Introduction. As we raise our children, we carefully watch their behavior. When we see them being unselfish, honest, and hard working, we feel a wonderful sense of hope, joy, and relief, knowing the success such qualities will bring. But if we see our child lying, cheating, or stealing, we feel a foreboding sense of distress as we consider how these things could blight and become a curse in their life. We don’t love them any less regardless of their conduct, but we must approve the good things that will bless them and feel distress over the bad that can bring a curse upon them in order to help them become better. With these feelings comes the need to intervene. The foolishness that is bound up in their heart can only be removed by discipline (Pr. 22:15).
God feels the same way! His hatred of sin is not a hatred of sinners, but the same grief all fathers feel when their children choose things that will lead to their destruction. God “was grieved in His heart” as He witnessed “the earth filled with violence,” as “all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gen. 6:5-12). His grief arose because He knew this conduct would only lead to their destruction. Since God wants all men to be saved, God hates everything that thwarts or hinders it. All that God identifies as sin shares one fundamental characteristic. “The wages of (a) sin is death,” and “the soul that sins shall die.” (Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:20).
God feels the same way! His hatred of sin is not a hatred of sinners, but the same grief all fathers feel when their children choose things that will lead to their destruction. God “was grieved in His heart” as He witnessed “the earth filled with violence,” as “all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gen. 6:5-12). His grief arose because He knew this conduct would only lead to their destruction. Since God wants all men to be saved, God hates everything that thwarts or hinders it. All that God identifies as sin shares one fundamental characteristic. “The wages of (a) sin is death,” and “the soul that sins shall die.” (Rom. 6:23; Ezek. 18:20).
Lot’s distress and frustration with the wicked conduct in Sodom was not a hatred and disgust toward sinners, but the strong desire to see them blessed by God, yet knowing their conduct could only bring a curse. God “condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly” because of “the filthy conduct of the wicked.” “Lot, who was oppressed,” and “tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds” (2Pet. 2:6-10), sought only to turn them from their wicked course. “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!” Yet even this gentle comment of loving concern was received with anger: “This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.” (Gen. 19:7-9).
It should come as no surprise when our own love and concern is also treated with similar contempt and anger. This is the basis of the term “hate speech.” When we quote Scripture that condemns someone’s lifestyle, we see it as a loving attempt to save their souls while they see it as a personal attack.
Different Perspectives. If someone’s home is nearly engulfed in flames, but there is still time to enter and wake them, how surprised would we be if they became angry that we had interrupted a good night’s sleep? Yet such a thing never happens because physical danger leading to a loss of life is obvious. So while everyone would be grateful if we saved their physical life, few have the perspective to see clearly when we seek to save their eternal spiritual life. Is it hate speech if we tell someone they are too drunk to drive? Do we despise someone who is on the verge of destroying themselves with drugs and we seek to intervene and stop them?
As the apostles went everywhere preaching God’s word, they found both perspectives. Multitudes were angry at their “meddling” while some were grateful for their “warnings” that brought “salvation.” Even Jesus found many were unhappy with His warnings. At the end of His life as He stood before Pilate, how many were grateful enough to stand with Him and seek to save Him?
We face difficult choices today. Although we have lived through an unprecedented period of spiritual awareness in Western Civilization, and America was founded on a religious tolerance that allowed us to warn each other using Scripture, things are changing quickly. For example:
Society has changed! While a few have always sought to justify evil by condemning God or His Word, they were in the minority and few listened to them. Today they are slowly becoming the majority and are in positions of high authority and influence. Yet that is the only thing that has changed. What God called evil is still evil and relabeling it doesn’t change its character. Poison is still poison even if we label it differently. Since nothing else has changed we can’t change. The love that led us to warn of sin before these changes in society occurred must be the same love that continues to warn today. We can be more cautious in how we warn, knowing how sensitive people have become. But it is all perspective as Paul said long ago. “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)
It should come as no surprise when our own love and concern is also treated with similar contempt and anger. This is the basis of the term “hate speech.” When we quote Scripture that condemns someone’s lifestyle, we see it as a loving attempt to save their souls while they see it as a personal attack.
Different Perspectives. If someone’s home is nearly engulfed in flames, but there is still time to enter and wake them, how surprised would we be if they became angry that we had interrupted a good night’s sleep? Yet such a thing never happens because physical danger leading to a loss of life is obvious. So while everyone would be grateful if we saved their physical life, few have the perspective to see clearly when we seek to save their eternal spiritual life. Is it hate speech if we tell someone they are too drunk to drive? Do we despise someone who is on the verge of destroying themselves with drugs and we seek to intervene and stop them?
As the apostles went everywhere preaching God’s word, they found both perspectives. Multitudes were angry at their “meddling” while some were grateful for their “warnings” that brought “salvation.” Even Jesus found many were unhappy with His warnings. At the end of His life as He stood before Pilate, how many were grateful enough to stand with Him and seek to save Him?
We face difficult choices today. Although we have lived through an unprecedented period of spiritual awareness in Western Civilization, and America was founded on a religious tolerance that allowed us to warn each other using Scripture, things are changing quickly. For example:
- When we point out that you can’t have an abortion without ending the life of an unborn child.
- When we tell a homosexual that God is not pleased with that behavior (1Cor 6:9-11; Rom. 1:24-27).
- When we say that only the innocent can divorce their adulterous spouse for adultery.
- When we call gambling, drug use and alcohol destructive behavior and sinful.
Society has changed! While a few have always sought to justify evil by condemning God or His Word, they were in the minority and few listened to them. Today they are slowly becoming the majority and are in positions of high authority and influence. Yet that is the only thing that has changed. What God called evil is still evil and relabeling it doesn’t change its character. Poison is still poison even if we label it differently. Since nothing else has changed we can’t change. The love that led us to warn of sin before these changes in society occurred must be the same love that continues to warn today. We can be more cautious in how we warn, knowing how sensitive people have become. But it is all perspective as Paul said long ago. “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)