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Old 07-18-2009, 01:06 PM
Amanda S.'s Avatar
Amanda S. Amanda S. is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: TN
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My original question really is two-fold although I clearly didn't phrase it that way.

1) Does God hate the wicked?
2) If so what should our position be as Christians towards the wicked?

I think we have proven that God does hate the wicked and those who reject His offer of love at the cross. I do not believe that God hates ALL sinners, just some. But neither do I believe He loves all sinners, only those redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Obviously not all agree. So now for me the question is what do we do with this Scripture for us as saved people?

Quote:
21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Quote:
Mt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Quote:
Lu 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Again, for those of you condemning harsh preachers or street preachers preaching "God hates sinners" I am not suggesting anyone does that nor do I agree with that methodology. I for one have never heard a preacher preach on this topic specifically although I am sure it has been mentioned in passing. I found these quotes from church history very interesting:

Quote:
JONATHAN EDWARDS: “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much in the same way one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, ABHORS YOU, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire: He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire: He is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in His sight: you are ten thousand times more ABOMINABLE in His sight than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.” (Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God, July 8, 1741)

CHARLES H. SPURGEON: “Verse 5 - Note the singular opposition of the two sentences. GOD HATES THE WICKED, therefore in contrast He loves the righteous...” (The Treasury of David, Vol.2, pp.57-58)

J. VERNON MCGEE: “ If you think God is just lovey-dovey, you had better read this (Ps.11:5) and some of the other Psalms again. GOD HATES THE WICKED who hold onto their wickedness... I do not think God loves the devil, I think He hates him, and HE HATES THOSE WHO HAVE NO INTENTION OF TURNING TO GOD. Frankly, I do not like this distinction that I hear today, that ‘God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.’ God has loved you so much that He gave His Son to die for you, but if you persist in your sin, and continue in that sin, you are the enemy of God. And God is your enemy.” (Psalms, Vol.1, p.72)

MATTHEW HENRY’S COMMENTARY: “He is a holy God, and therefore HATES THEM (the sinner), and cannot endure to look upon them; the wicked, and him that loveth violence, HIS SOUL HATETH... Their pros-perity is far from being an evidence of God’s love...their abuse of it does certainly make them objects of HIS HATRED. He hates nothing that He has made, yet HATES THOSE who have ill-made themselves.”
And to just throw this out there I honestly do not think that the average church age Christian could hate righteously. Most of us are carnal and we have a long way to go in loving God let alone worrying about the wicked. But I just get so ill when people throw about "God loves, God loves. God is love, love, love" and they never ever tell the other side.