Does God hate me?

Response

The concise response to the query “does God hate me?” is “no.” If you are a human being, then you have been created by your Creator to mirror His own likeness “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”, (Genesis 1:27). God cherishes what He has created, and He holds a special affection for human beings because we resemble Him the most. So, why do certain individuals assume that God harbors animosity towards them?

There are three primary reasons that lead some individuals to believe that their Creator despises them:

1. Sin. The initial and most apparent issue is that God is flawless while we are not “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”, (Romans 3:23). Our transgressions tarnish the image of God within us, making His righteousness and resemblance less evident. Since the fall in the Garden of Eden, humans have had a predisposition to desire to be their own gods (Genesis 3:1-6). We resist having a Supreme Authority dictate our actions. This rebellion against our Creator is the core of sin. Sin is rooted in the heart. It can manifest in overt forms like murder or in socially acceptable forms like ambition, lust, or greed. However, sin remains sin at its core, creating a gap between us and God.

If God detested us due to our sin, He would have eradicated Adam and Eve when they disobeyed Him. Yet, because God had endowed them with an eternal spirit akin to His own, He desired their eternal companionship. Therefore, God intervened in their lives and accomplished for them what they could not do on their own—He clothed their sin “And the LORD God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”, (Genesis 3:21).

m. », (Genesis 3:21). He is still doing that. When He took on human flesh and entered our world as Jesus Christ, He was demonstrating how much He loves us (John 3:16-18;Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus shed His own blood to cover our sin so that “whosoever believes in Him will not perish” «For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. », (John 3:16,36) «He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.», (John 3:16,36). This belief means that we acknowledge His right to rule over us. We voluntarily relinquish our insistence upon being our own gods and call Him Lord of our lives (Romans 10:8-10). God then adopts us as His own beloved children (Romans 8:15;Ephesians 1:5;1 John 3:1). As His children, we have the freedom to come to Him anytime «Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.», (Hebrews 4:16), find forgiveness when we mess up «If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9), and live in joyful anticipation of an eternal life in heaven with Him «These things haI have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life and continue to believe in the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13).

2. Misunderstanding of God. Another reason people may think that God hates them is due to having a distorted perception of who He is. The world is filled with distorted beliefs. Each man-made religion has its own concept of a supreme Being or force, much of which is human-made. Those brought up in such religious environments may struggle to let go of false teachings about God and accept the truth. Even certain Christian denominations, while starting with the God of the Bible, may focus on specific characteristics to the exclusion of others, presenting a skewed image of God’s character. Some individuals have been taught that God is angry with them, that they can never please Him, or that He plays favorites and they are not among them. Such incorrect teachings can lead them to believe throughout their lives that God would never desire to be close to them.

This false theology goes against the true teachings of God’s Word. James 4:7–10 provides insight into what is required to enter God’s presence: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God, and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

This passage includes several active steps that demonstrate a God who desires us to know Him. We are instructed to:

• Submit to God,

• Resist Satan,

• Approach God,

• Purify our lives from sinful deeds,

• Allow Jesus to cleanse our hearts,

• and humble ourselves before God.

We cannot draw close to God if we refuse to submit to Him.

1. Submission to God. We demonstrate our submission to Him by obeying His Word and resisting the traps, lies, and temptations of Satan. By recognizing and avoiding the devil’s traps, we can rid our lives of the behaviors that result from those lies. Once we acknowledge our sin, we seek Jesus’ forgiveness and purification. However, none of this is achievable unless we are willing to humble ourselves before the Lord.

2. Pride. The absence of humility is another reason why some individuals believe that God despises them. When they question, “Does God hate me?” what they often imply is, “Will God accept me with this persistent sin of mine that I have no intention of changing?” The unequivocal response from Scripture is “no.” When we define ourselves by a particular sin, it signifies that we are unwilling to allow Jesus to bestow His identity upon us “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”, (Romans 8:29). Repentance is a component of salvation, and we cannot embrace the new nature He offers “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) if we are unwilling to relinquish the old one “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”, (Luke 9:23). Pride demands that God conform to our desires—when He refuses to yield to us, we conclude that He detests us. Nevertheless, He does not yield to us because He loves us (John 3:16-18). If His path is the correct one, then the only compassionate action He can take is to require us to follow His path. Anything less would not be loving at all.

Pride was the initial sin (Isaiah 14:12-14) and the sin that corrupted humanity (Genesis 3:5-6;1 John 2:15-16). Pride may align with God on certain matters but insists on having the final say. When we elevate ourselves as God’s judges and juries, we are living in pride. When we critique His Word instead of allowing it to critique us, we are walking in pride «Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path. », (Psalm 119:105). Pride deceives us into believing that God’s unchanging standard is evidence that He despises us. Therefore, many times, individuals who proclaim that God detests them are defining themselves by a sin and insisting that God embrace that sin. He will embrace people, but they must rid themselves of pride and acknowledge their sin, agreeing with Him about the sin they are defending (John 6:37;1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

God does not hate anyone, in the sense of unfairly withholding blessings. However, those who, through their life choices, position themselves against Him cannot anticipate His blessings and protection (1 Samuel 2:30;Malachi 2:2). Those who opt for rebellion against God’s purpose for their lives will face the repercussions of their decisions (Matthew 7:13-14;25:41;John 3:36). They will spend eternity acknowledging the justice of their punishment for rejecting the sacrifice God’s Son made on their behalf (Luke 16:19-31;Hebrews 10:29). The good news is that we never have to face God’s righteous wrath for our sin if we accept Jesus as our substitute.

te (Romans 1:18;2 Corinthians 5:21). He took our punishment so that God’s love, not His wrath, could define our lives. If we reject all His attempts to bring us to Himself, He rejects us in the end and allows us to suffer the consequences «Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: For their deceit is falsehood. », (Psalm 119:118). As Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”