…Not the Sinner

One of the greatest problems that people have is judging people based on the sins they do.  I’ve experienced this first hand in relation to my being charged, found guilty and spending time in jail.  Many people view me by that “old me” and have not given me the opportunity to prove that the old me is dead, and the new me is a whole lot better of a person. But really is that the problem? Or is it something else.

God loves everyone, even the sinners!  But God absolutely hates sin! He hates it so much that He forbids sin to enter into Heaven, and therefore before Jesus returns, all sin must be cleansed from the earth!

John 8:10-11 tells us that Jesus didn’t condemn the sinner, a woman caught in adultery, instead He forgave her of her sin, and told her to not sin again.
When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Jesus has forgiven my sins also, but that doesn’t leave me off the hook.  The problem is that we sin from the moment we wake up, until the moment we return to bed.  Even the youngest child has been tarnished by sin.  We know this because in 1st John 1:8-10 it says:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

So if you believe in the Word, which you should, then you are a sinner.

Does anyone hate you for your sins? Hopefully not, but I can tell you that many people hate me for my sins, and it hurts.  It certainly hurts me, but it hurts God also. Because to God, one sin is just like any other, and for someone to hate someone is just as much a sin as anything I may have done.

So we need to have a change in thinking.  God hate sin, but he loves everyone, even the sinners.  So if we want to be like God, we must also hate the sin, but love the sinner.  When you hear of a horrific act of violence, do you immediately jump to the conclusion and hate the person who committed the act.  Like most of us, you probably do.  But instead, we should be hating the act AND the real cause of the act, which is Satan, who is the enemy of everything good.

Matthew 5:43-44: 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;

Jesus uses these words during His Sermon on the Mount. These are the words of a loving Messiah, and not one who hates anyone.  In fact, as He was hanging on the cross dying, He forgave those who had placed Him there.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. Luke 23:34

Again, Jesus did not hate the sinner, he chose to forgive.

I can only hope that those around me, who have chosen to judge in their own minds, and hate me, will realize that instead they should be hating the sin, as I do, and loving the sinner.  If you have made the wrong choice in your life and have chosen to hate someone for their sins, then now is the time to right that wrong.  Our world will be a better place once everyone decides that hate is a very bad emotion.

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