Personally, I think this topic is as stupid as calvinism (sorry TA).
There are two OT verses which say God hates those that do iniquity, and those who loveth violence.
Why is it that we start applying these two OT verses to the age of Grace?
Incidentally, BEFORE Calvary, God still loved us enough, when we were yet sinners, that He died for us. God showed His love for us on the cross, and He still shows it everyday in His long suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
To take two verse from the Psalms
Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
And say "God hates sinners" is to be guilty of prooftexting.
The only one that says specifically that God hates sinners is Psalm 5:5 - and Psalm 5:4 says that wickedness shall not dwell with Him, And here in verse five, it says the foolish shall not stand in thy sight. Verse 6 says He shall destroy them. Now, to me, this is speaking of a great day of judgment, where sinners stand before God - in that Day, God's righteous anger and hatred will condemn those wicked fools who rejected Christ and did not have his imputed righteousness to everlasting flame.
Joh 3:16 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.
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
2Th 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
1Jo 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
1Jo 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Those last verses should settle it for us. They are clear - they are all referring to what God did on the cross in demonstrating His love (Romans 5:8 is another I think I left out). This was while we were yet sinners - God showed his love toward us NOW, while we were yet sinners living in sin.
Sorry AM, I don't mean to make this reply in order to upset you, but I have seen it a lot recently, so it's really a reply to everyone. Like Holiness/Pentecostal want to make sure everybody knows they can lose their salvation, it seems some IFB's want everyone to know God hates them.
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