We may not use the word "abomination" very often in our daily lives, but it is an important word in the Bible, and thus we should know what it means.

There are three Hebrew words in the Old Testament which are translated as "abomination" - to'ebah, sheqets and piggul. All these world are similar in meaning (they refer to something that is disgusting). They mostly differ in degree.

In the New Testament, the word "abomination" is translated from the Greek word bdelugma which refers to "an object of disgust." A similar Greek word (bdelusso - translated "abhor") means to turn oneself away from a stench. No doubt you have smelled something so foul that it turned your stomach and made you sick. This is what we should have in our mind when we read the word "abomination" in the Bible. It is talking about something God finds to be so foul and offensive that He wants to turn away His head in disgust.

There are a number of things identified as an "abomination" in the Bible. In this short article, we will take a look at three things which should be of interest to Christians today.

Abortion. Idolatry was an abomination to God; not just the existence of the idol, but also the manner in which the idol was worshiped. "You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods" (Deut. 12:31). Despite this warning, God's people eventually gave themselves to doing the unthinkable - offering their own children in fire to a pagan god (Jer. 7:30-31). Today, people offer their unborn children to the god of personal choice and freedom from the undesirable consequences of their fornication. They call it "abortion," but God calls it an ABOMINATION.

Homosexuality. God clearly identified homosexuality as an abomination - "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination" (Lev. 18:22). Paul said it is against nature and shameful (Rom. 1:26-27). However, some people in our society have determined it is a wholesome and acceptable lifestyle, and have repeatedly proven they will badger and intimidate those who claim otherwise. What they celebrate as an "alternate lifestyle" is still condemned by God as an ABOMINATION.

Transgender Issues. This topic has come to the forefront of our minds lately, not only on the national level (Bruce Jenner), but also on a local level (the Troy City School System is dealing with this issue). The Bible addresses transgender issues. "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God" (Deut. 22:5). This passage is not condemning the practice of wearing costumes for parties or performances. It is dealing with a man passing himself off in society as a woman, and a woman passing herself off in society as a man. Today such people are called "courageous," but God calls their practice an ABOMINATION.

While we may take comfort in knowing we are not guilty of the sins listed above, let us remember that a great number of other sins are considered an abomination by God: "These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:16-19).

What a tragedy it would be to discover that, while we are trying to please God with our lives, we are actually living a life that God finds to be disgusting and offensive, and thus lose our eternal soul (Rev. 21:27)!