Does God love the sinner but hate the sin? - part 2
Hello everyone. I want to take a moment to provide additional clarity from the word of God concerning the word “hate”. Realizing that this is tough for most people to understand however it is necessary meat for spiritual growth.
What does the Bible truly mean when it states that God hates the wicked (unbelievers)?
First, we must always be careful to rightly divide the word of truth. As a matter of fact, believers are commanded by the Lord to ensure that we accurately present His word as He wrote it and not deviate from it in the least bit.
15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Therefore, when it comes to this topic, let us endeavor to rightly divide God’s word. There are two views of “hate” in the Bible. One is from God’s perspective and the other is human’s perspective.
We will address the human’s perspective first. Here is the list of scriptures (commands, God does not offer opinions) that addresses “hating” someone or anyone issued by the Lord to believers.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
The first half of this is found in Moses’ law (Lev. 19:18 see below).
17 ‘You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor but shall not incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:17-18
The second part was found in how the scribes and Pharisees explained and applied that OT command. That’s why Jesus said, “you have heard” and not, IT IS WRITTEN. Jesus’ application was exactly the opposite, resulting in a much higher standard: love for one’s neighbors should extend even to those neighbors who are considered enemies. Who are these enemies? As we just read in Lev. 19:18, it can’t be other Israelites. It must be gentiles.
Today’s critics will state that we are not under the Law but under grace. However, this was no innovation, since even the OT, not the law, taught that God’s people should do good to their enemies. As stated in Prov. 25:21 which is quoted by Paul in Romans.
20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:20-21
Jesus then ups the ante for believers in the book of Luke.
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:27-36
Remember, Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience under the Law of Moses, yet Paul did not quote from the Law but from the book of wisdom, Proverbs, which was dictated by the Holy Spirit to the third wisest man that ever lived. Jesus and Adam were one and two.
Finally, let us look at probably the most often quoted verse when it comes to believers hating their enemies. What is the context?
In Mathew 10 (Luke 10), the nation of Israel rejects their Messiah. In Mathew 11 (Luke 10), Jesus pronounces woe on the nation.
In Luke chapter 11 (see also Matt. 12 where they blaspheme the Holy Spirit), the leaders of the nation of Israel formally rejects Jesus as Messiah and He pronounces woe upon them. In Luke chapter 12, Jesus begins to openly denounce them, warning the people about the “leaven” of the pharisees which was hypocrisy and covetousness. At the end of the chapter Jesus says this; 49 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:49-53
Jesus has now set the stage for dividing the Jewish nation into two distinct groups, those that believe that He is the Messiah and those that do not believe He is the Messiah.
In Mathew chapter 13 after being formally rejected by the nation of Israel, Jesus begins to speak to them in parables. Declaring this to the disciples in Mathew 13; 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘ YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ 16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matthew 13:10-17
Do you understand what is happening? Jesus offered himself as the Messiah to Israel as foretold by the prophets and was rejected.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Matthew 10:5-7
20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24 Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you.” Matthew 11:20-24
After the rejection, Jesus rejects them and does something that was absolutely strange to the Jews. It was no longer go only to the house of Israel but “28 “Come to Me, ALL WHO ARE WEARY (of sins) and HEAVY-LADEN (with sins), and I will give you rest (this is the rest of salvation from sin). 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (verses 29 & 30 are about discipleship) Matthew 11:28-30
Then the final rejection by the leaders who blasphemed the Holy Spirit, the only person in the Godhead that regenerates a sinner, indwells the new believer, and seals the believer guaranteeing his salvation, by calling the Holy Spirit, who is God, the devil. 22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 12:22-24
Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to be born again or saved. Remember the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Life, eternal life. He who does not have the Spirit of Christ is none of His.
Then something amazing happens in Mathew 13.
1 That day Jesus WENT OUT OF THE HOUSE (of Israel) and was SITTING BY THE SEA (the sea represents the nations, peoples, and tongues – gentiles). Matthew 13:1
Jesus is now offering the kingdom of God to all nations, peoples, and tongues. Believing Jews and gentiles in one body called the church.
Now that the context is clearly understood we can get the proper understanding of Luke 14. You must link the chain to get a complete view of what is happening in the gospels, the entire Bible actually. Let’s read:
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:25-26
What does Jesus mean? Well, go back to Mathew 10 where it is explained.
32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:32-39
Hate in this tense means to favor more and favor less. Favoring is a choice, not an emotion. When family members attack the church (the body of truth), we must choose to side with Christ. When we see that love and hate, FROM THE HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, boil down to favor and disfavor, we can see that they are objective and that they involve conscious decisions. How does understanding this change how you look at people? Resolve to favor those you are commanded to love and disfavor those you are commanded to hate.
I will not take the time to quote every verse as they are too numerous to list here. Nonetheless, this should be sufficient to illustrate the point that God commands believers to love and not to hate our enemies.
The question is, why? Why Lord, should I, AS A HUMAN, NOT hate (detest or abhor, not disfavor, or favor less) my enemy?
11 IF YOU THEN, BEING EVIL, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11
Jesus presupposes THE DOCTRINE OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY, which means that man from birth is absolutely corrupt from the inside through the outside.
9 For WE KNOW IN PART and we prophesy in part; 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away... 12 For now WE SEE IN A MIRROR DIMLY, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:9, 12
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for MAN LOOKS AT OUTWARD APPEARANCES, but the LORD looks at the heart (human spirit).” 1 Samuel 16:7
We do not know the true intents behind a person’s action. Since we do not know the intents, reasoning, and motives of the heart therefore our judgment will not be impartial. Furthermore, every decision rendered during our presence in this body of flesh is tainted by the flesh and cannot be fully trusted unless we quote verbatim from the Bible. God however is absolutely perfect in righteousness, holy in all His ways, and just in all His judgments. He knows the true intents, reasoning, and motives therefore is able to render to each person the just reward for their actions.
Do you now understand why HUMANS are to love their enemies and not hate them?
The post is long enough, I will address “hate” your enemies from God’s perspective later this week.
Until next time, take care.