Jesus Hated This

But you have this in your favor:
You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jesus — Revelation 2:6

There are only two times in scripture where Jesus clearly says He hates something. Both appear in Revelation chapter 2, and both refer to the practices of the Nicolaitans.

That’s interesting. Because most of what we hear about Jesus today focuses on His love, His mercy, and His kindness. And all of that is true. But we rarely talk about the things Jesus hated.

So who were the Nicolaitans? And what were their practices that stirred up such strong words from Jesus?

The Nicolaitans were a sect of so called “Christians” who tried to live with one foot in and one foot out. They claimed to follow the gospel, but also embraced the culture of the world. They tolerated idol worship. They justified sexual immorality. They wanted to be tolerant. They didn’t want to offend mainstream culture. They wanted to be inclusive. Sound familiar? They taught that God’s grace covered everything — so nothing really needed to change. You could continue living the ways of the world.

They lived with what we’d now call a “cheap grace” mentality.

Jesus hated this.

Scripture is clear: “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no.” (Matthew 5:37)
James says, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)

We’re not called to blend in with the world — God says we have been set apart.

You can’t add Jesus to your life like an accessory, choosing the parts you like and ignoring the ones you don’t. That’s lukewarm faith. And Jesus said, “Because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)

If you want to be a man after God’s own heart…
If you say you follow Jesus…
Then it’s time to put away the things Jesus hates.

Tear down the idols.
Refuse to compromise with the world.
Reject the lie that you can keep on sinning just because grace exists.

Don’t live as a Nicolaitan.