One of the perplexing themes of scripture is the way God expresses himself as hating sinners. It is surely a neglected subject. Moreover, it is much misunderstood even by those, who may have briefly encountered it in scripture. Much mileage has been obtained on the slogan: “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner,” or some such variant. I have struggled with God’s hate for a few years now, as I was totally oblivious to it in my earlier days as a Christian. Yet one must come to grips with it! On closer examination of sacred writ, one finds the slogan a bit lacking in adequacy to express the true attitudes of the Deity.

Of course John 3:16 has always been the answer to silence protesting voices that affirm God’s hate and /or His retribution. The doctrine of reprobation is mostly downplayed today. It is not politically correct to speak of a God that condemns. Nor is it wise or “practical,” to say the least, in speaking of a God that hates. One may not build large ministries or churches on such preaching. Yet Paul affirms the doctrine of God’s hate in referencing Jacob and Esau. Moreover, the Psalms have allusions to God being angry with the wicked everyday, and showing that God hates not merely the sin of wicked men but the wicked men themselves (cf. Pss. 5; 7; and 11). On judgment day it will be sinners punished, not sins!

Jesus may be seen as a final authority on the matter. In Matthew 7 we have words that have become familiar to us in the evangelical church and remain a stern warning to us all. In addressing a group of self-proclaimed prophets and exorcists, our Lord states categorically, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” This would not be so troubling, one may suppose, had it not been for the Lord’s strange words: “I never knew you.” It is here that one must read very carefully so that the true meaning is uncovered.

Of course, we realize that Jesus is not suggesting some deficiency in His omniscience, namely, that He never had heard of these people before. The statement has to do with a relationship with them. This intimate term, “know” is loaded with relational significance even as we recall Adam knowing his wife, and more importantly, Yahweh knowing Israel (Amos 3:2). When Jesus claims never to have known these condemned people, He is intimating rather loudly that He has never loved them. It may be presumptuous and unwise for us to say, “Never.” But Jesus really meant it; He never loved them!