"Love the Sinner, but Hate the Sin"

Think about it... How easy is it for you to "hate the sin" of someone who is a homosexual? I'd guess -if you are like the average evangelical- it wouldn't be too hard at all! Some sins are easy to hate! It is easy for me to hate the sin of those who get drunk and drive: and end up killing innocent people. It is easy for me to hate the sin of those who neglect and abuse their children. It is easy for me to hate the sin of those who rob and steal from the elderly. I'll tell you plainly that is is VERY easy for me to hate the sin of those who molest children. To top it off, I hate that particular sin so much that I am one of those who believe that child predators ought to be punished with the death penalty!

"Love the sinner, but hate the sin" is a common Christian cliche. I usually hear it said when Christians are speaking about people in the homosexual community. While I understand what they are trying to say, I wonder if we (Christians) only apply such thinking to sinners and never have a good look around our own doorstep? Honestly! Don't we love to hate the sins of others? Of all the sins I listed above, I'm sure most Christians would agree that they hate those sins too!

So what about OUR sins? Do we hate our sins as much as we hate the sins of others? I'd have to answer "no" from both my personal experience and from observing others. Isn't it amazing how we can attack the sins of others with veracity and yet at the same time we may be harboring similar sins in our own heart? Take for example the most recent public demise of a well known Charismatic/Evangelical leader: It has been alleged that even while he was campaigning against gay marriage, he himself was engaging in drug use and homosexual activity with a male prostitute! Shocking isn't it?

Now before we get on our self-righteous high horses and attack this fallen leader, let us take the advice of Jesus in Matthew 7 and take the beam out of our own eye first! Dear friends, what sin do we harbor in our hearts? In what areas are we weak? Does the Enemy have a beachhead in our hearts from where he can launch his deadly attacks?

One thing I believe we all need to do is ask God to help expose, and eradicate, these areas of weakness in our hearts. We must pray for God's restraining hand to "lead us not into temptation" and empower us to keep away from those things which make us weak. We need God to continually fill us with His Spirit and cause us to hate our own sin even more than the sins of others. And finally, we need God to help us to not "finish off" those Christians who do stumble and fall...

Galatians 6
1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Soli Deo Gloria.