The Unknown Bible - Pastor Bevans Welder

Does God just hate the sin and love the sinner or does he hate the sinner, too?
He hates the sinner, too.

Your question is a good one that has been asked by many Christians. Here is an answer that should clarify who or what God hates. It is not meant to be an exhaustive answer, for you will find, on your own, similar references in the Bible to further establish this doctrine (Matt 18:16).

On the one hand we have Jn 3:16 that shows that God loved the world. On the other hand, we have Jas 4:4 that shows that a friend of the world is the enemy of God. On the one hand, therefore, God loved the world and on the other he is an enemy of the world. Which is it?

God's love for the world was demonstrated at Calvary. Christ died for the ungodly (Rom 5:6) and God commended his love toward us while we were sinners (Rom 5:8). Thus, God reconciled himself to us as enemies when Christ died on the cross (2 Cor 5:18-19). This reconciliation doesn't mean that God loves his enemies presently in the condition that they are in. It means that God is willing to extend them that love if they will accept the sacrifice of Jesus that reconciled them to God. That's why John said, "we love him, because he first loved us."

Now, when you look past Jn 3:16 to Jn 3:17-18, you find this interesting truth. A sinner who doesn't "believe on" Jesus is condemned ALREADY. That is he doesn't have to wait until he is dead or judged to be under this condemnation. He is under it right now. Notice, it is not the sin that is under the condemnation, it is the sinner. Look at Jn 3:36 for another example. "The wrath of God abideth on" a sinner who does not believe on Jesus. The wrath of God is on him right now. A sinner won't have the wrath of God abiding on him at the same time God is loving him.

Consider what happened in Nineveh. When Jonah preached, God was ready to wipe out the city in 40 days. However, because the king and all the people repented, God changed his mind and extended them mercy and spared them. It was God's LONGSUFFERING [not his love] that caused him to send Jonah and give them one more chance. It was God's WRATH that would have caused him to kill more than 120,000 "innocent" children (those that could not "discern between their right hand and their left hand," Jon 4:11).God's love was not apparent toward them until they repented.

You see, you and I have "the ministry of reconciliation" mentioned in 2 Cor 5:18. In 2 Cor 5:20, we are ambassadors for Christ. We are to tell sinners who are enemies of God that they don't have to perish in the wrath of God that abides on them. They can receive Jesus Christ and be saved. They can receive Jesus Christ and be loved.

When God had finally had it with Israel before he drove them completely out of his house, he said, "I hated them," and "I will love them no more," (Hos 9:15). Of course, at his Second Coming, the Lord will save them and take them back (Rom 11:25-27). But look what he said. He HATED them. Look what he did to them for crucifying his Son and resisting the gospel (1 Thes 2:14-16, “for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost”). That's not God loving the sinner!

In Mal 1:3, God said, "I hated Esau." See the same thing in Rom 9:13. In Ps 11:5, we find that God hates the wicked and him that loveth violence. He doesn't say that he hates their sin (although he does), he hates them. Ps 5:5 says, "thou hatest all workers of iniquity." He said that he hates the workers. That's not the same thing as saying that he hates the works. God certainly hates wickedness (Ps 45:7) but he also hates the ones who do the wickedness.

I hope this helps clear up the question. If it doesn't, there are more scriptures to which we can refer you.

Pastor Welder