We’ve spent decades trying to make the church into a supportive community where everyone belongs, even the people who don’t want to be in the community. Our dogged determination to ‘hate the sin but love the sinner,’ is enormously popular with both sinners and saints because it effectively pushes one of Christianity’s hardest teachings right off the table. It is impossible to admit sin and maintain dignity.
The problem is that in practice ‘hating sin but loving sinners’ looks a lot like ‘condoning sin.’
“John, you jerk! I don’t CONDONE sin! But it is the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts. My job is just to love people! You’re judging! That pushes people away from Jesus!!”
I know you believe we’re just called to weep helplessly as people endure the consequences of their sin. You’ve judged that they are suffering enough already without our heaping judgment upon them. Your efforts to spare them the indignity of facing their bad choices will simply prolong their suffering.
You don’t want to ‘embarrass’ anyone. You believe a person can deal with their wickedness without feeling uncomfortable. So you continue fellowship and say nothing, telling yourself that your cowardice is ‘love.’ The truth is that ‘hating sin’ should not put sinners at ease.
(Luke 17:3) So watch yourselves. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
One Response
Well, we are supposed to love the sinner and hate the sin. We are supposed to both, and some of us don’t do both. God does. That is why honest and sincere repentance is necessary.