Understanding the Complexity Understanding the Complexity of God’s Love and Hate: As a of God’s Love and Hate: As a

Model for the BelieverModel for the Believer

Romans 12:9Romans 12:9

Romans 12:9Romans 12:9

• LetLet love be without love be without dissimulation. dissimulation. • Abhor that which is evil; Abhor that which is evil; • cleave to that which is good. cleave to that which is good.

Good and EvilGood and Evil

• Abhor that which is Abhor that which is evilevil; cleave to that which is ; cleave to that which is goodgood. .

Evil and good are Evil and good are notnot relative values depending relative values depending

on cultural norms.on cultural norms.

Romans 12:9Romans 12:9

Part IPart I• Let love be without dissimulation. Let love be without dissimulation. • Love must be without hypocrisy.Love must be without hypocrisy.• Let love be genuine.Let love be genuine.

Romans 12:9Romans 12:9

Part IIPart II• Abhor that which is evil; Abhor that which is evil; – Abhor what is evilAbhor what is evil– Detest evilDetest evil– Hate evilHate evil– Regard it with extreme repugnanceRegard it with extreme repugnance

Part IIIPart III• cleave to that which is good. cleave to that which is good.

Two QuestionsTwo Questions

Does God hate? Does God hate? What (who) does God hate?What (who) does God hate?

GodGod

• for God is for God is lovelove (1 John 4:8). (1 John 4:8).• God is God is justjust (Deut 32:4). (Deut 32:4).• There is none as There is none as HolyHoly as the Lord (1 Sa. 2:2). as the Lord (1 Sa. 2:2).

““God is love” God is love” He is not Hate! He is not Hate! Yet He Hates.Yet He Hates.

Expectation #1Expectation #1

• Love [God, others and ideas] without hypocrisy. Love [God, others and ideas] without hypocrisy.

Expectation #2Expectation #2

• Abhor [anything or anyone] that is evil. Abhor [anything or anyone] that is evil.

ThesisThesis

• Understanding the complexity of how God Understanding the complexity of how God both loves and hates sinners is absolutely both loves and hates sinners is absolutely necessary to be His ambassador. necessary to be His ambassador.

• Learning more about this will help me Learning more about this will help me understand how I am to love without understand how I am to love without hypocrisy and hate what is evil.hypocrisy and hate what is evil.

But You Say: Pastor,But You Say: Pastor,

God hates the “sin” and loves God hates the “sin” and loves the “sinner” that’s my the “sinner” that’s my

understanding.understanding.

David’s Perfect HatredDavid’s Perfect Hatred

• Psalms 139:19-22 Psalms 139:19-22 – Perfect hatred agrees with God’s Perfect hatred agrees with God’s

perspective on evil and evil people. perspective on evil and evil people. – Perfect hatred hates in the same way God Perfect hatred hates in the same way God

hates and loves in the same way God hates and loves in the same way God loves. loves. – Perfect hatred is not a malicious attitude.Perfect hatred is not a malicious attitude.

God HatesGod Hates

Proverbs 6:16-19Proverbs 6:16-19

That Which God HatesThat Which God Hates

1.1. Haughty eyes (proud look)Haughty eyes (proud look)2.2. Lying tongueLying tongue3.3. Hands that shed innocent bloodHands that shed innocent blood4.4. A heart that devises wicked plansA heart that devises wicked plans5.5. Feet that run to evilFeet that run to evil6.6. A false witness who liesA false witness who lies7.7. One who discord among brothersOne who discord among brothers

Or you say:Or you say:

I just want to love what God I just want to love what God loves—I don’t want to hate—I loves—I don’t want to hate—I

want to be a loving person.want to be a loving person.

FactFact

God hates because of His God hates because of His Perfect Love.Perfect Love.

God Loves ChildrenGod Loves Children

Therefore, God must Hate Therefore, God must Hate AbortionAbortion

God Loves MarriageGod Loves Marriage

Therefore, God Hates DivorceTherefore, God Hates Divorce

QuestionQuestion

What happens when the What happens when the “sinner” becomes so “sinner” becomes so

associated with the “sin” that associated with the “sin” that you cannot draw a distinction you cannot draw a distinction between the sin and sinner?between the sin and sinner?

God Hates EvilGod Hates Evil

• Genesis 6:5Genesis 6:5– And GOD saw that the wickedness of manAnd GOD saw that the wickedness of man was was

great in the earth, great in the earth, – andand that that every imagination of the thoughts every imagination of the thoughts

of his heartof his heart was was only evil continually only evil continually. .

EvilEvil

• PlansPlans• WorldviewsWorldviews• DesiresDesires• ConductConduct• IdeasIdeas• BehaviorBehavior• MindsMinds

• Decisions/ChoicesDecisions/Choices• IntentionsIntentions• ThoughtsThoughts• ActionsActions• CultureCulture• BusinessesBusinesses• (even) People(even) People

God’s Love is NOT UnlimitedGod’s Love is NOT Unlimited

• Hosea 9:15Hosea 9:15– All their wickednessAll their wickedness is is in Gilgal: in Gilgal: for there I for there I

hated them: hated them:

At that point;

at that stage

Not just their sin!

FactFact

• Man’s sin can lock him into an irrevocable Man’s sin can lock him into an irrevocable course of action where God no longer loves course of action where God no longer loves him: him: – PharaohPharaoh• Hardened his own heartHardened his own heart• The Lord God hardened his heartThe Lord God hardened his heart

– Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot• John 13:27John 13:27

God’s Love is NOT UnlimitedGod’s Love is NOT Unlimited

• Hosea 9:15Hosea 9:15– All their wickednessAll their wickedness is is in Gilgal: in Gilgal: for there I for there I

hated them: hated them: – for the wickedness of their doings I will drive for the wickedness of their doings I will drive

them out of mine house, them out of mine house, – I will love them no moreI will love them no more: all their princes: all their princes are are

revolters. revolters.

FactFact

I am not God; therefore, I can I am not God; therefore, I can not say, “I will love them no not say, “I will love them no

more.” more.” BUT God can!BUT God can!

Luke 6:27Luke 6:27

• But I say unto you which hear, But I say unto you which hear, Love your Love your enemiesenemies, do good to them which hate you, , do good to them which hate you,

However, I will not pretend to have a tender However, I will not pretend to have a tender affectionate love, endearment, or a brotherly love affectionate love, endearment, or a brotherly love

toward those who are evil—my love will be a desire toward those who are evil—my love will be a desire for them to repent and come to faith in Christ.for them to repent and come to faith in Christ.

How will you love them? How will you love them? I will love them as I will love them as image-bearers of God and as souls that Christ died image-bearers of God and as souls that Christ died

to redeem.to redeem.

ApplicationApplication

• I hate everything about radical Islamic I hate everything about radical Islamic fundamentalism—I hate what they do, stand fundamentalism—I hate what they do, stand for and who they are!for and who they are!

• However, However, as image-bearers of God I MUST as image-bearers of God I MUST love them and pray that the power of the love them and pray that the power of the gospel will radically change their lives and I gospel will radically change their lives and I know that I am NOT permitted to withhold know that I am NOT permitted to withhold grace and mercy.grace and mercy.

QuestionQuestion

Can a sinner cross a line Can a sinner cross a line wherewhere love love (grace) is NO (grace) is NO

longer available?longer available?

Turn to the New Turn to the New TestamentTestament

Hebrews 10:26-31Hebrews 10:26-31

Philemon, Philemon, HebrewsHebrews, James, 1 Peter, James, 1 Peter

FactFact

You don’t store up vengeance You don’t store up vengeance and wrath for those whom and wrath for those whom

you love.you love.((see Romans 2:5see Romans 2:5))

Psalm 5:5-6Psalm 5:5-6

• The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: • thou hatest all workers of iniquity. thou hatest all workers of iniquity. • Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing

[lies]: [lies]: • the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful

man. man.

Righteous IndignationRighteous Indignation

• ScenarioScenario–When a group of image-bearers is executing When a group of image-bearers is executing

genocide against another group of image-genocide against another group of image-bearer.bearer.–God’s Love for the victim and His Holiness God’s Love for the victim and His Holiness

require that He hate those executing the require that He hate those executing the genocide.genocide.– Yet His love Yet His love maymay extend grace. extend grace.

Righteous IndignationRighteous Indignation

• Scenario #2Scenario #2– A small child is abducted and brutally molested A small child is abducted and brutally molested

and assaulted by a wicked man. and assaulted by a wicked man.

I abhor evil and this is evil. So I will be filled with I abhor evil and this is evil. So I will be filled with a storm of hate and my love will be without a storm of hate and my love will be without

hypocrisy. hypocrisy.

Ps 11:5Ps 11:5

• The LORD trieth the righteous: The LORD trieth the righteous: • but but the wicked the wicked and and him that loveth violence him that loveth violence

His soul hateth. His soul hateth.

• The LORD tests the righteous, The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. violence.

ApplicationApplication

Q: Why is this so important?Q: Why is this so important?

A: Why in the world would the A: Why in the world would the sinner repent if he believed sinner repent if he believed

there was nothing but love for there was nothing but love for him from God?him from God?

God Loves YouGod Loves You

• When we look at the sinner and say, When we look at the sinner and say, “God “God loves you!”loves you!” What does that mean? It is What does that mean? It is means:means:– God is extending to you an opportunity to receive God is extending to you an opportunity to receive

forgiveness and be saved from your sin through forgiveness and be saved from your sin through repentance toward God and faith in Christ.repentance toward God and faith in Christ.

• It does not mean a complete absence of hate It does not mean a complete absence of hate or wrath!or wrath!

FactFact

• God cannot punish sin without punishing a God cannot punish sin without punishing a created being.created being.– God does NOT separate sin from the sinner in God does NOT separate sin from the sinner in

order to love the one and hate the other.order to love the one and hate the other.

You say, “I don’t agree with you.

My ResponseMy Response

If God can separate sin from the If God can separate sin from the sinner and pour out His Wrath sinner and pour out His Wrath out on the sin without sinner—out on the sin without sinner—

why didn’t He do it with His only why didn’t He do it with His only begotten Son on the cross?begotten Son on the cross?

Ezekiel 33:11Ezekiel 33:11

• Say unto them, Say unto them, • As I live, saith the Lord GOD, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no I have no

pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and livethe wicked turn from his way and live: :

• turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? will ye die, O house of Israel?

Romans 5:8Romans 5:8

• But God commendeth his love But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Why?Why?

Jesus SaidJesus Said

• I came not to call the righteous, I came not to call the righteous, but but sinners to repentance. sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32Luke 5:32

God’s love never turns God’s love never turns a blind eye to SIN!a blind eye to SIN!