God Hates You

 I could not believe my ears. I sat talking to a person I just met. I wanted to turn the conversation to spiritual matters. God graciously orchestrated that, but I was not prepared for what my new found friend said. After visiting numerous churches over the years and not fitting in, my friend has just about given up on church. 

This person is far from perfect. There have been moral blunders. Crossing the boundaries of God's laws. Transgressions. Who has not failed God? Who can say they have lived a perfect life? Only One and He died on the cross for the sins of the world. His name is Jesus. 

My friend walked into a store and came across someone from a church that recognized my friend. This self righteous, pious, hypocrite, ignorant, church person told my new friend, "God hates you. He hates you as long as you live the way you do." 

When I heard this my blood boiled. That proud Pharisee is not on the streets meeting people where they are and sharing the love of Jesus with actions and words. He or she most likely sit in the secret society of saints who look down their judgmental noses on the lost right beneath the shadows of their steeples. They preach and proclaim a Bible and Jesus they do not really know if they espouse the God hates you point of view. 

They misrepresent God to those who most need Him. God's word is filled with passages about His love for people. Even love for sinners. John 3:16. Romans 5:8-9. Ephesians chapters one and two. Zephaniah 3:17. Study the gospels. These blind religious people totally ignore the examples of Jesus eating with sinners, being called a friend of sinners, and attracting sinful people to Him. He never accepted or ignored their sin. He did love them anyway. Look at the way He dealt with Levi, the woman caught in adultery and the prostitute who anointed His feet with perfume. Does that seem like hate?

I guess the self righteous and self appointed spokesman for God missed all those passages. Will there be a day when God's love and grace will be turned to righteous anger and wrath against those who have spurned His love and mercy. Yes! Absolutely! Before that there is love, grace, the offer of forgiveness and salvation. Jesus loves the people on the fringes of society and margins of life. He loves sinners and does not hate them. 

Even writing this my blood is still boiling toward this hate monger disguised as a follower of Jesus. Such people do not represent the God and Jesus I do. I do not want to associate with such mean spirited and Biblically illiterate church folks. That is not Christlike. I pity such hateful people. I bet people are not beating down the doors to attend that church. 

God loves the sinner and hates the sin. Never get those two things mixed up.