4, 5), then we will see the power of God victoriously rule over the wicked scheme that the devil devised against us to make it run inside our heart to defile it which is actually the temple of the living God where He resides in holiness (2 Cor 6:16, 17). The moment we declare obedience to Christ, all those thoughts of fantasy will leave, and the blood of Jesus will cover our mind again to cleanse it completely for God to control it again. May God help us all to overcome this rampant sin in our generation that the devil has brought from the pit of hell to defile the whole thinking of this entire generation like he did in the times of Noah that will end in increase in more and more lawlessness and violence against each other (Gen 6:2, 5, 11-12).
If by the weakness of the flesh if we have fallen in to this twin sin of pornography or masturbation, immediately we should run to the Lord to confess it as soon as possible, and not let this sin of the heart remain in the body to rule over us by the law of sin to obey its lust, rather receive grace to have dominion over it and also after this choose wisely by instead of presenting your body as instrument of unrighteousness to sin, now change your mind by renewing it and present yourselves to God as instrument of righteousness (1 John 2:1-2; 1:9; Rom 6:12, 13, 14). May His children be empowered by the Holy Spirit to receive grace in the eyes of the Lord and in their heart to thus overcome this sin of the evil heart that devises evil plans that the Lord hates (Gen 6:8). Remember, that Jesus foretold that, "As in the day of Noah [where evil thinking, corrupted mind and violence] ruled over the world of humanity, so also will be in the days of the time when the Son of Man Jesus Christ will be preparing to reveal His wrath to the world." (Luke 17:26-27; 1 Thess 1:10; 2 Thess 1:6, 7-8, 10).
I have also seen people who receive good things from the children of God materially in love towards for gaining their soul, they receive all they can materially and will also use all the physical help available to the max, then they will device wicked plans against the very people who have helped them to deceive and topple them (Prov 17:13). Woe to such people! Are they really saved? Do they really love the brethren? The Lord says to the righteous children of God, "Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." (Psa 37:7). The Lord continues saying, "Though they intended evil against You and devised a plot, they will not succeed." (Psa 21:11). Such wicked people "plan wickedness upon their bed; They sets themselves on a path that is not good; They do not despise evil, but with perversity in their heart will continually devise evil, and will spread strife. " (Psalm 36:4; Prov 6:14). Such wicked people will cause division among brethren and also will try to slander those who helped them.
The Lord is saying to such wicked people, "Do you still wink your eyes to devise perverse things? Do you still compress your lips to bring evil to pass? You will be called a schemer. Like a rogue, your weapons are evil; you devise wicked schemes to destroy the afflicted with slander, even though the needy one speaks what is right. I the righteous God will frustrate the plotting of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success. In pride the wicked hotly pursued the afflicted; But they will be caught in the plots which they have devised. Finally I the righteous God will condemn the man who devises evil against those who have done good as my children." (Prov 16:30; 24:8; Isa 32:7; Job 5:12; Psa 10:2; Prov 12:2). Let us turn away from the evil heart that devises wicked schemes and turn to the righteousness of God to live righteously by faith to please God at all times.
Feet That Are Quick To Rush Into Evil:
Those whose feet are quick to rush into evil display no resistance whatsoever to sin. They despise the fear of the Lord and turn to do evil with all their strength to gain materially what they want. The righteous man's beautiful feet do not run after money, rather they wear the shoe of the gospel of peace to bring sinners to God and make them righteous through sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph 6:15; Rom 10:15). What a blessedness in contrast to the feet that are quick to rush in to evil!
In the Garden of Eden, Eve had the first experience of temptation. She displayed no resistance to the serpent’s temptation because of lack of self-control and knowledge (1 Tim 2:11-14; Hosea 3:6). Instead, as soon as the devil attracted her to the fruit, she “saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6). The moment she decided in her heart by seeing and thinking against the commandment of God, her feet rushed towards evil that the serpent placed before her and thus disobeyed God. In the same way, Satan already conceived in the heart of Judas the root of covetousness when he was acting as a thief undercover (John 12:6), so that when at the right time after the last supper once he received bread from Jesus, his heart was not there with Him, but was after the silver coin that has been promised, because of that Satan filled and entered him, and his feet rushed and ran after that to betray Jesus and sell Him for the meager money in that dark night (John 13:27, 30; Luke 22:5-6). Also contrast to the above scenarios the attitude of Jesus was completely different when He was tested : When He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry, when the tempter came to test Him, simply he did not allow the temptation to overcome his mind, for in every temptation he said, "It is written...", and the devil was completely defeated as he was not given the opportunity to enter in to his mind. In other words, because Jesus did not yield Himself to temptation, the temptation was killed in His mind before it had the ample opportunity to grow and become sin to have control over Him (Matt 4:1-11; James 1:14-15). We learn here from Jesus that if we have to really overcome temptation of the devil in our lives, we have to be loaded with the Spirit and the Word so that the Spirit will take the stored Word within us and use it as the Sword of the Spirit against Satan and his demonic minions to help us experience victory over the devil (Eph 6:17). Another thing we have to learn from Jesus is, not to yield to temptation easily but resist it with weapons of the Word which are mighty in God, as only yielding without killing the thought of evil becomes sin.
The Bible says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). We see that the feet does not run until the heart is already attracted towards evil to make the feet rush to fulfill its desire. So we should take the evil thoughts of our mind captive to the obedience of Christ and punish such disobedience by perishing the thought that drives us in to evil (2 Cor 10:4, 5-6). Automatically once the mind is controlled, our feet will stop moving in the wrong direction. Then we should meditate on the Word of God to keep ourselves and our feet in control (Prov 1:15-16; Psa 119:101, 11).
May God help our feet to leap and run like a deer lifted in to great heights spiritually, to keep doing the will of God, and to keep our heart intact in His peace and direct our step towards Himself (Isa 58:13-14; Psa 18:33; Hab 3:19; Php 4:6-7; Psa 37:23; Prov 16:9).
False Witness Who Pours Out Lies:
These are to those people who dare to sue the brethren by taking them to the worldly court of law where they pour out false witness against them through speaking lies after lies to make their lie seem real (1 Cor 6:1). The very reason they have gone not to the saints in the Church but to the worldly court is because they have chosen the path of the devil who is the father of lies. It is a utter failure of God children to despise God's ways (Matt 18:15-17). If a brother goes to court against a brother, God will not be pleased to see his children go before a unbeliever seeking for justice (1 Cor 6:6-7). When the brethren bind and loosen the authority of heaven against such false witness who take the brethren to the worldly court, the Lord will let loose His hand of anger against them until they will realize and run back to ask pardon to the brother whom they have offended, and repent towards God in sincerity to never again do such a evil thing to bring shame to the great name of the Lord (1 Cor 6:4-5, 8, 2-3; Matt 18:18-20).
Some people like Ahab run after property and even go to the extend of giving in to Jezebel's hand to gain it through murdering Naboth's through false witness, what a shame to say that such are God's people (1 Kings 21:8–14). This is similar to the sin of the lying tongue mentioned earlier, but this form of lying is given special mention as it could send an innocent person to jail or even lead to him being stoned to death as in the case of Naboth. Still others in the same way bear false witness against the just and go to court against them in order to milk money out of the afflicted people who sacrificially live for God, but it is very dangerous to play with God's people and servants because the same love of money that leads those people who dare to go against God to bear false witness will make them stray from faith in their greediness, and will pierce themselves with many sorrows that cannot be taken away from them (1 Tim 6:10). Such people who desire to be rich through being false witness will fall in to temptation and a snare, and in to many foolish and harmful lusts which will drown them in destruction if saved and perdition if unsaved (1 Tim 6:9).
God says, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape and will perish." (Prov 19:5, 9). The very ninth of the Ten Commandments itself says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exod 20:16), how much more after knowing the good news of the Gospel of salvation can a so called brethren bear false witness against his own Brother? God says to us who are New Testament Christians, "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another." (Eph 4:25). The very spirit of falsehood and lies should be put away and the attitude in us should become like that of Jesus' Love which keeps forgiving and forgetting all the shortcomings to continue in the unconditional love which the Holy Spirit gives (1 John 2:4; Col 3:13-14; Eph 4:32; Rom 5:5). Colossians 3:9–10 explains the reason for the continued prohibition against lying is because Christians are new creations in Christ and that they should live out that new desire of God's character to imitate Him for the Glory of God as His dear children (2 Corinthians 5:17; Eph 5:1). As we Christians have been released from our “old self” with its evil practices such as lying and bearing false witness, we should not again get entangled in the bondage of such sins to bring shame to the name of the Lord, but rather glorify God by faith working through love in gratitude for what He has already done for us through giving us salvation (Gal 5:1, 6; Rom 8:32). May we learn to live pleasing to Him in all things and make it our aim in this earthly life (2 Cor 5:9).
A Man Who Stirs Up Dissension Among Brothers:
Brothers are created beautifully by God to live in unity (Psalm 133:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:9). Believers are actually Brothers and Sisters because we all have one Father and one Brother Jesus Christ our Lord (Eph 4:6; Heb 2:11). There are so called brethren who are not deep in faith, Satan and demons use them as instruments to divide husband and wife, children and parents, brothers and sisters, etc...(1 Cor 11:18-19; 1 Tim 1:19-20; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Peter 4:5-6; Acts 23:1; 24:16). These who are worldly will create division and so the spiritual people must recognize it, and avoid any division among the brethren by warning them of God's judgment if they continue in their insidious work of the devil (1 Cor 1:10; 3:3).
The Church is also the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25–27), but anyone who purposely causes disruption to peace in the body of Christ will displease God above all, since that person walks in darkness not knowing where he is going, not only he causes himself to sin and but also gives room for others to sin by spreading rumors, slander and lies (1 John 2:9–11; 4:19–21). God hates such people who cause division among Brothers (Prov 17:9). Such perverted heart that devises evil continually and sows discord should be found out by the illumination of God's Spirit (Prov 6:14; 1 Cor 12:10; 1 John 4:1; Rev 2:2). We should watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that we have been taught, and avoid them so that there be no division and hindrance to the work of God (Romans 16:17-18).
Like Paul the Apostle says we should "...avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned." (Titus 3:9-11).
The perverse spirit that influences our heart to device wickedness to sow discord among brethren should be recognized when we see the symptom of it in jealousy, anger, covetousness, unforgiveness, slander, etc.. and then we should perish those evil thoughts, so that unity of the Spirit can be maintained for the Glory of God (Eph 4:3). God who see it will be pleased to see that we try our best by His ability to be His ambassadors of peace, being His very own sons who are peacemakers by choice (Matt 5:9). God will bless us abundantly seeing our godly attitude in this life which seeks to please Him in all things.
We know that God hates using our individual six members like the eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet and lips of the body to be used to do or promote sin which the Lord hates, yes, seventh which is the root cause and the instrument of division against the united body of the Church is an abomination to Him (Prov 6:16-19). The final seventh thing that divides the Body of Christ causes disgust or loathing or even deep hatred for those who use themselves to be a instrument of division by bidding for the devil. So beware of God's hatred when causing division! In the same vein, Paul the apostle asked, "19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues." (1 Cor 12:19-27). Make sure that you bring unity in the body of Christ and not allow yourself to be used by the devil as the instrument of division and become abominable to God which will only bring a curse and not a blessing upon you and your family. BEWARE OF CAUSING DIVISION WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST! But promoting unity within the Body of Christ brings smile to God's face and causes His heart to rejoice over us. PROMOTE UNITY WITHIN THE BODY OF CHRIST BY FOCUSING ON THE ESSENTIALS OF CHRIST AND HIS SALVATION BY FAITH AND LETTING DIVERSITY IN NON-ESSENTIALS OF GIFTING AND PRACTICE OF IT.
Much Blessings.....
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