Why does God hate sinners yet want to save sinners?
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Asked December 11 2013
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Larry English
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Jimmy De Los Santos
Let's look at Psalms 5 verses 4-6: 4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. (See Psalm 11:5 for another example of God hating the sinner) In verse 5 it is quite apparent that God hates sinners, not just sin. We must make sure to understand that sin is not something outside of us, it is a part of who we are. For those who have not been redeemed by Christ, they will earn death for their sin, for the wages of sin is death, but sin will not be punished as it is something outside of us. The sinner, therefore, is punished. But, in light of John 3:16, we know that God loves sinners, for He sent His Son that all who believe on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. So, God is a God of wrath. But, He is also a God of love. To understand how He can be both, look at the Cross. There He poured out His wrath, His hate for sinners, onto Christ. Christ absorbed the punishment we, as sinners, deserve, because He loves us. This should make sense to the redeemed because they realize that their sin is offensive to God (Psalm 51). For the non believer, this should stand out as the only truly kind act anyone has ever done and should drive them to repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer.
Bruce Lyon
God doesn't hate sinners, He hates sin! If He hated sinners He would never have sent His son Jesus to save them by shedding his blood by being nailed to a tree and having a soldier jam a spear into his side. God reconciled all sinners to Himself as a result of the sacrificial sin-offering sacrifice of His beloved son Jesus, His anointed one. What amazing grace He has extended to all mankind. Now men and women need to choose to take advantage of the reconciliation He has provided by believing in the one whom He has sent, and with a complete change of heart, submit to baptism and receive the promised holy spirit. Indeed God loves sinners and has made a way for them all to be able to be reconciled to Himself. Amazing grace exercised in love toward all mankind. Truly God is love!
Demi Pilot
God LOVES the sinner, He hates the sin. That is why He sent His Sin Jesus into the world to pay the penalty for our sins. No where in the bible does God say He hates the sinner.
Stanley Okosodo
God clearly demonstrated His love for sinners through the death of Jesus on the cross. He made Him that know no sin to bore the sins of the world. God has sure made a way of escape for every sinner. God will purnish the sinners not because He hates them but because He is a just God.
James Kraft
The bible says that God is angry with the wicked all day long. Who are the wicked but those who have not put their faith and trust in what Jesus did on the cross for us. He gave us His perfect righteousness so that God sees us as sinless. Oh I thank God I have His perfect righteousness and do not have to depend on my own. Those of us who are saved hate sin, but we still do it. Christ died for the unGodly. That is you and me brother. Thank God for that well of grace that never runs dry because I need it daily. God be mercyfull to me a sinner.
Andy Mangus
Here is my take on this: From the very foundation and creation of this world, God showed and exemplified His 'Self-Identity, LOVE! God is Love! And, because He is Love, He is in complete opposition in having any liking of the 'polar' opposite of Love, which is of course Hate. The true definition of the word Hate is extreme dislike of something, someone or their beliefs. Example: God is Love: "God loved the world so much, that He sent His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be our substitute, our propitiation, our Holy redeemer, so that You and I may by "believing and trusting in Him" have a home in heaven for all eternity. God does NOT hate the sinner---He sent His One and only begotten Son to save that which was lost--He hates the sin that separates us from being in His presence. He sent His Holy Spirit to cleanse us of all unrighteousness/sin so that He may "dwell within our hearts" and "to guide us into all truth, for righteousness' sake". (John 16:13) The Bible tells us that "to die in our sins, is to die in our trespasses". Sin is what separates us from God, for only He is Just, Holy and Pure Righteousness. Simply, GOD IS LOVE! And, "for by His grace that overflows like the rivers of waters, we can partake of His eternal gift, eternal salvation given and sacrificed on that cross by His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, Our LORD!" Thank God "He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to save a wretch like me!" AMEN! ~~Andy~~
Bruce Lyon
God hates sin, there is no question. God does not hate sinners or He would not have commissioned His uniquely begotten son Jesus to shed his blood in order that they - sinners - might be forgiven their sins and be reconciled to Himself! We as followers of His anointed son Jesus are to also hate sin, but never ever to hate sinners, of which we are. We are commanded by the lord Jesus in Mark 12:29-32 to love our neighbors as ourselves, and that means everyone we come in contact with. We are to love all men, but hate the sins they are involved in. In doing this we are following in the steps of the lord Jesus who said, "I am the way, the life and the light, the truth, etc.".... So just as God hates sin but loves sinners and wants all men/women to be saved, so we should do likewise. In loving our neighbor as ourselves we are loving our God and Father in the process; the two go hand in glove!
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