God chose to communicate to mankind by using words. Words have meaning. The Bible (i.e., the Scriptures) is the way God has chosen to make known His will to us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When God reveals that sins are an abomination in His sight, they remain an abomination, no matter what you or I may think or feel. The attitude of true believers is easily summed up. "The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it - no matter what you or I think!"
In the Old Testament "abomination" is sometimes used to refer to those foods that were unclean to Jews according the Law of Moses. This prohibition included some of our favorites, such as catfish (Leviticus 11:10-12) and meat from swine (pork, ham, and bacon - Leviticus 11:7). To the religious Jew, eating such would be the same way as most of us feel about eating rattlesnake steak. However, in the New Testament, these dietary prohibitions have been done away (Acts 10:10-16 and 1 Timothy 4:1-6).
Abomination is defined as "(1) an object of disgust or hatred. (2) a feeling of hatred." The connotation in the English is "that which is exceptionally loathsome, hateful, sinful, wicked, or vile." Too many Americans today have been "brain washed" into believing that sinful abominations are not loathsome, hateful, wicked or vile. After all, "Everybody is doing it."
The apostle Peter, in his second epistle (2 Peter 3:1-11), gives a description of what Christians faced in the first century. They are not very different from what the church faces today. Peter points out, "that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? (verse 3-4)." Peter goes on to emphasize:
1. They are willingly ignorant of the flood by which God destroyed that world. Verses 5-6.
2. Our world "is reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition [or destruction] of ungodly men." Verse 7.
3. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."
God stated for the saved, "there would be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain," and that Christians that overcome shall inherit all things. On the other hand, "the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:4-8)"
Dale I. Royal, Elk City OK.
