Hate Sin?

Again & again it is taught that "God hates sin because He is holy." But scripture never makes something close to that statement. Neither does it ever associate His holiness with anger, wrath, or offense. While there are times where God gets angry and severe in scripture nowhere does scripture say "God was offended" or that "God's holiness was offended." Scripture never uses the word "offended" to describe God at all! It only says that we are the ones who get offended at Him. Jesus said, "Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me” (Matthew 11:6, Luke 7:23).

God hates sin because He loves humanity. He hates that which harms or kills the people He has created. God sent His Son because He loves the world, not because He selfishly hates sin because it offends Him.

How different are these two messages?
1. God is willing to save you despite the fact that He thinks you are scum because He can "use you" for His own selfish glory.
2. God is willing to be hated & killed in order to save you because He selflessly loves you.

I hated my sin & felt shame for it for over 10 years & all it ever did was make me set my mind on the flesh & my failures instead of My Father & His favor or Jesus & His victory on my behalf.

God said to Adam "if you eat of the tree you will surely die." He did not say, "If you eat of the tree I will surely kill you because you disobeyed me." God didn't "hide his face" from Adam & Eve when they sinned. He went looking for them because they hid.

Is hating your sin really a way to grow & change for the better? Maybe for a few macho men but for most of us hating our actions makes us feel shamed, depressed, & worthless or of little value. The idea that we must hate our own sin destroys us, has us focus on sin instead of Jesus, & anyone with an ounce of common sense outside of religion would tell you it is a terrible idea to focus on your faults in such a way.


Related Posts:
Forcing Hate
God Never Wants His Children to Feel Shame
Holy