THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY THAT: GOD HATES SINNERS

Sermon Notes, January 27, 2019

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

Pastor Garry’s second sermon in the series titled “The Bible Doesn’t Say That.” The second sermon in the series is “God Hates Sinners.”  The scriptural basis for his sermon is Ephesians 2:1-10. 

There are two problems with the statement that God hates sinners.  First, God is Love, as it states in 1 John 4:7-8.  To know God is to love people.  Second, everyone has sinned, according to Romans 5:8. 

Sin is an act outside of God’s moral law.  It separates us from God.  Without Jesus, all of us are separated from God.  John 3:16 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His Son to save us.  Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us seven things God hates.  He hates sin, but he doesn’t hate sinners.  God doesn’t fail us.

WE associate sin with the person, and that’s where it gets dangerous.  People think “If God hates sin, and I’m doing the sin, then God must hate me.”  God can separate the  two.  He hates sin because it separates us from Him.  His hatred of sin is driven by His love for us.

There are seven words in Ephesians 2:1-10 that we will look at more closely.  The first three are You Were Dead…  “You” is very personal.  “Were” means used to be; we were “dead” in sin.  Remember who you were before you accepted Jesus.  Think of the mindlessness of consumerism.  We’re not zombies! 

The next two words are But God…  He gave us life.  God provided grace.  He made the first move.  Other religions require words and action from the seeker.

The last of the seven words are Through Faith…  This is how to access God’s love.  God loves you enough to give you a choice.  Jesus didn’t come to save the good or the not-so-good; He came to save sinners.

When Christians say God hates sinners, we are lying.  God hates what is not whole and loves it back together.