that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him,
being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians 1:10
When love is involved, a relationship is a part of that love. A relationship is two-way or reciprocal. Just as we want God to be pleasing to us, we should want to be pleasing to Him as well and do those things that He wills us to do.
We can’t totally equate our love for God with our love one toward another. What I mean by this is that, for example, if you were married, your spouse could love fishing and you hate it, but that should not ruin your marriage (at least I hope it wouldn't). Ideally you would work around it; you may even go fishing once or twice, even though you don’t like to fish. But that is not so in the Kingdom of God. In order to be in God’s divine will; in total alignment with Him, not only do we love what He loves but we have to hate what He hates; and this through a willing heart and mind.
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:4
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
√ A proud look, √ a lying tongue, √ and hands that shed innocent blood, √ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, √ feet that be swift in running to mischief, √ A false witness that speaketh lies, √ and he that soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 6:16-19
There are many things that we love about God;
v we love the blessings that He promises us.
v We love the fact that He loves us so much that He gave His only son as the propitiation for our sins.
v We love Him because He is a comforter,
v He promised to never leave us nor forsake us.
v He lets us know that what we can't handle it, He will; the battle is His.
We know that He is just good like that! Just as we want God to be pleasing to us, we should want to please Him also and do those things that He wills us to do.
If you love Me, keep My commandments. John 14:15
The
example given in the natural relationship does not apply to our relationship
with God; we can’t secretly love something that God is against – that is called
iniquity from within. David prays for a clean heart, a heart free
from any thoughts and desires contrary to God’s divine will or nature.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalms 51:2
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Psalms 51:2
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalms 51:10
Our actions as well as our
heart have to be in alignment with God’s word.
He not only lets us know of those things that He hates, but also gives
us several illustrations of what happens when we go against what He is against. Apostle Paul tells us:
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:6-12
Jude tells us the same thing:
As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:6-12
Jude tells us the same thing:
As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
When we refer back to the Old Testament, it relates His commandments and the consequences of not following them.
When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God give thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God give thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the
√ abominations [hatreds, dislikes, revulsions, detestable, disgusts, loathing, abhor] of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that use
√ divination, [prophecy, prediction, forecast, foretelling, insight, premonition, second sight]
√ or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer , or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer [The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future].
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Examples of God's anger provoked for doing those things that are detestable to Him:
Ø King Hezekiah’s son (Manasseh)
And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 21:2-6
The punishment that resulted:
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle. 2 Kings 21:12
Ø During King Ahaz rule in Judah
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger. 2 Kings 17:17
The punishment that resulted:
Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 2 Kings 17:18
Some try to say that 'that was back in those days' or that
'pertains to the Mosaic law'. But we have to look past the letter of the law
and look at the intent in which it was clearly given. Just as God called the
children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt, He called us out of the bondage of sin also and He
placed us in a 'new place' and once we are out (just like the children of
Israel) there are things that we should no longer do. They were not to do as the 'other nations'
just as we are not to do as 'the world'.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Although societal morals and values change, God does not change - those same things that He hated back then, He still hates sin today! Through them (the children of Israel) back then and through us today (the body of Christ), we are to set the example and the tone so that the whole world will see and acknowledge that there is only one true living God.
In our relationship with God, it is a commandment:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30
(Bible Study)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Although societal morals and values change, God does not change - those same things that He hated back then, He still hates sin today! Through them (the children of Israel) back then and through us today (the body of Christ), we are to set the example and the tone so that the whole world will see and acknowledge that there is only one true living God.
In our relationship with God, it is a commandment:
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Mark 12:30
(Bible Study)
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