Gotta love those cute little Christianese slogans? The problem with slogans and such is sometimes there are not in the Bible.
We reduce the slogan and well it isn't true. If God loved sinners; and hated sin ... then there would be No need for the atoning Grace of Jesus. You see if God could just love sinners - it would mean He can turn a Blind eye to the Sin of people. But because God cannot look at us that are sinners ...We needed atonement.
God hates sin and sinners. He loves people and doesn't want them to remain sinners. And the wages of sin is death, thus why Christ came to pay that price. The problem is sometimes we are quick to turn an away from sin. Oh, that's ok ...it was a little white sin or that little lie or that little gossip. (Unless it fits into our category of Big SINS)
Interesting is John 3:16 says For God so loved the World ... Doesn't mention that God so loved sinners, but the world, that He gave His one and only Son for us.
So what does that do with me? Well, it means we need to love people so that they are no longer seen as sinners but have a relationship with Jesus.
Sometimes I think we reduce Christianity down to some slogan or equation - forgetting that the Divine is Bigger than us.
Thoughts?
What do you think about the slogan? Love the sinner, hate the sin?
Do we love sinners, or love people so they are no longer sinners?
If God loved sinners, would it reduce the atonement?
Do we sometimes take Grace and Jesus for granted?
Jesus hung out with sinners? Why? Was it because He accepted sinners or seen them as people who needed his Father?
1 comment:
Hmmmm, it still strikes me as simplified. Does God loves sinners? My reaction is to say yes. God loved the world, that's pretty all inclusive. It's not just the good people in the world or his chosen in the world. And we're all sinners having fallen short of the glory of God. So God hates sin because it removes us from him. I love sinners but not that which moves them away from God. But I don't believe we can escape from our sinful nature. Grace saves us from the price of sin. It comes with its own price to be sure. My love of sinners is to help them keep moving in a Godward direction and to keep myself moving in that direction.
We simplify because the understanding of the divine is beyond our abilities. We must never lose sight that what we have is only ever an approximation.
Peace
JP
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