© 09 Colin Melbourne
Hate the sin or the sinner?
Q: What is the difference between hating the sin and hating the sinner? In Psalms 139:19-22 David is talking about hating those who hate God. Is this kind of righteous anger warranted in the world today? Steve
A: From your thoughtful phrasing I’m sure you already know the answer. You refer to this passage of Psalms 139:19-23 KJV;
Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
David was an Old Covenant “type” of Jesus, and the Lord used him to show us some aspects of His character. Discounting David’s obvious flaws; we still learn a lot about faith, wrath, and tender mercies, through David’s life. The sinners David hated were butchered under the anointing of God, with His blessing, because they foreshadow the coming Judgment by Christ. Sinners take warning!
The story of Isaac’s Twins includes the following statement by the LORD: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. This decision was made before they were born, before either had done anything good or bad. (See Mal. 1:2-3 and Ro. Ch.9 for the details).
So is this a licence for Christians to hate sinners, and claim it as righteous anger?
Of course not, anybody doing that is rejecting both Christ and the New Covenant in His Blood.
The Lord came in Person and sealed an entirely New Deal, making the old one obsolete. He is the end of the Law; now God’s righteousness is given to anyone who believes in His Only Begotten Son. (Ro. 10:4, Heb. 8:13, Ro. 3:21-24).
Not only that, He also changed the “rules” and gave a brief summary of the new standard in the Sermon on the Mount in Mtt. Ch.5, Ye have heard that it hath been said… But I say unto you….
Amongst them was Mtt. 5:43-45a:
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:
Christ laid down His life for His enemies. He was whipped, tortured, bled, and killed in our place. He did this while we hated Him, rejected Him, and spat in His face. He didn’t wait for us to show remorse, or repent. He went the whole way in faith, in love, to give us an opportunity to believe and receive redemption. (Ro. Chs. 4 and 5, 1 Jn. 3:16a).
Hating the sinner has no place in a Christian’s thoughts, heart, or attitude. We hate what they do: Not them. We detest the sin, and love the sinner. Unconditional love comes supernaturally, bubbling up in our hearts when we meet them.
Look at that filthy junkie stumbling down the road. Our eyes narrow in revulsion; we look away.
“That’s you, that’s you before you knew Me!” the Lord reminds us, and our hearts melt in compassion, and gratitude towards the Lord who came to us when we were detestable wallowing in sin.
And as He was sent, so He sends us, and floods our hearts with His Love for the vilest sinners. (Jn. 17:18, 20:21, Ro. 5:5).
You stop, turn around, and give him some food. His grimy face cracks wide in a smile when you say, “Jesus loves you Sir, and asked me to come back and give you this.”
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mtt. 25:40b
You loved and blessed a limping sinner; the King of kings said you blessed me. Keep that in your vision, and you won’t walk past a beggar or a “crazy” now, for fear of missing an opportunity to bless our King, and show your gratitude. Will you see Jesus today?
Be ye angry, and sin not
There is indeed a place for righteous anger under the New Covenant, but it never reaches for a weapon to draw blood or harm enemies. That would be sin. Rather it uses the Sword of the Spirit that cuts between heart and soul, and brings people to godly sorrow and repentance. (Heb. 4:12, Eph. 6:17).
This is the reason Christ asked the disciples to bring a couple of man-made swords when He walked to Gethsemane the final time. Why; so they could use swords to defend Him? No! So He could rebuke His followers for reaching for a sword to harm enemies, and teach us to bless and heal enemies by the word and Spirit of God. (Lk. 22:36-38, Mtt. 26:51-52, Jn. 18:10-11).
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.
In addition to its obvious direct meaning, Eph. 4:26 KJV can also be taken as an injunction to be angry. Righteous anger against sin, and all the Devil’s works today is commendable. Some people manage to display it gently, like Paul chiding Peter in Gal. 2:11-21; others are refreshingly blunt; such as Christ with the scribes and Pharisees.
Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mtt. 23:33
That is Perfect Love speaking to sinners.
How would the phoney religious crowd retort today?
“But you’re judging me!”
“Just who do you think you are?”
They will say that to you too. Simply keep loving them, and turn the other cheek, like your LORD does.
© 09 Colin Melbourne
