‘Hate the sin, love the sinner,’ is a popular statement. We have heard it quoted a lot in books, social media posts, podcasts, and even in Christian conversations when the discussion about how Christians should deal with people who willfully live in unrepented sin. We have been told or said, ‘God hates the sin but loves the sinner.’’ The world tells us that if we just show love, then all will be fine. It is also said in different ways like, “love the sinner not the sin” and “hate the sin not the sinner.”
Bumper-sticker theology is a problem when it only contains half-truths or no truth at all. Such is the problem with the statement, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” Although the statement is not outrightly wrong and unbiblical, many people may not understand its biblical meaning.
Christians Must Hate Sin
Christians must hate sin in all forms. Be it in speech, deed, or thoughts. All manner of sin must be fought against. The Bible says that believers are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:16-17), have been saved from sin, and should no longer continue living in it (Romans 6:1-2, 6:13-14). The time we spent serving sin is enough and now it is time to serve our King- Christ Jesus.
As long as hating the sin is concerned, a Christian has no alternative. Hating sin also means not having friendships with those who do not want to repent from their sins. To give approval to people’s sinful behaviors is also to participate in their sin.
If Christians do not warn their friends who are living in sin against the wrath of God on sin, then they are not loving to them. If you know your friend is in danger and you do not warn them, then you should not brag and boast that you love them.
Christians Must Love
The Bible is full of commands to Christians to love. God is love. Jesus commanded us to love one another and also our enemies. In Paul’s letter to Corinthians, Paul says that if we are even if we give our goods to the poor, give our bodies to be burned but we do not have love, we are nothing.
Does God Hate Sin?
God hates all sin for sin is a transgression of his law. His law is pure and good and Holy. God is wrathful against all kinds of sin and he will punish. Sin is doing contrary to God’s commands. God hates the workers of iniquity and the iniquity.
If we do not repent of our sins, we will meet the wrath of God. God hates all the works of darkness and those who do not turn from their evil.
Does God Love Sinners?
God loves sinners. But we must be careful about how we understand his love toward sinners. God’s love for sinners is manifested in giving His only begotten son to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins (John 3:16). God’s justice demanded that the penalty for sin must be paid before any sinner could be saved.
We tend to think that since God is Love, he cannot hate. God is indeed love but He is not all Love. God is also Just, Holy, Merciful, Powerful, etc. Failure to understand this will get us to a very dangerous conclusion that God is like us.
Because God is Holy, He cannot set His eyes on that which is evil. He is also a Just God. Therefore, as a righteous judge, He will punish those who have broken His Holy Law. All mankind has broken God’s Law. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And because God is just, we all deserve wrath.
But because of His Love, He sent His only begotten Son to come and rescue us from His wrath. God’s love for sinners is made manifest in Christ Jesus, in that Christ died for their sins, paying in full the debt owed to them. Christ thus having been crucified for our sins, died, buried, and resurrected for our justification, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. We should then continue to live in the newness of life, mortifying the deeds of the flesh, resisting the devil, and being separate from the world.
God’s love for sinners is shown in the Gospel as he rescues sinners from sin. Do not boast of God’s love while you are continuing in sin.
Conclusion
Should we love the sinner and hate the sin? Yes, we show love to the sinner to share the gospel and hate the sin.
The statement, love the sinner hate the sin is indeed biblical but the understanding of it is just far off. Many people who are quick to say, “Hate the sin, love the sinner” do not understand what Biblical Love is as well as God’s character.