Monday, 04 April 2011
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Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin
By Dean Lusk
Short post...
"Love the sinner, hate the sin."
This is possible for God. Is it possible for us? I've seen that our habit is to think we're loving the sinner and hating the sin, while we're actually hating both.
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About the Author
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- From: deanlusk
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama, United States
- About Me: Former worship pastor, now meeting and living in an "organic church" setting after a two-year journey through the Word, comparing it to the system I'd been a part of my whole life. I'm a musician and a very disorganized deep-thinker.
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Comments (10)
Those are the times when I am happiest. But being human, I have to plead for His help and fight hard to have them occasionally. Still, He is a God of love, and He wants us to grow up to be like Him. As He inspired me one time to know - "It wasn't meant to be easy. But it was meant to be possible."
i don't believe it's possible, but only because i believe our actions define us far more than our ideals. after all, what's the point of aspiring to a morality you're incapable of putting into effect?
What is love?
I feel like people today are describing self-love. "I can't live without you" is the epitome of love for many people but true love is forgetful, selfless love. Love that wants the best for everyone else and forgets about the cost.
There may be two questions God will ask on judgment day: (1) "Why should I let you into my kingdom?" and (2) "How many people did you bring?"
And on judgment day, God will say to people, "...Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.."-(Matthew 25:41)
The problem is that "...every one of us shall give account of himself to God."-(Romans 14:12)
What are we going to say? People I know are dieing before I can talk to them. What is going to be your answer? Did you give them the gospel? Did you tell them they should repent? Was the reason you didn't tell them to repent was because you were loving the sinner?
Amos 9:3 And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:
This verse on Amos is yet future and I place it in the tribulation period. God will command the serpent and he shall bite them. Interesting.
Matthew 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Back to judgment day, your answer to God as to why the person you didn't witness to was? Was it because you loved them that you didn't want to make them feel bad so you didn't tell them there was a hell and they needed to be saved from it? You didn't tell them the reason they were a sinner.
They're suffering in hell in the future. Can you still say you loved them? Your love wasn't selfless. You didn't care about the cost to you. You didn't want the best for them because they are now in hell. You loved yourself and didn't want to pay a cost for telling people the truth:
"...but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."-John 3:18 b
And "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."....because of your love. You didn't want to hurt their feelings.
Christians are commanded to love their enemies, so if it is not possible, then the bible is merely part horror and nonsense of a primitive mindset. A lot of it is anyway but its saving grace is that sort of commandment, if such is possible to obey. I'm wracking my memory to see if I have ever met a loving Christian who stands out from the crowd. Can't recall any but I suppose they are there. The problem is, such people if they exist, would appear to be the exception that prove the rule. Consequently, if Christians have no more love than other people, what's so special about what they offer?
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love the sinner but hate the sin... and yet.. when someone commits the sin of lying... don't we call them a Liar??? or if someone steals, aren't they labeled Thief? or if a person commits murder, isn't that person a Murderer then? So i mean... a sinner is someone WHO embodies the sin they have and have done...
I don't think the issue is loving the sinner... a sinner is a sinner because a sinner sins... both by nature and choice... sometimes the greatest LOVE you show a person is the illness they have so that they can go to get the proper treatment... and the news is devastating... but love dictates you show them that they are in a devastating state... they can either accept it and embrace it and do something about it or ignore you and say, "You're not one to judge me!"
If a sinner is in need of Jesus (which we all do anyways)... love dictates you tell the sinner that... that they are sinners in need of a Savior... and that a sinner can do nothing apart from the person and work of Jesus...
IMHO, that is more loving than anything else out there... so honestly, the whole idea of "love the sinner, hate the sin" is a pansy cop out to not tell the truth... which does more good than anything else...
The real issue is that sin has separated you from God. Your sin has come between yourself from God and your sins have hid God's face from you so that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.
Whom does God give an example of? He give an example of Moses who would rather suffer affliction than to enjoy sin for a season. Sin is pleasureable but it is only for a season.
Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Where does love get you? If the person doesn't listen then love gets you spiritual death but your problem is that you are so loving that you probably didn't focus on their sin, you probably didn't tell them their sin problem separating God from them, you probably didn't tell them to repent and you probably didn't warn them about Hell. You're telling them nothing so they can't come anyway. You loved them and they enjoyed their sin for a season but it results in spiritual death.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Your whole premise is irrelevant because unless a man is born again it is impossible for them to see the kingdom of God.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
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