Most churches today teach that God is love , but what about Psalm 5:4-5

1:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
1:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest ALL WORKERS OF INIQUITY.


The question is does God hate sinners?

I believe the key word is workers in Psalm 5:5. God hates iniquity, but it goes further to say the workers of it.

Dont' misunderstand what I am saying, yes God is love " For God so loved the world" But I stll believe he hates also. What is your guys take?

[Biblestudent]

There are passages in Scripture similar to this:
1 Samuel 15:11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.
1 Samuel 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

God "repents", but God is not a man that he should "repent".

In answer to the question, I believe what the Bible says is so.
God hates the workers of iniquity that he would damn them to Hell
God loves the world that he gave his Son and save those who would believe.

Repentance means "a change of mind" - and the Biblical usage shows a change of mind resulting in a change of conduct.

Here is a verse dealing with God and repentance:

The Lord Would Not Repent

It is a neat study, dealing with statements about things God will not change His mind about, regardless of the conduct of mankind. There are other things that do change because man changes - Jeremiah 18 deals with that. When God prophecies destruction, and a city or an individual repents, He changes His conduct towards them (because their conduct has changed). When He prophecies blessings, but they turn to wickedness, then He repents and takes away their blessing (because they changed their conduct towards Him).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."John 3:16

PLOUGHBOY

Context is important. The Bible teaches God loves this world - which is filled with sinners - but He hates the workers of iniquity. My understanding of this is that He hates those who refuse to repent of their sins and reject the Saviour. We all work iniquity - but He hates those who utterly reject Him and persist in their evil course.

Ploughboy,
Your right God does love the world, but is the whole world going to heaven? No. There has to be a payment for sin and God hates sin, but I do believe that he also hates those that do the work of iniquity. Like Jerry said there are those that continue to reject what Jesus Christ did for them, so I believe God hates them but His grace and mercy isn't far from them. It amazes me how simple it is for one to choose heaven or hell. And hell is ones choice when they reject the One who died for them.

Your right God does love the world...so I believe God hates them

Help

"Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD."Psalms 107:43

Ploughboy

The Bible does not contradict - it says both. What you need to do is reconcile those statements. It is not one or the other - but both together. In what sense does He love the world, and in what sense does He hate the workers of iniquity? I believe that an unrepentant worker of iniquity is so identified with their sin, that God hates them as He would hate that sin.

Another thing too - God does not love the lost the same way or extent He loves the saved. Only the saved are referred to as His beloved - which implies a closer relationship and fellowship.

Jerry what about that saying I hear so often in the South? "God hates the sin, but loves the sinner"?

From what you are stating above then, He hates the sinner just as much as the sin?

I have often wondered about that statement.

I believe He hates the unrepentant sinner - not just all sinners (we are all sinners). He knows who will die in a state of rejection of Him and His salvation, and are just determined to pursue their course of sin, as well as lead others into sin and rebellion against God - those are the ones I believe He hates. He has done everything He could to provide them salvation and cleansing from their evil way.