Does God love the sinner?

Well, let's see. I'm a sinner, and you're a sinner, and God love you and me. So yes, God loves he sinner.

John 3:16 is pretty clear on that point.

 

Jensen, "hate" is not the opposite of "love". To hate means to have an intense dislike. It's an emotion. Love (agape) is not an emotion. It's a decision. We're not commanded to "like" everyone. We are, however, commanded to "love" everyone. However, the Bible implies that having hate in our hearts is poison. So we can most certainly hate a person's actions, but hating a person may be harmful to us. However, we are to have no love for sin, but we're to still love the sinner.

 

God hates the sinner. He also loves the sinner.

Any attempt to ignore this truth or rewrite it is pathetic. The text can only mean what it was meant to.

 

For the first time, DD and I agree. The rapture must be imminent, LOL.

 

DD? Are you implying that I'm "rewriting" the truth? Or were you agreeing with my previous post, which, pretty much, says the same thing you're saying?

 

He hates the unregenerate.

 

Romans 8:1-23f enlightens this muddy mess just a bit.

Rob

 

Roses are red, violets are blue, I´m a schizophrenic and so am I.

...but God is not.

What is your definition of "hate"?

 

Hate is almost the same as love. If late, or love have an opposite, it's indifference. God never feels indifferent towards the sinner.

 

Hate is NOT the same as love, almost or otherwise. As stated earlier, hate is an emotion. Love is not. Love is a decision. The biblical term "hate" referrs to dislike. Our English word "hate" has an implication of withholding love. But biblically, that's not what God does. God can dislike a person and his sinful actions, but God does not withhold His love from a person.

However, you're 100% on the mark to say that the opposite of love (and hate, for that matter) is indifference).

 

All sinners ? Is this the same as saying that God loves all mankind ?

 

All sinners ? Is this the same as saying that God loves all mankind ? </font>[/QUOTE]Ignore this DD. I see you already answered it with God hates the unregenerate.

 

I disagree with the first, & thank you for the second....


I completely disagree with love being a decision. I think love drags itself out of you. Love is the ultimate emotion, I do believe. And I don't think God ever decided to love us. If God has the emotion hatred,(noun) for sinners, we are all in big trouble. And if he decides who he's going to love, I am in big trouble.

God loves us, he gave his son for us.

God is hating the sinner.

It's really too simple to explain.

P.S, you first say that love and hate aren't even close to the same, yet you admit they both have the same opposites. Care to 'splain ?

 

Also, I think context is very important. This Psalm, as a whole, seems to be a prayer for victory in battle. And this term "workers of iniquity" is thrown around pretty lightly. If, I read my Old Testament correctly, God made sure he delivered David a lot of enemy soldiers "into thine hand", so to speak. So perhaps he does hate them.

Read some more of Psalm 5.....

4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee

Note, love here, is a verb. As in, to love. When saved, I don't think we decide to love God, rather, he instills it in us.

12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Good news, eh ? 'cuz when God looks at me, he sees Christ's imupted righteousness, hence, he "loves us".

 

Double posted

 

Apparently, God has a love/hate relationship with sinners.

 

The problem is this: Emotions are always in flux, and not unreliable. When we marry our spouses, we don't make the commitment to "feel" love for them. We make a commitment to "love" them. It's indeed a decision. Jesus instructed us to "love" our neighbor. It's a decision. It's an action. It's something we choose to do. The "feelings" associated with love typically follow.

Not really. The "hatred" described in the Bible is dislike. He dislikes us and our actions when we sin. But he continues to love us unconditionally. He chose to love us when he created us. The parable of the Prodigal Son is a good example of this. The father continued to love his wayward son, even when he disapproved of him and his actions. His love for his son never ceaed.

I got some 'splaining to do: Indifference is the complete absence of care towards someone. If you dislike someone or their actions, you'r not indifferent. If you love someone or approve of their actions, you're not indifferent. BTW, I've heard it said that another opposite of love is fear. I'd tend to agree with that assessment as well.