God hates Sin...

…but He loves the sinner !?

No doubt we’ve already heard this wording in our lives and in Christian circles.
But what can we say about it ?

The intention behind this slogan may seem good, but when taken on its own, it becomes misleading and non-biblical in its overall form. Let’s look at this more closely…

First: it is NOT a Bible verse.

The phrase “God hates sin, but He loves the sinner” is written nowhere in the Bible. It’s a human summary, a kind of pastoral slogan, not an inspired quotation. You could even view it as an ambiguity !

So it must be examined in the light of God’s Word.

What is true in this phrase is that God truly hates sin !
— God is holy, perfectly pure, separated from evil. 1 Peter 1:16
— He cannot look on evil with approval. Habakkuk 1:13
— His wrath is revealed against “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” Romans 1:18

That’s certain: God hates sin. It is never trivial to Him, nor without consequences.

Next, we must consider that God loves sinners.

The Bible is clear:
— “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” John 3:16
— “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
— God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but wants him to turn from evil and live. Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11

So—and this too is certain—God shows a “real love” toward people who are guilty, lost, or rebellious, but He expects from them sincere repentance !

Like Christ, who ate with people of immoral lives, with tax collectors, forgave repentant adulterers, and associated with people of ill repute…

The intention of the slogan is to remind us that God does not reject the one who comes to Him. From that angle, it is very encouraging !

But where this slogan becomes misleading is when it is repeated as if it were a kind of free pass to keep living “my way.”

The Bible does not only say that God hates “sin,” but often “the sinner.” Some Psalms are very disturbing to our modern sensitivity:
— “You hate all workers of iniquity.” Psalm 5:5
— “The LORD tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” Psalm 11:5

— “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.” Exodus 32:33

They show that God’s wrath is aimed at persons, not merely at an abstract “concept” called sin.

Without repentance and without Christ, man is :
— an “enemy of God.” Romans 5:10
— a “child of wrath.” Ephesians 2:3
— “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds.” Colossians 1:21

We see that we cannot always neatly separate “sin” from the person who carries it, as if sin were floating beside us. In this regard I keep the image of the motorcycle and the sidecar !

This gives the impression that God loves the sinner “exactly as he is,” without judgment—whereas the Bible says that the sinner, “as he is in Adam,” is under God’s wrath.

This slogan could minimize the seriousness of sin. It can be quoted broadly to say: “Don’t worry, God loves you, period ! You’re a sinner, but that’s not really the issue—He simply doesn’t like what you do.” People are reassured when they should be called to repentance, and God’s love is turned into mere tolerance. The fear of God is removed, as well as the notion of judgment and the necessity of the new birth.

So saying “God hates sin but loves the sinner,” if not explained, gives the impression that God loves man in his state of rebellion, with no demand for transformation. That is not (thankfully) the Gospel.

We can say things better, in a way that is more faithful to the Bible:
— God is Holy : He condemns sin, but He offers the sinner forgiveness and a new heart in Jesus Christ.
Or : God loves the sinner so much that He does not leave him in his sin—He calls him to repentance and faith.

To sum up: this slogan contains two parts of truth: God is not indifferent to sin; He condemns it, but He opens a way of salvation for sinners. Yet it is too simplistic and often used to soften the biblical message, erase God’s wrath, and preach a “God of love” who no longer judges anyone. Therefore it should be used with great discernment and only if it is explained—or better yet, replaced with wording that matches biblical language.

With love... Franz