Bible Insights | CafeLogos.org
The rushing mighty wind of the Holy Spirit blew open the doors of religion, filling the hearts and minds of the recipients of that wind with the ensuing fire of a new beginning. The first century outpouring was the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded by the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28).
Among the recipients of that Holy Spirit anointing power was a disciple named Stephen. He is described as, “A man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,” and who did “great wonders and miracles among the people (Acts 6:5,8).
Knowing God
Many of the Jews did not understand that this new sect of Judaism that embraced Jesus as the Messiah, was the fulfillment of the prophecy that there would be a new covenant to replace the one that had been broken (Jeremiah 31:31,32). As a result, they accused Stephen of speaking “blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
These men who professed to be devout followers of Moses and the law, stirred up the people against Stephen and distorted his words by setting up false witnesses against him (Acts 6:11-13).
Stephen boldly faced his accusers before the high priest, and defended himself by relating the history of his people from Abraham to Solomon, citing instances where God’s people had failed to obey the Lord, which ultimately resulted in the Babylonian captivity (Acts 6:43).
Stephen declared, “ You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it” (Acts 7:51-53).
In response to Stephen’s accurate assessment of their own hypocrisy, they proceeded to drag him out of the city and stoned him to death, proving that the disciple’s assessment of their spiritual condition was correct. These ones who professed to know God, actually proved they did not by again violating God’s law by breaking His commandments, “You shall not kill,” and bearing false witness (Deuteronomy 6:17, 20).
Moses was truly seeking to know the wondrous Being that had so miraculously revealed Himself to this man who is described as “ very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). In his humility Moses prayed, “Now therefore I pray you, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know you” ( Exodus 33:3).
If anyone is genuinely interested in another person, it is natural to want to know all about them. Therefore, those who profess love for God, naturally should want to know more about Him, like Moses.
God’s word is replete with what He has said it means to know Him, and we can know who really knows Him by examining the fruit or works they exhibit in their lives. What are the things He says in His word that is the evidence that someone genuinely knows Him? What are the things that God loves, what does He hate?
Years ago I was visiting a church in California where the young pastor was mocking a book someone had given him called, “What God hates.” The gist of his message was that God doesn’t hate anything. This pastor obviously never bothered to read the book or the Bible upon which it was based.
There are many things God says in His word that He hates. Let’s take some time to sit down at the Lord’s feet, and listen to what He says He loves and hates so we can avoid doing things that would offend Him.
One of those things He says He hates is religion without obedience.-
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.
You take away from Me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your viols.
But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream (Amos 5:21-24).
Amos is reiterating what other messengers of the Lord relayed to the people in the time before the Babylonian captivity and the destruction of Jerusalem. God says:
Your habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, says the LORD. – Jeremiah 9:6
The priests said not, ‘Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew Me not:…Jeremiah 2:8
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, says the LORD. –Jeremiah 9:3
Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom you know not; - Jeremiah 7:9
(Howbeit I sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. – Jeremiah 44:4)
And come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? – Jeremiah 7:10
(Sounds a lot like grace abuse, doesn’t it?)
For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. - Jeremiah 4:22
Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. – Jeremiah 5:4
These are the things that you shall do; You speak every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says the LORD. – Zechariah 8:16,17
We can see that there are definitely things that God says He hates. Proverbs 6:16-19, provides us with a list of things He hates. -
16 These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.
In addition to those things, the Lord adds that he hates divorce.
Yet you say, Wherefore? Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously: yet is she your companion, and the wife of your covenant.
And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says that He hates putting away: for one covers violence with his garment, says the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously. – Malachi 2:14-16
Some surveys have revealed that the divorce rate among Christians is on par with the divorce rate among non-believers.
God says He hates people who love violence. –
The LORD tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that loves violence His soul hates. - Psalm 11:5
How many Christians allow themselves to be entertained by images of violence on movies, TV and the internet?
The Lord abhors covetousness. –
For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the LORD abhors. - Psalm 10:3
The Apostle Paul likens courteousness to idolatry, and believers are exhorted to be content (Colossians 3:5, Hebrews 13:5). Yet, the prosperity doctrine has been permitted to run rampant in the church, titillating the carnal, covetous mind away from a sound Biblical perspective.
God also said, that he loved Jacob, but He hated Esau (Malachi 1:2,3).
Esau stepped into the darkness of God’s rejection when he willingly sold his birthright for a bowl of lentils to gratify his flesh. His disdain for the things of God has a counterpart in all those who are willing to deny their salvation to spare their own lives. He that loves his life shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal (John 12:25).
The same spirit of compromise that infected Esau, is reflected in the deeds of the Nicolaitans “Which I also hate.”- Revelation 2:6.
According to the historian Mosheim, the Nicolaitans were the Gnostics, who used Jesus as a figurehead, but denied the atonement and were morally corrupt. This same spirit is rampant in many churches today that bear the Christian label, but spiritually are centuries removed from a true Biblical, apostolic Christianity.
As we look back over the history of Israel and the Christian church, we can see a plethora of instances where people who professed to know God, actually did not, as evident by their actions. Jesus said we shall know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16). A good tree produces good fruit, a bad tree produces bad fruit (Matthew 7:17). These words were spoken by Someone who actually knew God; “But I know Him: for I am from Him, and He has sent Me" (John 7:29).
Jesus is the image of God; not only His representative, but also the image of righteousness and humility that God wants people to follow.
We know that Jesus came to “give His life for a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28), and that He died to remove our sins and give us the free gift of eternal life (John 3:16). We dine at His table of forgiveness and mercy, and gladly receive the feast of all the good things He gives us by believing: but then do we wipe our mouths, get up from that table and proceed to live our lives led by the lusts and desires of our flesh? Do we, like ancient Israel deny God by our actions?
Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
The Apostle John says:
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that says, I know him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoever keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him. - I John 2:3-5
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him(the Father) that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. – I John 5:20
Jesus said:
And this is life eternal, that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. – John 17:3
If You had known Me, you should have known My Father also: and from henceforth You know Him, and have seen Him. – John 14:7
It is God’s desire to be unified with His people. Repentance and Faith in Jesus’ atonement releases the Holy Spirit into the believer making union with God possible. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise to be spiritually “Married” to His people.-
And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth you to Me in faithfulness: and you shall know the LORD. – Hosea 2:19,20
Unified with God, His Spirit leads the willing heart to practice the things that please Him.-
Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother:
And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. - Zechariah 7:9,10
He (Josiah) judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? says the LORD. - Jeremiah 22:16
Thus says the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, says the LORD. – Jeremiah 9:23,24
Jesus said that those who persecute Christians do not know God. -
They shall put you out of the synagogues: yes, the time comes, that whoever kills you will think that he does God service.
And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. - John 16:2,3.
As the stones were raining down on Stephen, he exhibited the fruit of knowing God by loving and forgiving those who were exhibiting their fruit of hatred upon his righteous soul.
If we are genuinely seeking to know God, then we will learn that to know Him is to love what He loves and hate what He hates. He loves people. He hates what hurts that which He loves and that is sin. Love the good and hate evil as He hates evil. Evil has tentacles, and we must be willing to let the Lord cut off any evil influences in our lives.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil - Proverbs 8:13
Hate the evil and love the good - Amos 5:9
Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good – Romans 12:9
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:21
For the righteous LORD loves righteousness; His countenance does behold the upright Psalm 11:7
Copyright 2025 by H.D. Shively