Romans 1:18-32 shows very clearly that all unbelievers hate God. The text does not use the word hate, but if we are looking at what it means to hate God Romans 1:18-32 gives us what that means in a very practical way. We tend to think of hatred as being anger and detesting of another with the desire to do them harm. We might think of it as only hot feelings set against another. But Scripture drives us to other ways of looking at hatred. As we have looked at in other BLOGS, hatred would include the inward displeasure with the character of another. That means that to hate another takes on a far broader meaning. Romans 1:18-20 tells us that God is obvious to all people because God makes Himself evident to them. He makes Himself evident to them by making Himself known within them and then through nature. As a result of these things all human beings are without excuse.
Yet, verse 21 tells us that even though all people know God, these people do not honor Him as God or give thanks. Instead of honoring Him, they become futile in their speculations and their heart is darkened. The foolish heart that is darkened is proud and thinks of itself wise when in fact that heart has become foolish. What that dark and foolish heart does is to exchange the glory of God for forms of humans and animals. What is this but a trading the knowledge and worship of God for the worship of false gods in the form of humans and animals? That is an act of hatred toward God. The response of God is to turn them over to the lusts of their hearts. The sin that they fall into is their punishment. The hatred that they have of God leads them to suppress the truth of Him even more and so they are turned over to more and more darkness. Their hatred of God becomes a greater hatred. In doing this what we see is that the dark and foolish heart of human beings exchanges the truth of God for a lie. The creature is then worshipped. This is a practical hatred of God.
In human terms if a person takes the known character of a second person and then intentionally turns from the known character to say terrible things of the second person, we would call that hatred. That is what unbelievers do to God. This would, of course, include many in the religious world as well. The text does not exclude religious people, but in fact mentions idolatry (in practice) several times. What we have, then, is a description of the heart that hates God. This is a heart that lives as it lives by exchanging the truth of who God is so that it can go on in its sin. This leads to more sin which is in itself hatred of God. Unbelievers do not just live for themselves, which they wholeheartedly do, but in living for self they are also being the image of the devil in the world. Their life of sin is an act of enmity toward God and the seed of the woman. Sin itself is hatred toward God in that it is an act which shows a person detests the character of God in His holiness and loves the opposite of holiness which is sin. The more one is given over to sin the more one is given over to hatred of God.
Verse 28 shows the same point as well. This knowledge of God that God has made evident to people within them and to them (v. 19) they do not want to retain. This refusal to acknowledge God is really a refusal to retain the knowledge of Him that He has placed within the human soul. This is an active displeasure toward the knowledge of God and is a desire for Him to cease from existence. The reason that this knowledge of God is pushed out with a refusal to recognize it is because sinners hate Him and do not want to recognize Him and His rights over them. When this knowledge is pushed out, suppressed, or cast away with detestation, this is an act of hatred toward God and is as opposite of the Great Commandment to love Him with all of the being that there can be. We are to pursue the knowledge of God and we are to love Him. But instead of pursuing more knowledge of God, unbelievers try to push out the knowledge of God that is there already. Instead of loving the God that they know, unbelievers hate that God and try to get Him out of their knowledge.
Day in and day out the unbeliever has a ferocious hatred of God as s/he will not acknowledge God and will not love Him. Day in and day out the unbeliever hates God and will not retain Him in knowledge but instead pursues sin which in itself is an act of hatred of God. When Jesus walked on earth He was hated because He was God in human flesh. The glory that unbelievers exchange for a lie and suppresses with all their energy was now walking and teaching among them. They hated Him so much that they killed Him. Scripture also promises believers now that if we wish to live godly in Christ Jesus we will also be persecuted (II Timothy 3:12). Why is that? True godliness is to be centered upon God. A true likeness of Christ is for us to shine forth Christ. People will hate that because they hate God. Imagine, then, what many do who try to make God a likeable character to people in evangelism. They have also hated God and so have changed Him to make Him acceptable to others and themselves. This is truly a great wickedness and is an act of hatred for God and for the Gospel of God.
God Loves... Himself 
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