Category Archives: Finding the End of the World

Blogging about stuff related to my book, “Finding the End of the World”

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A Sovereign Partnership!

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God is sovereign. King. Creator. Owner of everything. And we are His creation. He can do as He wishes. But that doesn’t mean He moves every blade of grass, orchestrates every heartbeat, or dictates every human choice. Just because He can doesn’t mean He always does.

In His majesty, God permits us to choose a relationship with Him … or not. Choice and consequences, freedom with blessings and curses. This has always been God’s gracious, relational nature. Yet some will say we cannot choose God on our own or play a role in a salvific relationship with Him through Jesus. If you disagree, they’ll say you believe God controls nothing. To them, only two extremes exist: you believe God controls everything, including choice … or that God controls nothing. “Ron! How on earth did this thinking come about?” Fourth-century Augustine and the Reformer he inspired: John Calvin.

Like most of us, Saint Augustine’s Christian worldview was shaped by perceptions and experiences. Sadly, it was also influenced by various philosophies, including Stoicism. Although he and the early church fathers emphasized human free will in seeking God, Augustine’s position later shifted. His doctrine of an inability to choose God evolved into a theology asserting that all people are destined for hell, with God saving only a few souls. According to this view, Jesus ‘effectively’ died only for some—not everyone—and hope is reserved for those whom God draws out of the fire. In contrast, the Bible presents choice, consequences, and genuine hope. Note: Subsequent Scripture quotes are without references for brevity. They are easy to find.

The first significant choice and consequence we encounter is with Adam and Eve, who chose to disobey God. You’ll find countless ‘if-then’ conditional statements in the Old Testament that echo “I will if you will!” and “If you go here, then such-and-such will happen; otherwise …” Of course, 3,000 people lost their lives in the aftermath of the golden calf because they chose not to align with Moses. Another sobering choice: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” There are many more in the Old Testament! Let’s move to the New Testament.

“God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” In fact, “… our Savior … desires all men to be saved …” Why? “[God is] not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” And who does God draw or call, and how? “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” Yet the Jews of Jesus’ day rejected Him: “Jerusalem … How often I wanted to gather your children together … and you were unwilling.”

To summarize, a sovereign God with free will has granted you free will as His imager. Choose wisely and live! Next, let’s meet some of the ‘heroes of the faith.’ In the meantime, honor God and love people in your freedom.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv; DMin)

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Putting God to the Test

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“Test God and see if He’ll do what He said.” On the other hand, “Don’t put the Lord your God to the test!” And then there’s Gideon, who tested God without being invited to do so … and lived. Which is it? Test? Don’t test? Test and take your chances? We’ll discover that the difference comes down to faith and motive as we explore each of the three scenarios above.

Faithless people demand proof. In Deuteronomy 6:16, God warns the Israelites not to test Him as they did at Massah (a warning echoed by Jesus in Matthew 4:5-7). What happened there? As you’ll read in Exodus 17:1-7, the people grumbled in mistrust of God because they had no water. Essentially, they questioned God’s presence, perhaps wondering whether He’d left them to die of thirst in the wilderness. Their lack of faith led them to test God. God responded by providing water, having Moses strike a rock with his staff.

A faithful person seeks reassurance. Judges 6:36-40 tells us that Gideon sought reassurance from God about Israel’s deliverance through him. How? First, he asked that dew appear only on a fleece (a piece of wool), not on the ground around it, as confirmation of military success. God acquiesced. Seeking further reassurance, Gideon then asked the opposite: prove the upcoming success by letting dew appear on the ground around the fleece, but not on the fleece itself. Again, God did as he asked to reassure Gideon that he would be successful—and with only 300 men against a much greater force! So Gideon’s fleece is best understood neither as the rebellious testing condemned in Deuteronomy nor as the divinely invited testing of Malachi, but as a request for confirmation that God, in His mercy, chose to answer.

God demonstrates covenantal faithfulness. Through Malachi, God reminds the people of Israel that He loves them and desires their return. By this time, the people had stopped tithing (a covenantal responsibility), which led to priests and their families starving and the temple falling into disrepair. So God encourages them to uphold the covenant they share. With typical patience, mercy, and love, God reassures the people that they’ll be incredibly blessed if they do, as stated in Malachi 3:10.

There’s a fundamental difference between the first occurrence and this one. The Deuteronomy account forbids faithless demands that God prove Himself. In contrast, Malachi records a unique invitation from God to verify His faithfulness by obeying a specific command and observing the promised result. In the first two accounts, the testing comes from people, whereas in the third, God is the source of the testing.

In summary, motive and faith are essential for knowing when and how to test God. Is it a self-centered challenge, a response to God’s invitation to accept His goodness, or something in between? In the next column, we’ll explore the difference between church indoctrination and Jesus-style discipleship.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv; DMin)

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Covenant Revisited: Part II

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Last time, I introduced the covenant we can have with God. Here, we continue exploring the two-way relationship with the Father through faith in the Son and by fulfilling our part of that agreement.

Quick review. The Old Covenant relationship was modeled after the human suzerain-vassal (lord-servant) treaty of Abraham’s time. The New Covenant connection to the Father through the Son is a continuation because the Father, the Son, and the mission and terms remain the same in both.

Terms. God’s obligation was to send a savior and to love people (John 3:16; 1 John 4:19). He has honored the terms and continues to keep close to Him anyone who chooses to remain (John 10:27-29 and 15:4-10; Romans 8:38-39). Jesus expects devotees to openly profess Christ to others (Matthew 10:32), to confess sins and repent, and to bear one another’s burdens (James 5:13-16). They must honor the Father with everything they are and have, in complete devotion, and love one another charitably (Matthew 22:37-40). Loving actions born of faith prove allegiance to the Father through the Son (e.g., John 14:15 and 21; 15:8). Finally, Christ-followers are obligated to grow in spirit and to make disciples who, in turn, create more disciples (e.g., Ephesians 4:11-16 and Matthew 28:18-20).

Blessings. God’s blessings for those He knows include receiving His Spirit now and partnership in the age to come. However, curses also await those God does not know—anyone who has rejected Him, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Knowing God isn’t enough—He must ‘know’ us by our obedient love (1 Corinthians 8:3).

Curses. Refusing or walking away from a relationship with God carries negative consequences. For instance, Jesus teaches that anyone who does not obey the call to be charitable to others will face judgment and destruction (John 15:6; Matthew 25:41-46). The same fate awaits those whose practices oppose God’s standard. The Psalmist David calls for the unrighteous to be removed from the Book of Life (Psalm 69:28). Similarly, Jesus tells John that He will not remove the names of the righteous from the Book (Revelation 3:5). Finally, the names of those who will choose poorly and align with the end-times Antichrist will be absent from it (Revelation 13:8 and 17:8).

Devote and stay. A fruitful and continuing relationship demands that both parties remain in and true to the agreement. The covenant with the Father through Christ is no exception. The language used to denote the need to remain in a relationship with the Father refers to staying put. In scriptures such as John 15:4-10, Jesus explains the need to stay with the Father and the Son, sometimes using conditional statements that insist people can choose to remain or leave. The apostle John continues the theme in 1 John 4:16.

In summary, your Creator has called you back to Him through Jesus. It’s your turn: devote yourself, be charitable, and stay. Next? The dangers of spiritual emptiness and its cure.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv; DMin)

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Covenant Revisited: Part I

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God’s children are in a covenantal relationship with Him. It’s a committed, faithful bond in which God graciously promises to be with and for His people, and they respond with trust, obedience, and devotion. It’s not merely a contract but a living relationship marked by love, loyalty, and ongoing renewal. We’ll further unpack God’s relational nature and the covenant with Him in the next two articles, updated from the original 2021 publication.

God has sought partnership with His creation since the beginning of human time, when He charged the first man, Adam, with caring for what He had made. Adam cultivated the garden and named the animals (Genesis 1:26-30 and 2:15-20). From then on, a relational God who endowed humans with the ability to choose Him has regularly sought “I will if you will” engagements.

Probably the earliest example of a two-way covenant with God was the one He established with Abraham. In Genesis 15:1-21 and 17:1-14, we learn that God entered into a relationship with Abraham to fulfill a promise to provide a way back and to redeem creation after Adam and Eve’s rebellion. The covenant was based on an ancient Hittite suzerain-vassal framework that outlined the relationship between the lord of the land and its occupants. The lord demanded complete devotion and allegiance, along with a tithe (10%) of what the land produced. In return, subjects received protection and provision. This was the standard arrangement in Abraham’s time and included a preamble listing the parties involved and a historical prologue providing the “basis of obligation.”

Furthermore, the covenantal agreement included stipulations (terms and conditions), blessings for obedience, and curses for disobedience. Regular readings of the treaty were necessary to keep it foremost in participants’ minds. That God used it should come as no surprise, given that Father and Son have always employed human language, practices, and figures of speech in communicating with us. The lord-servant arrangement was what Abraham knew, and it would have made sense to him. God continued what He had started by reaffirming the agreement through Moses 500 years later.

God remembered His covenant with the people of Israel when they were captives in Egypt (Exodus 2:24). After their rescue by Moses, God confirmed the treaty using the same suzerain/vassal framework:

1.         Preamble/Title: “I am Yahweh your God . . .”          

2.         Prologue: “. . . who brought you up out of the land” (provides obligations and motive).

3.         Stipulations/Obligations: “You shall have no other gods before me. . . .”

4.         Periodic reading of the treaty.

5.         Witnesses.

6.         Curses and blessings.

Additional covenantal artifacts exist in scriptures such as Deuteronomy 4:32-40, 6:4-25, and chapter eight.

In summary, a God who exercises choice created humans with the same ability, and He sought reciprocal relationships with willing participants in the Old Covenant (Old Testament). Next time, we’ll see that this is still the case in the New Covenant.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley (MDiv; DMin)

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Are You ‘Saved?’ – Part Two

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Someone told me this when I was 16: “All you have to do to be saved from hell is believe in Jesus and say this silent prayer.” It sounded too good to be true, and I thought, “Surely, there must be more to a relationship with God!” Now I can tell you that rescue from hell is possible only through an active, two-way relationship (covenant) with Him that we need to foster… do our part… until we die or the world ends. But this isn’t what many Protestants believe.

In Part One of this series, I defined salvation as both a rescue from God’s future wrath (will be saved) and the process of being made whole (being saved). I also noted that salvation involves two main parts: (1) entering a relationship with God and (2) remaining in that relationship. Here, I will expand on these points and explain their elements.

Enter a relationship (covenant) with God. Some believe that everyone is on the fast track to hell unless God occasionally rescues someone. Others teach that everyone will be saved. The truth: Anyone can choose salvation, but not everyone will … or stay if they do.

• Who. “… God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4).

• Why. “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.” (1 Peter 3:18—see also 1 John 2:2).

• How. Entry into the relationship, like a marriage, requires experience, decision, and devotion: “He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.” (John 1:7; 20:31) and “… confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved …” (Romans 10:9-10).

Stay in the relationship. Honor God, be charitable to people, and abide (stay).

• Honor God with all you are and have (e.g., Matthew 22:34-40).

• Be charitable (love others through a fruitful faith). “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share …” (1 Timothy 6:18). Otherwise, “… faith, if it has no works, is dead.” (James 2:17)

• Persevere. “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. … If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away … and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (Matthew 24:13; John 15:6).

Summary. Partner with God for transformation, rescue, and eternal life by devoting yourself fully to Him and remaining in the relationship. What’s next? Many Christians view their connection to a heavenly Father (which should be a covenant) as a one-sided affair with a lovesick God. So we’ll work to better understand it. Meanwhile, honor God, be charitable, love justice and mercy, and focus on purity and spiritual growth.

Blessings and peace,
Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv; DMin.

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Are You ‘Saved?’ – Part One

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“Are you saved, brother?” two guys asked me for several days about 40 years ago. I initially replied, “Yep!” Finally, I responded, “I was saved the first time you asked me, and I’m still saved!” What does salvation mean, and how do we attain it? We’ll explore this in a two-part series.

Salvation Defined. In Biblical Greek, it means to rescue, protect, or restore. The specific meaning varies based on the context, and the Bible often describes salvation as a future rescue from God’s end-of-the-world wrath: “… for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5) Meanwhile, we are “being” saved—being made whole (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:18).

Salvation relies on choosing, engaging in, and maintaining a healthy relationship with God. Therefore, rescue from God’s wrath requires free-will decision and action, as the Bible teaches and the earliest Church affirmed.

What the Bible teaches and the earliest Church believed. Ancient Church fathers (and the Bible!) taught that salvation has two parts: (1) entering a relationship with God; (2) staying in that relationship. Entry requires a decision and dedication (e.g., John 1:7 and 20:31; Romans 10:9-10). Staying requires obeying God’s commands to honor Him and to love others charitably—doing good works (e.g., James 2:14-26; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Timothy 6:18; Hebrews 10:24; Revelation 20:13). As a result, apostles and early Church fathers emphasized that belief and action go hand in hand: “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. … You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:17 & 24).

Staying also requires perseverance: “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. … If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (Matthew 24:13; John 15:6). So, who is called by God to believe, devote, and persevere?

Who. God wants everyone to have a relationship with Him (1 Timothy 2:4). So Jesus died to pay the penalty for humanity’s rebellion (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:2). The reality is, though, that not everyone will follow the narrow path to salvation.

The path to salvation. Contrary to popular beliefs, faith alone, silent prayers or fruitless faith will not save you. Instead, the Bible teaches that the way to eternal life follows this basic approach: Experience and decide, devote yourself to God, honor Him, be charitable to people, and stay in the relationship. Dissecting and explaining these steps will be the focus of Part Two.

Summary. Salvation involves being rescued from God’s wrath and experiencing a present transformation. Building and maintaining a relationship with God is essential to navigating these life-changing events. Next time, I will discuss the elements of the pathway that lead to new life and rescue from God’s wrath.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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World War III?

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I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard or read that we’re on the verge of a third world war (WWIII)! Some even believe the war has already begun. Many, especially Evangelicals, think WWIII is tied to end-of-the-world prophecies. Is this true? Or are people just overreacting? I’ll discuss these questions here to help ease fears or anxiety.

Is World War III starting or about to happen? Probably not. Deep alliances, divisions, and failed diplomacy — like those that led to the first two world wars — aren’t at pre-war levels. And although Jesus showed several signs of the end times, current events don’t match anything more than ‘birth pains’ leading to the end. This has been true for 2,000 years, and it will be, with the frequency and intensity of events foretold by Jesus increasing significantly as the end approaches.

Unfortunately, people often believe that current conflicts and natural disasters indicate the end of the world, leading to fears of a looming global war like biblical Armageddon. However, these predictions have recurred throughout history. For example, the Crusades, the Black Plague, the Napoleonic Wars, both World Wars, the Cold War, and Y2K have caused Christians to think the world was ending. Adding to the confusion are Nostradamus’ cryptic prophecies, which some interpret as signs of imminent disaster or biblical prophetic fulfillment.

It’s true that close alliances and divisions among nations, or an event that triggers a major conflict involving them, can lead to a large-scale war. Territorial expansion, dominance, military buildup, and failed diplomacy might signal a global conflict, as seen with both World Wars. Still, we should focus on hope, not despair—on biblical and historical truths, not on distorted media hype, prophecies, or YouTube sensationalism.

What does the Bible reveal about World War III? Nothing. The Bible does suggest there will be at least two major conflicts: the Armageddon of Revelation 16:12-16 and 19:11-21, and the Gog-Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20:8-9. However, neither Armageddon nor the Gog-Magog wars qualify as world wars. Both involve or are against God, and at least the Gog-Magog war targets Israel during a time of peace. Currently, Israel is seen as an aggressor, not a peacetime victim. Also, God is not openly a combatant as He will be in both conflicts I mentioned. Nonetheless, how should we behave?

How should we respond? Paul teaches us to persevere through trials, which builds character and hope (Romans 5:3-4). Jesus also encourages us by saying that those who “endure to the end will be saved” (rescued from God’s wrath to come in the last days—Matthew 10:22 and 24:13). Meanwhile, spend more time honoring God and loving people than watching or reading media outlets!

In short, we’re unlikely to see WWIII or the end of the world anytime soon. Still, we must stay strong and faithful during difficult times. In the next column, I’ll try to unravel the mystery of ‘salvation.’

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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Spiritual Donuts

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Muscle cars, parking lots, and hot chicks! Yep. You’ve gotta love the seventies and eighties (or not)! Reminiscing, I thought: “Ron! Remember punching the accelerator on your car in a parking lot to hear all the ‘squeaking’ and smell burnt rubber? Remember how you thought the girls would be impressed?” My response to myself: “Well, of course!” And my answer to my reply? “Ron! You were an idiot! You wasted gas, used up perfectly good clutches and tires, and ended up dateless anyway!” Sigh . . . It’s true. But the situation made me think: “Do we do something similar in our Christianity: spin around in circles, pointlessly wasting resources?” The simple answer is YES!

First, let’s look at the God-given resources we often waste or keep to ourselves. These are meant to empower us to be effective partners in introducing people to His Kingdom, and they include spiritual skills, superpowers, and assignments:

Skills. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul explains that the Spirit enables people to become Christian apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. You can also add helpers and administrators to the list (1 Corinthians 12:28). For what purpose? To equip others in the Body of Christ to be faithful, helpful, and complete.

Superpowers. Furthermore, the Spirit occasionally empowers us to do really cool stuff at a particular time and for a specific reason according to God’s desires. These ‘superpowers’ include wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, spiritual discernment, and human and heavenly languages (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 & 28).

Assignments. We were made, and are equipped, for doing good works (Ephesians 2:10). We must honor God with all we are and have and be charitable (Matthew 22:34-40). And we must make the most of every moment by being righteous as He desires (Ephesians 5:13-21).

Second, spiritually doing donuts by not using our God-given resources and wasting what’s good and meant for others is genuinely robbing God! Sharing what He has given to build up His people is impossible, though, if we don’t hang out with them: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together . . ..” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Stealing from God, forsaking others, and wasting God-given gifts and skills by ‘spinning spiritual wheels’ will have consequences! For instance, in the parable of the talents: “. . . . Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:14-30) And Jesus repeats this fate in Matthew 25:31-46.

In summary, God wishes to equip you for partnership in this age and the next. Don’t be wasteful or stingy! What about the following article? Let’s uncover how God seeks partners, not affirmation, zombies, or spiritual couch potatoes!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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God’s Names & Attributes

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Father of lights. Father of spirits. Creator, daddy, healer, and provider. All label and describe the One who was, is, and is to come. And, as He is, God cares for His children as no other. What follows is a sampling of God’s many attributes, starting with His name.

  • God’s name. Hebrew YHVH is His formal name, usually pronounced as Jehovah or Yahweh. Conversely, the Bible mentions ‘in the name’ of God or Christ. Just ending a prayer “In Jesus’ name!” is not what this means—it’s their power, character, and authority by which followers must operate.
  • Creator & Father. “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven.” (Genesis 2:4)
  • Daddy. One of the coolest names of God is Abba, which means ‘daddy’ or ‘papa:’ “And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me …” (Mark 14:36)
  • King/Lord. “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:24)
  • Shepherd (YHVH Rohi). Psalm 23:1-3 reflects this attribute: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes … He leads … He restores … He guides …”
  • Healer (YHVH Rapha). Exodus 15:26 states “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”
  • Provider (YHVH Jireh). God gives so many things, including food, shelter, money, transportation, and salvation.
  • Savior. We see the saving hand of YHVH through His Son, whom we call Jesus, who obediently came to earth, lived as a human, died a horrible death, and was raised by the Father to be the first of many who would be raised on the last day: “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1John 4:14)
  • Judge. YHVH’s Son will judge everyone at the end of this age. Some will then enter eternal life. Others will experience eternal destruction (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46): “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

Summary. God can be Father, Daddy, Creator, Healer, Provider, and Savior. Is He yours? Next time, we’ll dive into the complex topic of divorce. Meanwhile, remember the Father of Spirits and honor Him appropriately.

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

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What God Hates

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While God loves many things, there are things He hates. Some, such as sexual immorality and deviousness (Proverbs 3:32), are disgusting—an abomination, according to the ancient language (Hebrew to-ay-baw’, to-ay-baw’). This makes sense, as He designed us to reflect His character and behave as He created us. Anything else is disrespectful and counter to God’s design. Here, we’ll focus on several categories of disgusting things after considering why they happen. But, before we do, a caveat: All rebellion against God is bad, and none is better or worse than another—the same fate awaits all who practice such things.

Why do we do stuff that God hates? Self-centeredness that seeks personal pleasure over obedience to God. Verse 1 John 2:16 states that, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;” these become the root of all kinds of abominations. Sexual immorality is an excellent example and one that deserves special attention because many Christian leaders have turned bad into good and corrupted the Church.

Sexual immorality. This includes adultery, prostitution, incest, bestiality, pedophilia, and homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13; Deuteronomy 22:5). Redefining the ancient language, distorting history, or promoting a self-gratifying love to legitimize disgusting behavior in the Church won’t make it less so or soften God’s response. See my related article for additional information (https://ronbraley.blog/2022/11/10/weed-patrol-weeds-beget-weeds-part-two-sexual-immorality/). Dishonoring God in a variety of ways is also something He hates.

Dishonoring God. Besides what I’ve already listed, God hates our prioritizing other gods, spiritual or material. Lying, especially to the detriment of others, and wicked behavior are also disgusting according to God (Proverbs 12:22; Exodus 20:16). God hates the abuse of His name (Exodus 20:7), which concerns His character and authority, not syllables. For instance, Ezekiel 13:6 condemns prophets who “see false visions and utter lying divinations” and claim, “This is what the Lord declares,” when He has not spoken. See also Jeremiah 14:14 and 23:16 and Deuteronomy 18:20. If I only had a dollar for every time I heard, “The Spirit said this…” or “God told me that …”)! God also hates the poor treatment of people.

Hurting people. Sexual immorality, lying, and injustice that God hates, as I’ve already mentioned, negatively affect humans. Add murder, theft, malice, slander, and envy (e.g., Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). God commands us to love our neighbors charitably. So, the lack of love would be something He also hates, as evidenced by the hell-bound nature of those who don’t care for the less fortunate. Matthew 25:31-46 tells us that we’ll be judged for how we care for them. And Jesus chided the Pharisees for honoring the religious tithe instead of treating people appropriately (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42).

Summary. God hates, and often finds disgusting, behaviors that violate His standards and dishonor Him and hurt people. Next, let’s learn more about God through His names and attributes!

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.