God is trying to teach me something. I am trying to figure out what and why. I went to a Good News Club training (evangelism for children) with another friend. After the training she commented she would not teach the “gospel in action” because it teaches God loves them, and she felt David Platt, author of “Radical” demonstrated that this teaching is false, because of scripture that states God hates sinners. Now, I have been filled with modern Christianity and cute clichés, so I found the statement unbelievable. I replied, “God hates sin.”
I began to research the “hate issue”- locating verses that used the term “hate” or “abhor”. I compiled a list of verses that showed
1. God hating an individual or group
2. God hating sin
3. Instructions concerning hate
While the list of verses showing examples of God hating sin surpassed those showing God hating an individual, I was honestly surprised that God ever hated anyone. I didn’t know that. I was hurt. I was shocked and confused. I couldn’t imagine hating my child. While almost every reference to God hating a group or individual is in the Old Testament, I did not feel that was enough of a reason to dismiss the apparent contradiction. I felt God wanted me to dig deep- past my pain, past my anger that he was not behaving in ways I thought he should.
On Sunday I led little children in the song, “Jesus loves me this I know…” In the back of my mind, I was thinking about this dilemma.
Then I caught up on my reading for the post. Guess what the reading covered? Two of the verses in Psalms described God hating and individual. Wow. God, you really want me to focus on this- what am I supposed to learn?
I compiled a lot of information on the topic of God hating sinners, both pro and con. I am in the process of sifting through it. I did watch a video clip of David Platt discussing an article referencing his book which states, “While it's a common pulpit truism that "God hates sin but loves the sinner," David Platt argues that God hates sinners.” In the video he agrees with the statement, but also expands it. He says God hates sinners, but he also loves them. He says both came together on the cross.
So, I am asking for more time. I will post a summary of my research soon, but I have submitted the verses I compiled for your perusal:
God Hating an Individual/Group:Psalm 5:5
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.
Psalm 5:6
6 You destroy those who tell lies;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
the LORD abhors.
Psalm 11:5
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.
Psalm 118:
The Lord hates…19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
Hosea 9:15
“Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
“Because of all their wickedness in Gilgal, I hated them there. Because of their sinful deeds, I will drive them out of my house. I will no longer love them; all their leaders are rebellious.
Malachi 1:3
but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
Leviticus 20:22-24
22 “‘Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.
Leviticus 26:29-31
29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
God hating actions:
Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.
Deut. 16:21-22
21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole[a] beside the altar you build to the LORD your God, 22 and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.
Psalm 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Psalm 101:3
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
Psalm 118:
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
Proverbs 8:13
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
Isaiah 61:8
“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them.
Ezekiel 35:6
Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.
Amos 5:21
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
“I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
The Sovereign LORD has sworn by himself—the LORD God Almighty declares: “I abhor the pride of Jacob and detest his fortresses
Zechariah 8:17
do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD.
Malachi 2:16
“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God ofIsrael
“I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of
Revelation 2:6
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Instructions concerning hate:
Leviticus 19:17
“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
“‘Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.
Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Amos 5:15
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts
Matt 5: 42-44
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you,
Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
1 John 3:15
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
Deuteronomy 23:6-8
6 Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.
7 Do not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as an alien in his country.
Commentaries and Works I consulted:
ReplyDeleteApologeticspress.org
"How, then, can one reconcile the verses that seem to suggest that God hates sinners, but loves them at the same time? One of the most plausible solutions is that the Bible writers are using a figure of speech called metonymy when they write that God hates sinners.
Metonymy is defined as: “A figure by which one name or noun is used instead of another, to which it stands in a certain relation” (Bullinger, 1898, p. 538). Bullinger further explains that metonymy can be “of cause,” when the person acting can be put in place of the thing that is done (p. 539). For instance, in Luke 16:29, the text says: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” In reality, they did not have “Moses” or the “prophets,” but they did have their writings. The name Moses is a metonymy that stood for his writings, since he was the cause of the writings.
In modern times, that would be like saying, “I hate Shakespeare.” Would the person who said that mean that he hated Shakespeare’s personality? No. We understand he would be saying he does not like the writings of Shakespeare, with no comment on the playwright’s personality.
For instance, Proverbs 6:17 says that God hates “a lying tongue.” Does that mean that God hates a physical tongue, made of muscle and body tissue? No. It means God hates the sin that a tongue can perform. In the same context, we learn that God hates “feet that are swift in running to evil” (6:18). Again, does that mean that God hates physical feet? No. It simply means that God hates the sin that those feet can perform. It is interesting that while few, if any, would suggest that God hates physical tongues or actual feet, they would insist that God hates actual sinners and not the sin done by them."
J. VERNON MCGEE: “ If you think God is just lovey-dovey, you had better read this (Ps.11:5) and some of the other Psalms again. GOD HATES THE WICKED who hold onto their wickedness... I do not think God loves the devil, I think He hates him, and HE HATES THOSE WHO HAVE NO INTENTION OF TURNING TO GOD. Frankly, I do not like this distinction that I hear today, that ‘God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.’ God has loved you so much that He gave His Son to die for you, but if you persist in your sin, and continue in that sin, you are the enemy of God. And God is your enemy.” (Psalms, Vol.1, p.72)
LAYMAN’S BIBLE COMMENTARY: “God’s Hatred of Evildoers (Psalm 5:4-5)... God is not said to love the sinner and hate his sin; He is said to HATE BOTH THE SINNER AND HIS SIN. This sounds harsh to modern Christian ears, but there is truth here we dare not overlook.”
MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY: He hates nothing that He has made, yet HATES THOSE who have ill-made themselves.”
From Family Guardian Fellowship:
“God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” has become the motto of American evangelism today. Certainly, God hates sin – about this there can be no equivocation. And the Bible makes it plain that God loves the sinner. But the Bible also states unambiguously, with striking frequency, that GOD HATES SINNERS.
There is a sense in which God loves all men unconditionally, sinners and saints, that is not at all contradictory to the Biblical teaching of God’s hatred for sinners… God’s unconditional love for mankind prompted Him to send Jesus to die to motivate man to turn from sin to God, and to secure the salvation of those who meet the terms of the covenant. Most of the time the Bible speaks of God’s love, it is in the context of Jesus death on the cross (John 3:16, Rom.5:8, I John 3:16). This type of love for man is unconditional.
The Bible also speaks of a love God has for man that is CONDITIONAL.
God’s conditional love is fellowship. We enjoy this love only by responding in a loving way to the influence of His unconditional love. “We love Him because He first loved us.” We cannot know God and His conditional love unless we cease to love sin and He becomes our First Love."