Yesterday’s post about regarding iniquity in your heart brought my mind to the popular “love the sinner hate the sin” quote. I have heard this quote in 2 variations:

“God loves the sinner but hates the sin.”

“Hate the sin, love the sinner.”

So, are these Bible or Not? Neither are from the Bible although you’ve likely heard them from the pulpit. OK, so they are not from the Bible, but is it true that God loves the sinner but hates the sin, or does he hate both sin and sinner? There are Bible verses to support both positions (it’s up to you to go find them, so if you haven’t cracked open your Bible this past week here is a great opportunity).

The first quote, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin,” is atributed to St. Augustine, a Catholic Bishop and writer. His letter 211 (c. 424) contains the phrase “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum”, which basically means “with love for mankind and hatred of sins.” So it’s not exact but the idea is God loves all of mankind and therefore loves the sinner, yet has a hatred of the sin. On a humorous note, something that you’ll only find in the Catholic church, St. Augustine is also the patron saint of brewers.

Over the years the quote has morphed into a simpler form, and taken on as advice of how we ought to treat others: we should as Christians ”hate the sin, love the sinner”. This attitude has served many outreach programs well and supports the teachings of Christ to “judge not” and to love all mankind. It has even been adopted by non-Christians as we find the quote ”hate the sin and not the sinner” in the 1929 autobiography of Mohandas Gandhi.

You have likely heard things like “God loves the sinner but hates the sin“, and that in order to be saved all one needs to do is say “the sinner’s prayer”. So then, we can conclude that God loves the sinner and if  a sinful person was to pray to God, then God would answer. Today’s Bible or Not quote is a Bible verse from the book of Psalms.

“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear”. – Psalm 66:18 NKJV

We have a dilemma now, don’t we? According to the psalmist, a person with a sinful heart – i.e. a sinner – will not be heard by God. So which is it? Does God hear the prayer of a sinner or not?

I’ll leave the answer to our readers today – please add your opinion to Comments.

I have two quotes today, one Bible and one Not. Do you know which one is which?

“After the first blush of sin comes its indifference.” – Bible or Not?

“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed. Nor did they know how to blush.” – Bible or Not?

We live in a day and time where sin is commonplace, not only in society, but we see in the churches as well. How many still blush at the thought or act of sin? Do we blush, then shrug it off with indifference because others are doing the same or worse? Then there are those who sin without any regard and do not even think about blushing, and many of these even go further to boast of their sin.

Let me ask you Christian, and be honest with yourself, do you still know how to blush? Or have you become so calloused by the world we live in that you’ve forgotten how to blush? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled, and will never forget how to blush.