Scripture doesn’t treat every wrongdoing the same way, and it actually warns against some sins more than others because they’re things God hates or because they’re simply detestable.
Lying
One of the strongest warnings in the Bible is about deception. It appears in Proverbs 6, which strongly warns believers against having a ‘lying tongue’ and being ‘a false witness who pours out lies.’
Revelation 21:8 also deals with the same issues far later, referring to liars as being some of the people facing a second death.
The passage in Revelation says that liars will end up in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, along with other sinners who commit equally evil acts. It doesn’t matter whether you’re telling a white lie or committing perjury.
Children and Occult
You’ll find several warnings in Deuteronomy 18:10-12 against quite a few different practices.
These include child sacrifice, divination, sorcery, interpreting omens, casting spells, consulting mediums, and trying to get guidance from the dead, each of which is a thing the Lord hates.
It actually goes on to talk about how nations were driven out because they committed these same practices. Yes, the section acts as instructions for the Israelites as they’re planning to enter a new land, but it still works as a warning for the modern Christian, too.
Blasphemy
Jesus draws a clear line in the Gospels, specifically in Matthew 12 and Mark 3, where he talks about how every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven. But there’s one exception.
The only thing that can’t be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Mark also refers to as being an eternal sin.
The phrase reappears in Mark 3:29 and Luke 12:10, which talk about such blasphemy, with the scene in Mark 3 coming directly after the moment when religious leaders accuse Jesus of using demonic power.
Even so, it’s pretty clear. Speaking false words against the Holy Spirit is something Christians should absolutely not do.
Other Gods
The Bible directly talks about the sin of worshiping other gods at the very start of the Ten Commandments.
It says in Exodus 20 that you should neither have other gods nor bow down to carved images, with later passages like Deuteronomy 17 also warning that idol worship is evil. It states that such behavior goes against God’s covenant.
The fact that the rule comes before any other commandments shows how seriously Christians should take this sin. But that’s not all. The passage also says you shouldn’t make any images of anything for worship because it’s a sin.
Innocent blood
Violence is a common part of many biblical stories. But it also specifically warns against killing innocent people in Proverbs 6:16-19.
It mentions how ‘hands that shed innocent blood’ are among the seven things that the Lord hates. In Psalm 5, it also describes bloodthirsty people as detestable.
It’s quite clear that harming those who have done nothing wrong is one of the worst things a person can do. These come alongside other habits mentioned in the same section that include lying and scheming, as well as spreading conflict.
Pride
No, pride is not a mere personality trait, at least not according to the Bible.
Proverbs 6 talks about how ‘haughty eyes’ are some of the things that God hates. Another passage, Proverbs 8:13, clearly states that the Lord hates both pride and arrogance. This other verse connects pride with arrogance and evil behavior.
Ezekiel 16 goes on to list pride as one of the sins connected to Sodom and the city’s downfall. As such, it seems rather clear that pride is something Christians should definitely try to avoid.
Planning Evil
It turns out that planning to do evil is actually as bad as the act itself. Proverbs 6 talks about someone with ‘a heart that devises wicked schemes,’ and it paints a picture of someone sitting down to intentionally commit evil deeds.
The specific passage from Proverbs treats planning to do evil as one of the seven behaviors that the Lord hates. Even if you don’t act on your plans, having the intention to do bad things is enough to count as a sin.
Rushing toward evil
The same section of Proverbs also warns against people having ‘feet that are quick to rush into evil.’ Essentially, it’s saying that someone who’s eager to do bad things, rather than showing hesitation or doubt, is committing a sin.
The Bible states that readiness to do evil is equally as bad as committing the evil act. It seems that someone who slips into sin more slowly is slightly more morally right than someone who immediately throws caution to the wind and accepts it.
Conflict
There’s a section towards the end of Proverbs 6:16-19 that tends to surprise a lot of people because it talks about a person who ‘stirs up conflict among brothers.’
A few translations change it to ‘among the community.’ But either way, it’s the seventh item in a list of things that God hates, and He actually finds it detestable.
What’s important here is the fact that He dislikes people who deliberately try to cause tension inside a group. Simply causing trouble doesn’t necessarily have to be a sin. But those who choose to be troublemakers might want to think about changing their approach to life.
Defrauding
Malachi 3:5 describes a scene where God claims He’ll step forward as a witness, then goes on to talk about how actions like defrauding laborers of their wages are a sin. It also mentions denying justice to widows, orphans, and foreigners as being equally evil.
Later, in James 5, the same theme about unpaid wages appears again, and it says that the withheld pay of workers is crying out. Take it as a lesson that keeping someone’s wages back is a grave mistake.
Immorality
You’re probably not surprised to learn that physically immoral activities appear several times as something that the Bible judges seriously.
In Malachi 3, God says He will testify against adulterers and other individuals, while in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, adulterers are included in a longer list of sinful people. The list also includes immoral people and thieves.
Drunkards and swindlers also get a mention in the same list as people who won’t inherit the kingdom of God because of their actions. The whole section is meant to address immoral behavior inside the church community.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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