Does God Love Sinners?

Art by Saxy Phrygian

It's a big question. Over the last number of years I've been working with people and around some ministries that make debunking "God hates sin but loves the sinner" -like statements a big part of what they do.

Straight up, I don't think that sort of statement is true. I think it has elements of truth, but is misleading and damaging to the Christian witness of Christ. I believe it is hurtful to the person it is told to. 

But DOES God love sinners? I want to chat with you about this question. I have some ideas, I have some things that I know to be true, and I have some opinions. What I don't have is a solid Biblical answer that answers not just the question - but the intent of the question. Well maybe I do.. but I'm not confident enough in it that I would preach the point.  

This conversation, that I'd like to have with you-all, stems from a conversation I had with my Pastor and one reader of this blog a few Saturday's back as we escaped the rain in a Tim Horton's coffee shop.  We were speaking about the Gospel and various related topics which in particular included disagreement about God's love, or hate, for sinners. 

I took the position that God hates sinners, and used Ps 5:5 as my proof-text (I use this term intentionally, most readers of this blog will realize the distaste I have for such practice). I didn't intend it as a proof-text, but it sort of turned out that way. My Pastor and the other Brother took the position that God loves sinners. We ended up agreeing that the subject was distracting from the thrust of the conversation and I promised to prepare an argument for my position and provide it to my Pastor. 

I have done no small amount of thinking about this topic since then. I have not dug into the Scriptures deeply enough to believe I have a strong answer, but here is where my head is at right now. 

Romans 5 is an amazing chapter (are there any which are not????) and Romans 5:8 is most interesting for our discussion. Does this mean God loved us, or He demonstrated His love before us as available to us? I really could go either way, but I have not done due diligence with the Greek yet. 

John 3:16 says that God loved the world (the kosmos or all creation) in this way, that He gave His only begotten Son.... 

1Jn 2:2 says this act was for the sins of the whole world (the kosmos or all creation). 

1Jn 4:10 seals the deal on if God loves sinners or not in my view.  

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.

To my understanding, this verse coupled with Rom 5, 1Jn 2:2 and John 3:16 clearly means that God does in fact love sinners. 

However, this does not erase how God says that He hates sinners in many places Psalm 5:5 being just one example. Nor does it erase how we read over and over about God's wrath against sinners. 

I believe that God has a dual love and hate for sinners. His wrath abides on them, but He loves them as well, and salvation is available to any who access it through faith in Christ. 

So tell me what you think, please. 

When Blessing Overtakes You

I started writing this blog because I had started to get some things figured out about God. It's absolutely amazing how far the Lord has take my family and I in such a short time. Over these four years I've gone from facing what looked like sure destruction to victory after victory. Last October I returned back to what looked like a hopeless fight against those who sought to destroy me in my workplace. I'm very good at seeing how hard things could be, and I tend not to see how surpassingly powerful the God of the universe is.

I confess He is surpassingly powerful above all things. He is merciful beyond what I could begin to explain. His grace is towards those who humble themselves to call on Him.

Psalm 107 says it better than I can.

¹ Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
² Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,
³ And gathered out of the lands,
From the east and from the west,
From the north and from the south.

⁴ They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way;
They found no city to dwell in.
⁵ Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them.
⁶ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He delivered them out of their distresses.
⁷ And He led them forth by the right way,
That they might go to a city for a dwelling place.
⁸ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
⁹ For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

¹⁰ Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
¹¹ Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
¹² Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
¹³ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
¹⁴ He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
¹⁵ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
¹⁶ For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.

¹⁷ Fools, because of their transgression,
And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
¹⁸ Their soul abhorred all manner of food,
And they drew near to the gates of death.
¹⁹ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
²⁰ He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.
²¹ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
²² Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
And declare His works with rejoicing.

²³ Those who go down to the sea in ships,
Who do business on great waters,
²⁴ They see the works of the LORD,
And His wonders in the deep.
²⁵ For He commands and raises the stormy wind,
Which lifts up the waves of the sea.
²⁶ They mount up to the heavens,
They go down again to the depths;
Their soul melts because of trouble.
²⁷ They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,
And are at their wits’ end.
²⁸ Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
²⁹ He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
³⁰ Then they are glad because they are quiet;
So He guides them to their desired haven.
³¹ Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
³² Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.

³³ He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
³⁴ A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
³⁵ He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
³⁶ There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
³⁷ And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
³⁸ He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.

³⁹ When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow,
⁴⁰ He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
⁴¹ Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
⁴² The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.

⁴³ Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

The Lord's Provision

So this week has been about learning to operate in tangible ways in the trust that God will provide, and do that daily. We decided to purchase a vehicle, though we're still not sure how my employment is going to work out. We've really been in prayer about the coming year and it seems as though the Lord would have us just depend on Him. To be completely honest we don't really have much choice. We can trust Him, believing that He is exactly Who He says He is.. or we can worry ourselves silly. Frankly, He's never let me down. I have absolutely no experience of Him ever letting me or anyone else down. So I guess I should stop looking for reasons not to trust Him. My provision isn't based on my talent, ability or even my work. It's true He requires that I be willing to work but He tells us in His word that He provides even while His own sleep, because He gives them rest. Psalm 127 has been an interesting part of this week. Give it a read, it's short and beautiful.

Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

What if the Church loved each other like this?

Brother Robb asks a great question over at his blogcast "Good Morning, Jesus Christ!"