Does God Hate?

Universalists teach that God is so full of love that He simply cannot send anyone to eternal hellfire.  They repeatedly say things like, "God loves us all so much that He will save us all"; or "He hates the sin, but loves the sinner"; or "God is love, and will not send anyone to hell."  This is because universalists believe that sending people to hell is against His infinite love. They want God to forgive all, even those who openly reject Him, and die cursing Him.

The Project Manager admits that it is nice to think of God's love being so infinitely great that all will ultimately be saved. Hell is a terrible place and the PM does not want anyone to go there. But the PM knows that "love" is only a small part of the total nature of God, and frankly, it does not matter what the PM thinks; it only matters what the Father says.

Yes, Scriptures tell us that God is love (1 John 4:8), but the Bible also tells us that God punishes the sinner and hates all who do iniquity.  God is not one-sided. He is not simply an infinitely loving God; He is also infinitely just. He must deal with sin and must punish the sinner.  In the truth of God's word, we find that the Lord has provided one way by which we may be saved, by which we may escape the just punishment that we deserve. That single way is through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross at Calvary. For all who trust in Him, salvation will come. But to those who turn away, God's wrath will fall upon them: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him," (John 3:36).

Does God Hate Anyone?

Does God hate anyone? The answer is yes. Let us search God's own words: "The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes; Thou dost hate all who do iniquity" (Psalm 5:5);  "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates." (Psalm 11:5).  "Moreover, you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I shall drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them." (Leviticus 20:23).


"There are six things which the Lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers." (Proverbs 6:16-19).
"All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels." (Hosea 9:15).

Are these verses hard to read? Do they make you feel uncomfortable? The Project Manager feels that if you hold to the belief that God is love (and only love), they should. God hates sin, but He does not punish sin; He punishes the sinner. Why does the Lord not destroy sin, and absolve the sinner?  Because sin cannot be tied up and thrown into a fire. It cannot be put in a box or thrown into a prison cell. Sin is not a physical manifestation; sin is rebellion: rebellion in the sinner's heart against God. It is breaking God's Law. Sin occurs inside the hearts and minds of people. Therefore, God must punish the sinner. Why? Because He is both Holy and Just and the person who sins offends God. God's Holy and Just character will not allow Him to ignore the offense of sin.

God's Law is Perfect

When God said, "Let there be light," it happened. When He commanded that the oceans be, they came into existence. His word is powerful; what He says is never futile, empty, or without power. The Law is powerful, pure and perfect; it is a reflection of God's character.  The Ten Commandments reflect God's holiness and justice. These commandments are not without punishments; a law without consequences is only an empty slogan, and that defies the very nature of the Creator.

To sin is to break God's Law and offend His character. To sin is to challenge His character and authority; it means the sinner disobeys God's Word. Remember, God does not lie, He does not say what He does not mean.  God is Truth, His word is true, and He says that He will punish those who break His Law.  However, In His mercy, "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). 

 There is no way we can appease God. That is why God became one of us (John 1:1,14; Hebrews 2:17), to take our place and become sin on our behalf (2Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, you have two options:

1.  Trust Jesus, God in flesh, as your Savior. Put your faith in the sacrifice that He made on the cross, and in nothing that you do on earth.
2.  Reject the cross and Jesus' sacrifice, trust in yourself, and let the penalty of the Law fall upon you.

Either God pays, or you do -- forever. Which will it be?

"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins," (Hebrews 10:26). If there is no sacrifice available for you, then God's wrath abides upon you because He hates sin and your sin is not removed (John 3:36). Trust Jesus alone or the wrath of God will abide upon you forever.

The sobering fact is that God is so holy and righteous that He hates the sinner (Psalm 5:5; Leviticus 20:23; Proverbs 6:16-19; Hosea 9:15). Some say that we should say that God only hates the sin but loves the sinner but that denies the total nature of God, and the above scriptures speak contrary to that. Still, it is true that He is love (1 John 4:8),so the best way to honor and serve the Lord is to accept the love of God found in Jesus, rather than to reject it and suffer His wrath.