Beth-El Baptist Church

07/01/2007

Greg Tomlinson


Does God really love the sinner but hate the sin?


This is a common statement made by some evangelists to encourage people in the way of God, but is it true?


  1. What does God think about sin?

Psalm 97:10; 101:3-5; 119:104, 113, 128, 163

Proverbs 6:16-19; 8:13; 15:9 Isaiah 61:8

Jeremiah 44:4 Zechariah 8:17

Amos 5:14-15, 21-22 Revelation 2:14-16

John 16:8-11 Romans 8:3

Leviticus 20:23 Proverbs


It is clear that God does hate sin itself. He hates the evil way and the way of the wicked.


  1. How does God judge sin?

Psalm 7:11; 10:3; 51:4; 59:12-13; 139:19-22; 78:29-34

Ezekiel 3:18-21; 22:29-31; 33:8-9

Nahum 1:2-3 1 Samuel 2:25

Deuteronomy 9:7-8; 17:12 Ecclesiastes 12:14

Jeremiah 21:12-14 Zephaniah 3:15

John 3:36 Exodus 32:9-11

2 Chronicles 24:18; 29:10; 30:8; 36:14-21 Ezra 5:12; 8:22

Nehemiah 13:18 Romans 1:16-19; 13:3-4

Ephesians 5:3-6


God in His righteousness must judge sin, but he does not judge the personification of sin but he judges the sinner himself. It is the sinner who sins and it is therefore the sinner who must be judged as a result of his sin.


  1. What does God think about the unrepentant sinners?

Jeremiah 25:5-6; 26:3-6; 36:7 Ezekiel 33:11

Malachi 1:2-3 (Romans 9:13) John 3:18-20

Matthew 25:45-46 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

Amos 1:11


The unrepentant sinner will eternally be punished by God for his rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord and savior. Just as a just judge must punish the guilty, a just God will also have to punish the guilty. For the repentant sinner, believer, the eternal punishment has already been paid for by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.


  1. What does God think about the repentant sinner?

Jeremiah 31:3 1 Kings 8:47-51

Matthew 9:13 (Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32) Luke 15:4-10; 18:10-14

Acts 2:38; 3:19-20; 10:34-36 Ezekiel 33:14-16


The repentant sinner understands the greatness of his sins and knows that he has no hope apart from God's divine mercy. He will receive the mercy of God as it is called for. The repentant sinner will be loved by God and accepted by him.


  1. What makes the repentant sinner so special?

Jeremiah 36:3 Jonah 3:8-10

Ezekiel 33:12-16 Isaiah 55:7

Philippians 3:8-11 Acts 5:31; 13:38

Ephesians 1:6-7


The repentant sinner is special because he has repented and received the cloak of God's righteousness so that he can stand in the presence of God as though he were righteous.


Summary:


While it is true that God does hate sin, his wrath is not carried out against sin itself but against the sinner. It is the unrepentant sinner that God hates but he loves the repentant sinner for they agree with God regarding their sins..