Lesson 10

Practices That God Hates

How should you feel about things that God says are bad? (1)

What kinds of sexual conduct are wrong? (2)

How should a Christian view lying? (3) gambling? (3) stealing? (3) violence? (4) spiritism? (5) drunkenness? (6)

How can a person break free from bad practices? (7)

1. Servants of God love what is good. But they must also learn to hate what is bad. (Psalm 97:10) That means avoiding certain practices that God hates. What are some of those practices?

2. Fornication: Sex before marriage, adultery, bestiality, incest, and homosexuality are all serious sins against God. (Leviticus 18:6; Romans 1:26, 27; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10) If a couple are not married but are living together, they should separate or else get legally married.—Hebrews 13:4.

3. Lying, Gambling, Stealing: Jehovah God cannot lie. (Titus 1:2) Persons who want his approval must avoid lying. (Proverbs 6:16-19; Colossians 3:9, 10) Every form of gambling is tainted by greed. So Christians do not take part in any kind of gambling, such as lotteries, horse racing, and bingo. (Ephesians 5:3-5) And Christians do not steal. They do not knowingly buy  stolen property or take things without permission.—Exodus 20:15; Ephesians 4:28.

4. Fits of Anger, Violence: Uncontrolled anger can lead to acts of violence. (Genesis 4:5-8) A violent person cannot be God’s friend. (Psalm 11:5; Proverbs 22:24, 25) It is wrong to take revenge or to return evil for the bad things that others might do to us.—Proverbs 24:29; Romans 12:17-21.

5. Magical Spells and Spiritism: Some people call on the power of the spirits to try to heal sicknesses. Others cast spells on their enemies to make them sick or even to kill them. The power behind all these practices is Satan. So Christians must not take part in any of them. (Deuteronomy 18:9-13) Staying close to Jehovah is the best protection from spells that may be cast on us by others.—Proverbs 18:10.

6. Drunkenness: It is not wrong to drink a little wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverage. (Psalm 104:15; 1 Timothy 5:23) But heavy drinking and drunkenness are wrong in God’s eyes. (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 1 Timothy 3:8) Drinking too much can ruin your health and disrupt your family. It can also cause you to give in very quickly to other temptations.—Proverbs 23:20, 21, 29-35.

7. Persons who practice things that God says are bad will “not inherit God’s kingdom.” (Galatians 5:19-21) If you really love God and want to please him, you can break free from these practices. (1 John 5:3) Learn to hate what God says is bad. (Romans 12:9) Associate with people who have godly habits. (Proverbs 13:20) Mature Christian companions may prove to be a source of help. (James 5:14) Above all, rely on God’s help through prayer.—Philippians 4:6, 7, 13.

[Pictures on page 20, 21]

God hates drunkenness, stealing, gambling, and acts of violence