Hate the Sinner - Love the Sin

If you are a professing Christian chances are pretty high that you have uttered the phrase "hate the sin, love the sinner" at one point or another. At the least you have probably heard it tossed around here and there.

The sentiment is fairly straightforward. It conveys the idea that you can entirely disagree with, and be at odds with someone's behavior, while still caring deeply about them. The idea itself is fine. We really are at odds with a lot of dangerous behavioral stuff in this life. Hopefully we're more at odds with the junk in our own closet rather than someone else's. The problem with this idea isn't that it's untrue. It's that we don't actually mean it.

Generally whatever particular sin issue is driving the conversation usually dominates said conversation. This leaves little room for lovingly engaging people who might be neck deep in the issue at hand. God is amazingly loving, and forgiving, but how can you demonstrate that to someone if you are too busy telling them how much God hates what they're doing. It's like trying to give someone a brand new car by running them over with it. Or giving someone dying of thirst a drink by tossing them in a lake.

Christian, you are the face of God to this world. You are Jesus with skin on. Often people will respond to God in accordance to how you respond to them. Not always, but many times.

Also, you need God too. We all do. "Hate the sin, love the sinner" is a fine description of how God feels about the situation, but it's a pretty crappy summation of Christian human reaction to sin.

God does hate sin. He hates all sin. He is completely good like that. God does love sinners. He loves all sinners. ALL OF US. He is completely good like that. But I have yet to meet the Christian who hates all sin equally and loves all sinners equally, and that certainly includes myself.

No, we pick sins that are obvious and we hammer them, leaving those trapped in that sin beaten and broken like some old rusty nail. Never mind that Jesus allowed himself to be beaten, battered, and nailed for them. All the while we ignore our pet sins and keep them in our most secret places. Even the villainous religious leaders from John chapter 8 had the good sense not to throw stones because of their failures. Would we? I have met a lot of people who went looking for God at some point in their life and wound up battered and bruised by the stones thrown their way.

I've spent over a decade reaching out to college students. I've had hundreds of conversations with non Christians. It is amazing how many people are turned away from Christianity, not by Jesus, but by the people who represent him. In their eyes we hate the sinner, but we love to talk about their sin.

December 23 - The Free Gift

Romans 6:15-23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

Either by willful commission or apathetic omission each of us sin. We do the wrong things, or we choose not to do the right thing. But our sin is not the central message of the Bible.

If sin were the main theme of the Bible it would be a book primarily focused on morality. And while I do believe that the answers to all moral dilemmas are found within its pages, I don't believe it is because morality/sin are its chief issue. Jesus is the central focus of the Bible.

Every book points ahead to Christ. Every book of the Old Testament is a Spirit-inspired wrapping—just as every book of the New Testament is a joyful declaration of the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus is the Good News. Jesus is the hope of the world. Jesus is the central figure of human history, the main idea of the Bible, and the Free Gift of God.

November 4 - Breath of God

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. (Mark 15:37 ESV)

In the beginning God made the heavens and He made the Earth. He made all of the beautiful vistas and unbelievably epic sunsets. Then he wadded up some dirt, ever so carefully, and breathed life into it, and called it Adam.

Adam went on to disobey God and lead his family into sin. A choice which set a course for the remainder of all of humanity, and even history itself. Someone would have to account for the sinfulness of man. And we were found to be entirely incapable of the task at hand.

But God had always known the score. He knew Adam would fail to lead his family. He knew sin would enter the world. And He knew He would need to take on the form of man and become Jesus. He knew it all. He knew it before Adam breathed that first breath drawn straight from the breath of God.

God's breath put life in our lungs and limbs. It inspired us to create. To reach for the cosmos and ceases wonders by the tail. It called us on to follow Him. To love Him. And to serve Him. But when we were incapable He did not abandon us.

Our Heavenly Father did not forget His people when they failed Him. He did not forsake us when we cursed Him. Instead, He became one of us. And then, He died for us, so that with His last breath we might become like Him.

November 3 - Prophecy: Death of the Messiah

By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (Isaiah 53:8 ESV) Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46 ESV)

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would die. His Old Testament writings are sometimes called the fifth gospel because they are full of so much prophetic writing about Jesus. Jesus fulfilled all of Isaiah's prophecies. Jesus did die on the cross.

Some people today do not believe that Jesus actually died on the cross. They believe he was crucified, and that he just passed out or something. That's just simply not the case. Jesus died. He breathed a final breath. His spirit left his mortal body.

Jesus final breath marked a turning point in the history of humanity. His sacrifice was complete. There was still some stuff left for him to do. But the dying part was over. It had happened. It was complete. And sin was paid for.

November 2 - Prophecy: Sinless

And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9 ESV) For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:21, 22 ESV)

The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah would live his life without committing any sins. Jesus died because of sin, but not his sin for he had no sin of his own. Jesus was sinless.

We sin. Either my intent or ignorance, action or inaction, we disobey God and step into the realm of human pride and selfishness. We exotic the holy and enter the haughty. Jesus did neither.

For every bad choice, horrible decision, and disastrous consequence—Jesus suffered. He took it all upon his very capable shoulders. He carried them to the end. And he dumped it in hell with death itself. He was sinless, and so the wages of death have been paid in full by one who did not owe the bill. The Law fulfilled by the life of Christ.

October 30 - Forsaken

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV)

Have you ever felt forsaken? Perhaps you have. It's that wretched feeling you get when someone you have absolute trust in has abandoned you. But being forsaken is more than just a feeling of abandonment. It is an action. It is being walked away from. It is having someone turn their back on you in a moment of absolute need.

Jesus needed God the Father for instruction, encouragement, and support. But just in the moment when Jesus' need was greatest God was out of his reach. It sounds absolutely horrible doesn't it? If that were how the story ended it truly would be horrible.

You see, Jesus became the recipient of all human sin, for every person for all of history—past, present, and future. He accepted all of it onto himself. And then he placed himself between us and God the Father. Being a perfect man, in perfect communion with God, he was accustomed to a direct line of communication with God. However, sin interrupted that. Our sin.

As Jesus took the sin of the world, he isolated himself from the glory of God Almighty. God did not forsake Jesus out of anger, malice, or disgust. And he doesn't turn his back on you or I when we find ourselves making poor decisions. No, God forsook the sin that Christ had recieved—sin which exacted its price upon the Son of God. Jesus was momentarily forsaken, but he was not forgotten. Today, the children of God stand in a place made ready by the sacrifice of Christ. A place where Scripture declares that we are neither forsaken nor forgotten.

September 28 - Peter & Jesus

Luke 22:55-62

And he went out and wept bitterly. (Luke 22:62 ESV)

Jesus told Peter that he would deny him three times and Peter refused to believe it. Jesus also told Judas that he was the betrayer and Judas knew it to be true. What was the incredible difference between these two followers of Christ? I believe that the most significant difference between Judas and Peter rests in their response to their sin against Jesus.

Judas hung himself before Jesus was even crucified. He knew his guilt. And he felt trapped by it. Peter wept at the realization that he had sinned so greatly by denying Christ. The difference in these two responses is incredible. It's a point I have written about often but I believe we cannot look at it too closely. Judas regretted his actions and killed himself. Peter showed genuine remorse, and sought forgiveness.

Peter betrayed Jesus. He knew that he had done it. He felt horrible. But he also recognized that there was a way back. No, not immediately, but he did take his sin to Jesus. Jesus reminded him that he knew about it before it had even happened. He forgave him.

Peter and Jesus had a unique relationship in terms of teacher and disciple. But all Christians share a similar experience with the two. In the connection between redeemer and redeemed we are all Peter, and we all need Jesus.

September 21 - Remorse & Regret

Matthew 27:1-10

And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5 ESV)

Judas Iscariot returned the money he had received for betraying Jesus. Then he went and hung himself. The chief priests rejected his plea for forgiveness because they refused to acknowledge that anything wrong had taken place. They then used the thirty pieces of silver to purchase a field called the field of blood.

Judas threw the money into the Temple out of disgust. He was disgusted with his own actions, but he was also probably disgusted with the responses of the religious leaders. He realized his erroneous ways

Judas was remorseful, he regretted his actions, that much is clear. However, he did not take his sin to the one place where it could be dealt with. He did not take his sin to Jesus. He did not repent. Instead he ended his own life.

Judas Iscariot's story is tragically sad. It is the story of a what can happen when we deal with our sin in the wrong way. Jesus does save us from sin. He died for that very thing. But we have to take it to him, we have to believe that he will do it, and we have to entrust our lives to him.

August 28 - Though They All

Matthew 26:30-35

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” (Matthew 26:33 ESV)

I really like Peter a lot. Mostly it is because I feel like I understand him. He made a lot of mistakes but seemed to genuinely want to do the right thing almost all of the time.

When Jesus was telling his disciples that they were all about to abandon him Peter piped up to claim that he would never waiver in his loyalty. It was a wonderful sentiment. It was a wholesale rejection of the kind of apparent peer pressure we are usually conditioned against. Too bad it didn't okay out that way.

Peter did scatter with the rest. He even went so far as to betray Christ by denying his standing as a disciple. It was a tragic moment for Peter. Thank God his story didn't end there! Peter was so sorrowful and repentant after his betrayal. Ultimately he was forgiven. And eventually he went on to lead the church. What could have been a tragic end became a hopeful beginning.

And Jesus offers each of us that same beginning. We all like to think we are above betrayal. We talk really big. But we have our moments. We aren't perfect. And we need the loving grace of God Almighty to restore us, encourage us, and point us in the right direction.

August 27 - Is it I?

Mark 14:17-25

They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” (Mark 14:19 ESV)

Jesus had forewarned his disciples of his approaching trials and death multiple times. They never quite seemed to understand what he was referring to. But when he made the announcement that he would be betrayed they all perked up. They were all concerned it would be them.

Their response reveals a common idea. It is something I have noticed a lot over the years, and have struggled with myself at times. We are afraid of letting God down. We are woefully uncomfortable with the possibility of our own inadequacy. That's not a bad thing.

Still, the truth is that we really are incapable of doing it on our own. We do fail. We do let God down when we choose to sin. And that is a betrayal of all that He is and does for us.

That sounds pretty harsh doesn't it?

The good news, The Gospel actually, is that in spite of our failings, conformities, and bad decisions—our betrayals are the whole reason why Jesus died. It is our sin that His death overcomes. Yes, we may fall short of the hope God has for us, but he is big enough and good enough to make up the difference.

August 26 - Quickly

John 13:21-30

Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” (John 13:27 ESV)

Over the centuries there have been a lot of questions surrounding Judas. I feel pretty unqualified to answer them. I am a firm believer in just letting the Word speak for itself on those issues that can be all too easily confused.

Jesus knew Judas would betray him. He called him out about it ina. Very subtle and private manner. He told Judas to do what he was going to do. He told him to do it quickly.

It makes me wonder if Jesus ever looks at you or I and (fully knowing our future) hopes that we will hurry through a particularly troubling season. Maybe he sees a mistake we will knowingly choose to make, but he also knows that we will choose to be reconciled after that mistake.

You see, Judas and Peter both betrayed Jesus. Judas plotted and schemed for money, but Peter denied his connection to Jesus outright. Both were wrong. The difference is in how they chose to respond. Peter sought correction and redemption through forgiveness, yet Judas chose painful rejection without reconciliation.

I don't believe Jesus wants any of us to knowingly sin, but he also knows just how imperfect we all can be. What if he is less concerned with slow punishment, and more attracted to quick redemption?

August 5 - Wrong

Matthew 22:23-33

But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God." (Matthew 22:29 ESV)

"You are wrong," is not a phrase that I have heard many times in my life. I was that kid in school that usually seemed to know the answers. Today, I still get looked to for answers. And a lot of the time I either know the answer, or know how to go about finding it. But the reason why that is important is because all of the answers that matter are the ones that come from my knowledge of God.

Jesus hit that nail on the head repeatedly. To the point that the religious leaders did not know how to deal with him. He was always right. He always had the answer. And when they concocted their crazy tests to trip him up he turned it around on them as a way to point out their shortcomings.

Intellectually I am right a lot of the time. Spiritually I am definitely a work-in-progress. I am hoping that one day my family and friends will be able to look back over the course of my life and say that I was right. Not about intellectual facts or acquired knowledge, but about the things in life that truly matter.

I don't always succeed, but my hope as my feet hit the floor every morning is that I will grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures, I would serve God diligently, and love people genuinely. Because a person can life their whole life and seldom be wrong only to stand before Christ one day and find out that without him they were always wrong.

August 4 - God of Life

Luke 20:27-40

Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him. (Luke 20:38 ESV)

The Sadducees were a group of religious leaders that did not believe in the after life. One day in a bid to discount and humiliate Christ they put him to question. Like their contemporaries, the Pharisees, they concocted a strange rhetorical situation as an attempt to determine Jesus' traditional affiliation and political leaning. Par for the course he proved that the people did not have their mind or hearts set on the things of God.

Those who belief on Jesus for their salvation are brought into a new life. They have rejected death. They have left behind sin. Not because they are perfect but because Jesus has taken sin from them based on their faith in his sacrificial power and blameless life.

God created men for life, love, and relationship with Him. To be in union with Him is to enjoy eternal life. God is the God of life. That all sounds perfectly strange and seemingly beyond comprehension, but in a way that is what makes the majesty of it that much more wonderful.

July 27 - Forgive

Mark 11:20-25

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (Mark 11:25 ESV)

Forgiveness is essential. Without it we remain dislodged from our intended relationship with God. Primarily we need to seek forgiveness from God himself, but we must also extend forgiveness to those that have wronged us. According to Jesus our willingness to forgive others actually in as the ability to interfere with the forgiveness God extends toward us.

It almost sounds backward to think that you cannot receive from God won't you are unwilling to first give away. That kind of thinking goes against my nature. Perhaps, however, that is because my very nature itself is in need of divine repair.

Like many things in the life lived for Christ, forgiveness is something that Jesus wants his followers to readily give away. It is not always easy. In fact, I think it almost never easy. When someone sins against you, it can be dreadful to let go of the pain and anguish that is often associated with that injustice.

Our act of willing forgiveness is powerful. By letting go of the ways by which we have been wronged we begin to experience freedom from our own sinfulness. Why? Because forgiveness is about learning to let go of our attachment to sin. When we are wronged it is easy to dwell on it, and when we have committed grievous sin it is easy for the enemy of our soul to use it against us.

The clear path is to let go. Extend grace to those that wrong you. Even as God offers grace to you. Forgive.

July 6 - Separation

Mark 10:1-12

"What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Mark 10:9 ESV)

Those silly religious guys were always trying to one up Jesus by asking him questions that they perceived to be great theological struggles. He always dismantled them with simplistic love and devotion. Always.

One day they asked his opinion on divorce and he stated quite plainly that it was not good. Most of us would probably readily agree that divorce is not a good thing. It's Christ's following comment that I find so interesting. If you've ever been to a wedding in the South chances are that you have heard this one, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

We live in a culture where people easily toss aside things of incredible importance. Relationships. Jobs. Integrity. Devotion. Truth. These are all things that society has learned to easily and conveniently separate from. People let them go on a whim. They let them go for selfish endeavors. We have become a people of separation, which is fitting seeing as how the first man chose to separate himself from God.

I am glad that God Himself made the move to pave a path for our reconciliation. I choose to be with Him, to love and serve Him, and I will one day be joined together with Him. That will lead to an eternal season without separation.

June 29 - Come Out

Read: John 11:38-44

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." (John 11:43 ESV)

The time had come. Jesus had travelled to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. He reminded onlookers to believe. He commanded the stone to be rolled away. He prayed aloud for those nearby to hear. And then he called to Lazarus to live again and exit the tomb.

I'm not sure I can even imagine what that must have been like. They all saw it, all experienced, all knew what had just happened. Jesus, this man that was supposed to be a simple carpenter from nowhere—had become a premiere rabbi. He was saying things priests didn't say. He was helping people priests didn't help. He was doing things priests couldn't do.

The revivification of Lazarus was a turning point. It was undeniable. Someone that was clearly dead had been returned to life. It was a declarative miracle of a nature that surpassed all his precious public works. Jesus publicly and boldly declared himself to be master over life itself. He called Lazarus out of the grave, out of death, out of the past, into a kind of newness of life that only Jesus could give.

I really believe that Jesus is still doing that. He is still calling people to leave their tombs, leave their life of death, and leave behind their pasts to pursue newness, to pursue him. I'm so glad that one day I felt the compelling call of Christ stir within my soul and chose to come out of darkness into light. What is Christ calling you out of?

May 21 - Don't Look Back

Read: Luke 9:57-62

Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62 ESV)

Not every yesterday is a pleasant memory. Often the recollection of yesterday is a painful remembrance. Perhaps terrible thing were done to you or by you. They are part of your yesterdays.

Jesus cautioned his followers against being consumed by worry for yesterday. In order to thoroughly live in the freely given identity we receive in Christ we must step into the new life provided for us while rejecting the pain of the past. It means recognizing that all of our hope, all of our strength, all of our joy, and all of our provision are rooted in Christ. It means looking ahead to the life and work he has for us.

I have made many mistakes in my life. Some would easily be deeply regrettable. But instead I find a measure of gratitude where cynicism, or even, fondness could linger. I don't miss my days of reckless selfishness. I don't wish to be back in that season of life. I'm not looking back instead of ahead.

Jesus calls each of us that bear his identity as a child of God to press on. Yes, we have been hurt. Yes, we have failed in some pretty shameful ways. But those things do not define who we are. We are children of God. We are coheirs with Christ. We have identity in Christ. He is calling us to look ahead.

May 13 - Gaining Brothers

Read: Matthew 18:15-20

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (Matthew 18:15 ESV)

A lot of the language used in describing the early community of Christ followers was familial in nature. Brother and sister were words regularly used to refer to fellow believers. This is the kind of brother Jesus was speaking of.

There will be times in this life in which we find ourselves at odds with fellow believers. Usually it will be a difference of opinion or a misunderstanding, but there are also times when this tension will be a result of a moral failing. We have an obligation to address the sins of those we care about.

Too often in the Christian culture we paint sin as something incredibly easy to deal with, but the truth is that sin is anything but easy. Obviously we are supposed to take our sins before Christ as a matter of repentance and forgiveness. But what about dealing with them friend-to-friend and brother-to-brother?

Jesus advocated one-on-one confrontations. Upfront personal conversations are best. Sitting with someone and talking the issue out always reveals the honest nature of those involved. It cuts through the potential miscommunications and lays all of the cards on the table. Hopefully in a way that brings healing and restoration to the relationship, and points the one who has sinned toward redemption.

April 26 - Judges

Read: Matthew 7:1-6

Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3 ESV)

It's so easy to see other people's problems. And yet, it can be really hard to have an honest sense of our own shortcomings. Often our own personal hang ups are a blind spot.

This is not a new problem. Jesus' disciples had the same problem. He thought it was a big enough issue that he addressed it in his famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus point was that dealing with our own sin should take priority over confronting other people about theirs.

"Don't judge me" is an all-too-common phrase today. And while it is certainly grounded in a biblical truth it is usually pulled woefully out of context by someone trying to grant themselves free license to sanction whatever sinful deed they desire to commit. This was not the point Jesus was trying to make.

Jesus' point was that each of us should carefully measure our actions. We should take stock of our sin. We should pray that our transgressions would be revealed to us so that there would be no blind spots in our lives. We aren't to seek a life free from judgement, after all God is going to judge us all. Instead, we should realistically submit ourselves to the graceful judgement of Christ now so that we might be spared the justice of Christ later.

April 20 - Trespassing

Read: Matthew 6:14, 15

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14, 15 ESV)

We have all been sinned against. We have all sinned against God, and other people. The English Standard Version uses the word trespasses which paints a significant word picture. All of us have passed into territory where we do not belong.

Thinking in terms of trespassing the idea of separation from God takes on a lot more meaning. God is sovereign. He is the rightful king of our hearts. But, when we assert selfish control over our own lives we have trespassed into His territory. This is the essence of sin and it puts distance between our hearts and our holy God.

Likewise people trespass into our territory. Perhaps they do so accidentally, or maybe even with pure intentions, but it is inevitable that we will be wronged by others at some point. This creates distance and discord between our hearts. Jesus taught that it is his followers' duty to forgive those kinds of trespasses committed against us. We are to extend grace to our fellow man when that situation occurs.

Trespassing happens because of the idea of ownership. We easily, willfully, and frequently trespass against God because we think we possess ownership, when in fact He is in total ownership. We regularly feel trespassed against for the same reason. Sometimes it is valid as others extend their perceived ownership too far. Often it is invalid as the pride created because of our false sense of ownership is offended. Even this is encroaching on God's dominion.

Forgiveness happens, and can only happen, when we lay aside our false sense of ownership over places in our hearts. When we are unthreatened by someone's presence somewhere we will gladly welcome them in. This action extends forgiveness to others, but it also helps us to receive forgiveness from the Father.