[HarleyD]

Excellent article.

"Hate the sin, love the sinner."?????

Not when the sinner is deliberately opposed to God.

[jboot]

As it is written:

...the arrogant cannot stand before You. You hate all who do evil...

Psalm 5:5

[Boogieman]

Yes, even then.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

[Mrs. Don-o]

In the book of Romans, St. Paul says that when we were still "enemies of God," Christ died for us. His love (and ours) is specifically directed toward those who are opposed to Him.

The person "opposed to God" should be the target of the Works of Mercy

• To instruct the ignorant;
• To counsel the doubtful;
• To admonish sinners;
• To pray for conversion of the offender

as well as to restrain their evildoing, to expose and counter their lies, to stop their aggression, to refuse them any cooperation, and to counteract their malice with goodness.

Some of us here were once those "deliberately opposed to God." That's exactly why the whole human race needed (and needs) a Savior.

[ArrogantBustard]

Not when the sinner is deliberately opposed to God.

Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, do good to those who mistreat you. Anyone who claims to be Christian should recognize those instructions.

Are you praying for the conversion of the abortionists, the queers, the socialists, the mohammedans?

[PastorJimCM]

Regarding “God hate(s) the sin, (but) loves the sinner.”

You make a good point. I have always had a hesitancy concerning that cliche. “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated.” Sometimes the sinner personifies the sin. Hundreds of Baal’s prophets were killed in a very brief time. In Korah’s rebellion the earth swallowed up those who opposed God and His servant Moses. When one blasphemes the Holy Spirit I believe that God hates the sinner. In this case it is one who is deliberately trying to lead others away from Jesus Christ.
“Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil and cling to what is good.”