By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.

It is easy, especially when we are living in a world riddled with sin, to become desensitized to sinful behavior. In all kinds of media, we see an array of acts that break God’s heart. And as these ideas and new cultural shifts become more and more commonplace, we grow numb to their presence.

While it might be difficult for us to imagine God becoming outraged, He does. Sin stirs His anger because He knows its evil potential. In Jeremiah 44:4, God says, “Again and again I sent my servants the prophets, who said, ‘Do not do this detestable thing that I hate!'” God is not merely disturbed by sin—He loathes it.

Sin is diametrically opposed to loving God. Sin breeds on the credence that says, “I don’t believe that God knows what is best for my life, so I’m going to do it my way. Whatever I feel, I’m going to do because that will make me happier than obeying God.”

At the root of sin is a defiance to God’s authority—a determination to live life any way but God’s way. And God hates this. He knows that when people develop this pattern of thinking, they are venturing down a dangerous road. In His infinite wisdom and love for us, God knows what is best—a life of freedom in Him, unshackled from sin.

To walk in the light of God’s love, we must understand how He feels about sin, and we must feel the same way. Sin should not simply annoy us. It should stir us to action, to repentance, and to prayer—motivating us to pray for ourselves and others. When we see sin, it should make us defiant toward the enemy and more determined to live holy lives.

Prayer: Lord, help me to realize the gravity of sin in my own life and the lives of those around me. Thank You for the precious blood of Christ that covers my every sin. Help me to confess and repent, turning away from evil and loathing it like You do. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).

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