Is It True That God “Loves the Sinner but Hates the Sin”?

Does God really love the sinner, hate the sin that is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Pedro Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. We pretty had a wonderful holiday and we are ready to take your calls this morning or this afternoon depending on where you live, you can call us right now with your questions at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also post your question on her Facebook, Instagram or twitter account. You can watch a drill right now on YouTube and messages that way through our YouTube channel course you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com burst up today let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners named Lawrence a girl at church that I would like to approach and I want to do it biblically in a matter of day courtship to make sure I do it biblically and see what your thoughts are on. Thank you.

I think that question biblical dating advice and that's it. A few things to consider one.

I mean, obviously I think it's wonderful that you've met this girl at church you Paul makes Apple absolutely clear in first grade. These chapter 7 that will want to be with somebody or free be married, but the other person has to be in the Lord.

That's the big prerequisite is this person a Christian is mean today did they say I'm a Christian. I am willing to go to church with you and I'm willing to believe the things that you believe those kinds of those credited I mean did they have a relationship with the Lord and they committed to the Lord and so finding someone in church I think is is wonderful and then in terms of pursuing them. Will I think you think you want to be respectful. Everything you do you want to honor the Lord and so I don't I do know that this rocket science.

You know you need what the ancients called game. Pray for that. Pray that the Lord gives you that no cattle on a thousand hills. Yeah, that's right alike, and in the Old Testament right would somebody would when the guy was looking to get married he would just bring a caravan of love. All these gifts, you know, rings and and a jewelry and all that subject go that route you that might be coming on a little bit too strong.

I would say invited a coffee cohort get together with groups you know groups of friends.

I think that's wonderful. When I met my wife before we were married I mean a lot of the time we spent together was just in groups with others in the church and we would we get together we got to move here. We got to get coffee or food or something like that. It was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other a little bit more than it was. It was innocent nose dishonoring, I think, to the Lord and so you want to be respectful I think. I think it's important to be honest I think so often in dating relationships. Today, people just sort of playing games. You know, playing hard to get Bart not napping honest. Nothing really. So I think it's good to make your intentions known as a I'm interested in you. Would you be willing to grab coffee or something like that and get to know this person and ultimately what you're looking for are those characteristics that that God talks about in his word and that's what you want to cultivate in yourself the fruit of the spirit and you wanted this person is also committed to the Lord and that you guys can be committed to the Lord together and so again I do know that it's it's rocket science percent that you just praying and pursue this individual in and see how it pans out. Bill what you think.

I think it's so great that you mentioned the fruit of the spirit because that is so key.

I think when were considering dating somebody pursuing somebody we really want to observed are they manifesting that those fruits and in their life. You know what I when you look up the fruit of the Spirit in the Bible. There's a picture of my wife right next to it there in Galatians � is pretty amazing, but I that's one of the things I look for when I was dating and and and when when I met her I thought this this lady has she she manifests those fruits and that's what really. Besides being a physically attractive, I was really attracted to her character and I'm so glad that I made that decision, so I think it's goodbye say real. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and would love to get your call if you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life. Your your Christian walk and maybe how it intersects with what's going on in our culture. Here's the phone number 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com and a drill. Here's a question from Tyler. He says, is it true that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. I'm struggling to see this distinction in Scripture. For example, in the opening verses of Malachi.

God says Esau have I hated Jacob have I loved would be more accurate to say that God hates the sinner in their sin.

Thanks so much for your help with this question. By the way, thanks for your ministry. I've been listening to the program for a number of years and I've been greatly blessed by your wisdom and he says I recently heard you had a new baby at her new baby to your family. So congratulations from Tyler hey thanks Tyler yet.

We did baby Monica. She's five weeks old yesterday and so were rejoicing for for that healthy baby and I appreciate your question right. This is the mantra that you hear around Christian circles, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Is it accurate to say that now I personally don't have a huge issue with that with that short, you know, treatable statement if you will. I that may not obviously is as we continue to dig deeper into the Scriptures you know what week we can nuance think some more is certainly the case you have examples like the one you mentioned Malachi quoted also by the apostle Paul in Romans chapter 9 our talks about God's God's hatred of sinners, even in one passage that I'm thinking of is in the book of Psalms and Psalm chapter 5 Psalms in verse five.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes. You hate all evil doers, you destroy those who speak lies.

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful management right there but it seems pretty clear is not just talking about the things that they do it's it's directed at this person specifically.

So how do we make sense of this is John 316 says God loves the whole world for God so loved the world as it is, it just means you know people who were sinless. Secondly, all of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And so it's God's love for sinners and cosmos and his son Jesus into the world to redeem the world and so how do we make a sense of this. What I think we can say that in one sense, insofar as everyone is created by God and created good God's creation is good. We are loved by God, but in another sense, and so far as we fallen away from the Lord because of sin were falling away from existence itself. You will falling away from the true and the living God in that sense work with the objects of God's judgment, even God's wrath and so Scripture can speak in this way, and often times it does object but again we have the balance perspective. RAM is very clear that the Bible says this, but it's also clear that the Bible says that God sent his son into the world to redeem us even while we were still sinners. Paul says in Romans chapter 5 he makes that clear, God demonstrates his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us and so it's really important that we hold those two things together.

I get I don't mind that that statement God loves the sin but but hates the sinner because it was as big as a God loves sinners insofar as he sent his son into the world to save sinners, but in another sense, we do have to affirm what the Bible says very clearly in places like like Psalm chapter 5 that sinners are the objects of God's judgment in and curse and it's only by his grace that were drawn to him.

And so Tyler appreciate that question.

And thanks for pursing congratulations about my baby Douglas, this is core Christianity. Thanks so much for joining us today.

If you're a person who recently started reading the Bible for the very first time, you may have found that some Bible reading plans out there can be complicated and may even seem overwhelming to you.

So here core Christianity, we have developed a special Bible reading plan just for you. That's right, you know bill for the reasons that you just mentioned, we want to create a Bible reading plan that would do a couple things one help someone who's new to reading through the Bible cultivate.

I think it just a joy for reading the Scriptures every day so important that we build this into the habit of our habits of our lives.

Only as we grow in our relationship with the Lord, but also that maybe you have been a Christian for many years and used to read the Bible, but you don't anymore when I want to help you recover that that joy that maybe once had around the word of God and studying the word of God and so that's what the Bible reading plan here core Christianity is is for. It's a free resource.

It'll take you about 10 minutes every day to complete and last through the whole year.

The planet won't take you through the entire Bible in a year that soon I can be read to the whole thing, but it will introduce you to the big narrative and grand themes of the Bible was a plan designed to help you develop the habit of reading without requiring a large amount of time in our prayer is that this is to be something you build into your life really just so encouraged by how God's word can can really minister to you during 2022 and so if if you're looking for a Bible reading plan get a hold of this tree.

When the Bible reading plan over core, Christianity.com you can download it right now and core Christianity.com/reading plan that's/reading plan. You can also call us for that resource or anyone of our resources at 833-843-2673 would love to get that in your hands and have you start reading the Bible right now at the beginning of the year. Let's go back to the phone's Richard is on the phone from Omaha, Nebraska Richard what your question for atrial will understand and believe that I don't know how that works out and everything you want to understand that we work that great question in there, there, you know, there are traditions out there in some churches as they will marry didn't have any say in my view, that the only sinless person to ever live to walk the planet was Jesus Christ himself very clear that he was made and always we are in the incarnation, yet without sin. So the one thing he didn't have was sin and Scripture makes it clear that there is anybody who does good and does not sin.

There is no righteous man on the earth. We read in Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 20 who does good, but does not sin.

So the question is in a didn't did Mary send it. She need a Savior as well and I think that the answer is pretty clear. In fact, I think she's the one who gives it to us in the gospel of Luke in Luke chapter 1, you have that what was referred to as a Magnificat. Maybe you heard this text in its coming out of the Christmas season back in in December in verse 47 she she sings to the Lord and she says my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold now, from now on all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation goes on.

I just praise the Lord for his deliverance for his salvation. What what does Jesus deliver us from first and foremost, he delivers us from our sins. He washes away our sins and so II think Mary would've thought the idea that she was sinless. She would've thought that was that was Chris.

He tells a wild idea. All of us right have sinned and fallen short of the glory of going to. That's also true of her and Christ redeemed her by faith washed away her sins. I think that that's what the Bible teaches and appreciate your question Richard.

God bless you. Thanks Richard for sure you being one of our listeners here at core Christianity by the way, if you are a regular listener to this program and you believe in this ministry. We would love to ask you for your support. We have a group of people that we call our inner core and they give a regular monthly gift that helps keep us on the air. We don't receive any money from a church or denomination.

We don't play commercials on this program. We, people just like you to make donations to keep us on the yourself you like to learn more about being a member of that inner core and some of the extra special resources that go along with that. Just go to core Christianity.com/inner core back to the phones. Opal is on the line from St. Louis, Missouri. Opal what your question for pastor atrial Bible that hate testing in jail yeah okay well first I was his unit God.

God created us right, laughter, joy, jokes even think that necessarily bad in and of themselves. It's it's interesting as you as you read through the Scriptures we just plug that the Bible reading plan. There are scenes in the Bible that will make you laugh me, you have just about everything in Scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit to bring joy to our hearts and in just as interesting things that God reveals to us in his word, but there is a particular kind of joking that were were called not to participate in Opal and in and the one who really speak to this speaks to this is the apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 4 beginning in verse three he said, but sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking which are at a place but instead let there be Thanksgiving why he says in verse five for you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous that is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. And so what what's forbidden in Scripture very clearly what were were told to avoid.

Is that sort of filthy talk.

The crude jesting that the frankly I'm tragically the thing that we see all over the place and in media and in movies today were called to be distinct to be set apart to be holy as the followers of Jesus Christ and so we need to avoid that. But I would say this is in a condemnation of all joking or laughter if you will assist a specific kind of joking.

That is, that is being rebuked here among the church in Ephesus and so yeah I'm one of those verses. I think it convicts a lot of people we need to take what the apostle Paul said to heart and this is one of the ways that we can be distinct as Christians in a world that I think the oftentimes minimizes just jokes about things like sexuality, we can be distinct and in how we think about these things that we talk about these things, how we honor the Lord in our speech and so God bless you Opal thank you for that question. Great advice. Thanks Opal for being regular listener to core Christianity. We really do appreciate it. By the way, if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Our phone lines will be open for another five minutes or so, here's the number to call its 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 voicemail received from one of our listeners named John, would you explain to each cabinet is to, as in a group of people or everyone and which ones are still in effect is a slot to that question. Everything else is. Everybody was ever born on planet Earth is born in covenant with God. In one sense in Adam why Adam is the representative of mankind there in the garden of Eden he fell in Adam all of us fell and so were born under this covenant if you will.

You might refer to it as a covenant of works right work. Adam was called to obey the Lord to serve the Lord, and he was our representative and he fell, and in him we all fell. This is what the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 5 verses 12 and following eyes of God and entered into these other covenants with people to redeem us to bring us back to him that not all of them are redemptive covenants if you will about administering salvation. For example, specifically I think of the covenant that was made with Noah and all creation and AA in Genesis. For example, God's promise to sustain the world that he was going to flood the world and destroy everything again that that the harvest was going to continue that seedtime was indicated that God was that you can uphold all things by his providence till the very end, is to get covenants like that that covenant is made with with everyone with all creation were not saved by the know it, and you also have the Mosaic covenant that God entered into with the children of Israel, which has been set aside in one sense were no longer under the Mosaic covenant replaced by we would say the new covenant and one passage of Scripture that you can go to that makes us absolutely clear is what the apostle Paul said in second Corinthians chapter 3 and so I can look at that tech. Second Corinthians chapter 3, Paul says, such as the confidence that we have through Christ toward God does verse four not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who is made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit. For the letter kills the spirit gives life noticeable.

Paul says he says now if the ministry of death carved in letters on stone is clear that he's talking about the Mosaic covenant here came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses's face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory. For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation ministry of righteousness must far exceed in glory. Indeed, in this case. What once had. Glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory much more will what is permanent have glory. In other words, is this covenant this Mosaic, it had to sort of built in obsolescence, meaning that it was in a be done away with.

It was there for a time, specifically for Israel and and then essentially with the coming of the new Kevin Paul talks about this in particular and in the book of Galatians and why was a lie given to Moses if it was good to be set aside in in in one sense that the that the Mosaic is as well.

It was our.

It was our guardian, leading us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith, and so were no longer under the law as Christians is the sort of works covenant. You know that were trying to earn God's approval, but were free to obey the law through Jesus Christ and by the grace of the Holy Spirit and sue under the new covenant we receive the free forgiveness of our sins, just on the basis of faith really is this wonderful thing and so it's important for us to to distinguish here how God is administering his rule throughout redemptive history. Throughout these various covenants is if you don't get it, you put yourself back under the law, you get you to try to justify yourself on the basis of of deeds you're going to your gonna try to justify yourself on the basis of works and bosses no don't do that. The author, the Hebrew says don't do that we are not under the law but under grace through what Jesus is, in establishing a new covenant for us through his body and blood and so just just a few of them that that that I mentioned there appreciate that question. Hope it helps you to unpack these things as you as you open up the Scriptures bless thanks for that April.

This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez's our prayer for you as we kick off 2022. Was it you'll start spending regular time in God's word every day and we want to make that easy for you. We've actually developed a core Christianity Bible reading plan you can get that for free. It's a PDF download, and you can find it by going to core Christianity.com/reading plan.

Again, that's core Christianity.com/reading plan to get started on that a Bible reading plan today or tomorrow would love to have you do that, let's go back to the phones we have Charlie on the phone from Carlock Illinois Charlie what your question for atrial Pedro is wondering once we are rapture didn't we leave this earth and that were home with the Lord. Do the people that are left have an opportunity to receive Christ or they cut off at that point today is that I'm thinking will the Holy Spirit leave that they can't receive Christ. Here and now why the Holy Spirit among us know how you know I would think it would be far harder to accept the Lord after the Holy Spirit leaves.

If that so my question is do the at my neighbors who are talk to some eight times about the things of the Lord and they have don't seem to have any interest. They see that were gone. I think it be a wake-up call, now can they receive Christ. After that Charlie think that question and God bless you for sharing Jesus with your neighbors keep doing then keep praying for them that the Holy Spirit would indeed open their eyes and open their hearts to receive God's grace. Now there are different perspectives on the end times I not enough you've you've heard me before got me to one of the things I say this is a view that there is this rapture of believers.

Believers are taken up caught up in the air to to be with the Lord. And then there's a period of great tribulation and then after that.

Great tribulation. There's the second coming.

So you have these two distinct comings of Jesus one prior to a period of great tribulation, and another one after that.

If tribulation what we refer to as the second coming and that there are some people who will that be there. Many Christians who actually hold that view in the United States. It is a newer view them historically.

This is not a view that was really prominent in the church is not the view that I have my view is that there is one coming of Jesus called the second coming after a period of great tribulation, which it in one sense were participating in even now that the unit we've been in this time of of trouble if you will, as a church for a great period of time. I would say, and the spirit of God is working now to draw people to Jesus. And that's good to be happening until the second coming.

I think even those who make a case for this idea of a rapture being distinct from the second coming of the Lord. They say that during that time. Yes, when the churches rapture that there are gonna be conversions and typically they will say they finna be a widescale conversion of ethnic Israel of Jews. Probably others as well. But there are a lot of questions that are associated with a and of the Holy Spirit is taken will have our people being converted, and so on and so forth. So there are a lot of questions that are raised questions that I think you know I are really difficult to answer, and that's why I prefer the other view, which is look there's one second coming of Jesus at the end of time. And up until that point, God is drawing people.

The nations your neighbor your neighbors to himself and so we ought to continue to pray that the Lord would open their hearts, that the Lord would continue to work in the people around us because the spirit is on the move brothers and sisters and so want to be faithful to the Lord in sharing the gospel with the people who are around us and help that this is the other at different views on on these things, but the key thing is this Jesus is coming back one. Be ready with the good news of the gospel. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time.

As we explore the truth of God's word together