Monday, October 29, 2012

PART THREE... DOES GOD HATE SINNERS?

Monday October 29, 2012 9:04 pm


(January 16, 1859 C.H. Spurgeon delivered a message and I want to take one particular quote from that evening's message and let my blog begin with his words. He was advising people that when they are reading the Bible they must never change it to make it more palatable to their senses.)

“Take care my dear friends, how any of you meddle with God's Word. I have heard of folks altering passages they did not like. It will not do, you know, you cannot alter them; they are really just the same. Our only power with the Word of God is simply to let it stand as it is, and to endeavour by God's grace to accommodate ourselves to that. We must never try to make the Bible bow to us, in fact we cannot, for the truths of divine revelation are as sure and fast as the throne of God.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

I will begin my part by stating a simple truth. Any statement that you can make must have an opposite statement which could be made in order to know the first statement is factual. Do you understand? Think about it. How do we know that there is such a thing as “up?” Isn't it because we know there is a “down?” All statements... all statements... will have an opposite statement which can be made!

J. Vernon McGee said, “Do you know that if God loves, God also hates—because you can not love without hating?” He continued, “If God loves the good, He has to hate the evil—it couldn't be otherwise...”

I am going to begin this blog introducing two Bible characters. One, God obviously loves: Moses. The other one God obviously hates, Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Before I set out to prove that I will type several verses which will teach the same truth I am trying to bring out in this series on the upcoming election. That will be the love/hate relationship God has with certain people.

Let me dispense with a popular idiom that is found nowhere in the Bible. I imagine you have heard it though. Usually it is used by a pussyfooting preacher who has learned from others of the same ilk to become a full-time “God apologist.” Here is their man-made “quote” found nowhere in Scripture: “God hates sin, but loves the sinner.” If you have ever imagined that is a verse somewhere in the Bible... it's not. It is along the same lines as “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Sounds good... maybe, I don't know? However, neither saying is found in the Word of God.

As far as I can tell from diligently searching, the first person to use the phrase "Love the sinner, hate the sin" was Saint Augustine from the third century AD, and today he is recognized as a Catholic Saint. If I believed in that foolishness I might actually call on him just now because he is supposed to help “alleviate sore eyes.” Believe me... mine are bloodshot and sore from research, study, and typing. Anyway, he said, “Cum dilectione hominum et odio vitiorum, which translates roughly to "With love for mankind and hatred of sins." So, blame that “Bible” fallacy on the man from Hippo (:

I am going to quote several verses that shows that God (according to His Holy Word) hates sin... and many times those who commit it. Leviticus 20:23 “And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things and therefore I abhorred them. Notice, God didn't only “abhor” their misdeeds or their sins: He, “abhorred them!”

Psalms 5:5 “The foolish shall not stand in thy sight, thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” (Notice, He doesn't hate just the “work” (sin) … He hates the, “workers.”)

Psalms 10:3 “For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.”

Hosea 9:15 “All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters.”

Zechariah 11:8 “Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.” That's very personal and extremely plain... no wiggle-room for pussyfooters.)

Malachi 1:2-3 “The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.”

Romans 9:13 “As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.”

Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, And heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Please notice that all seven items that are on this list of things that God hates comes with an attached body (: Only one, the very first one could even be construed as a “sin of the mind?” In other words, the lying tongue which is hated is attached to the body, attached to the mind, etc. It is not that He hates a set of disembodied hands, He hates the sinner who is using his hands and shedding innocent blood.

Look, I honestly don't know how many verses there are in the Bible which clearly states that God not only hate sins... but also certain sinners. But, wouldn't the seven passages I typed from both Testaments be enough for any person who really does believe the Bible to be the Word of God? You see, the problem is that most preachers, and even those who purport to be fundamental in their beliefs really do not believe God's Word at all. They are merely Bible correctors exactly like the liberals they vociferously cry against.

Here is how you can easily spot a Bible corrector or one of God's many public relations ministers who go about trying to soften His image. I call them “God apologists.” I continually think of them bowing and scraping before the masses always trying to remind them that the God of the Bible is, after all, not as hard as He sounds. You know... kind of like a fat, jovial, Santa Claus who only pretends he is going to punish with a lump of coal... but we all know he really only has the best of intentions and gifts will be given to everyone! Yayyyy! Santa Claus (God) is coming!

What follows is a great set of verses to see if you have a real preacher in the pulpit... or a man who must always explain away verses that might make God sound like He could be a “meanie.” In case you didn't know, “meanie” is a Bible word that those of us who exegete the Holy Word of God likes to use. (I hope it isn't over everyone's understanding?)

I am trusting that all who reads this will have at least a working knowledge of the Bible and its many stories. If not, you are going to be lost because I refuse to sit here and type verse after verse trying to catch everyone up. So, we are going to start at the very beginning of God and Moses' contest against Pharaoh. Exodus 7:1-3 “And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.”

Before continuing I need to point out something very important. Verse one is the beginning of the contest and the judgments which soon follow and it will be between Pharaoh and God. Now, verse 4a “But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you...” There is an excellent reason why Pharaoh would not give in to Moses and Aaron... God hardened Pharaoh's heart and would not permit him to give in. Here is why I stressed that this is the beginning of the contest. I could not count on my fingers and toes the number of God apologist (preachers) I have heard stop after reading verse three and say something to this effect. “Now really... God didn't harden Pharaoh's heart, Pharaoh hardened his own heart!”

BLASPHEMER... They are calling God a liar, and His Bible they count as something untrue and needing themselves to correct it! I have a verse for them “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar...” (Romans 3:4a) Remember, back and forth throughout this entire story you will read of times that Pharaoh does indeed harden his own heart. But, you will also read that there are times he is ready to give in and the Lord will not let him because He is not yet through with him.

Several times over the course of the plagues upon Egypt God would harden Pharaoh's heart and, of course, there were also many times that Pharaoh would harden his own heart against God and His people. Make no mistake, that is what sin can do to a man... men will harden their hearts against God. But also make no mistake either: God has often done that to men (hardening of their hearts) to see His will accomplished.

This is not going to be a which came first, the chicken or the egg controversy. I would even allow that Pharaoh already had a hard heart and was indifferent toward God and that is why God decided to use Pharaoh to show His power? Regardless, God on multiple occasions was the One who hardened the heart of Pharaoh and would not permit him to give up.

Exodus 7:13, Exodus 9:12, Exodus 10:1, etc. etc. etc. the Word of God records He was the one who hardened Pharaoh's heart and wouldn't let him quit. Then, we read the culmination of the story. Exodus 10:16-20 “Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. (This was after Egypt had literally been destroyed by the hand of God.) Verse 17 “Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. Keep in mind that God was not yet done showing His miracles and His strength against Egypt. So, He simply could not allow Pharaoh to give up. Verse 20 “But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children go.”

For those who know their Bible there will still yet be one more sign upon Egypt... death of the firstborn. After God finishes His judgments against Pharaoh He allows Pharaoh to finally give up and Pharaoh calls for Moses and tells him to take all of his people and go. In 12:32 Pharaoh even asks Moses as he is leaving to, “...bless me also.” (There is no indication that ever happens.)

There is still yet one more interesting thing to notice from this story. God's people would need many things for their journey. Clothes, gold, silver, etc. So, notice again that man's heart is truly in the hand of God and he can steer him any way He chooses. Look what He does. 12:35 “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:” Why do you suppose these same Egyptians who now despised the Israelites for their present misery was so swift to give them anything they asked for? Because, just like with the hardening of Pharaoh's heart... it was an easy thing for God to put it in their mind to give to the children of Israel whatever they wanted. Verse 36 “And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.”

There is one final act. God is going to drown Pharaoh and his armies in the Red sea. So, for the last time in this story we see God hardening Pharaoh's heart and leading him to his death. God told Moses where to camp near the Red sea and they were to wait upon Pharaoh and his army. Exodus 14: 3-8 “For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us” I wonder if any of them even had an inkling that their anger was being stirred by God so His will would be done? Verse 6 “And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.” Next will be the final time God stirs Pharaoh's heart to act against Him. This one will lead to the death of the Egyptian army as God drowns them in the Red sea. Verse 8 “And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.”

If you don't believe that God can hate both sin and a particular sinner... then you simply don't believe the Bible. That's okay, I guess: but, please quit pretending that you do, because it adversely affects those of us who do actually believe every word of the Book, without trying to constantly correct it.

In the seven item list in the sixth chapter of Proverbs the third thing on the list that God states that He hates is... “... hands that shed innocent blood...” Now, let's look at some abortion facts as it relates to our current president.

When Obama was a senator in Illinois, three separate times he opposed “The Born Alive Infants Protection Act.” Basically the bill would have allowed children who had survived the doctor trying to kill them in the womb to be given care after being birthed. On three occasions Obama refused. He even refused “comfort care” where the newly born baby could have been held by someone. Instead, if a child survives a botched abortion all that can be done for them is to warp them in a blanket and place them crying and alone in a darkened room until they die! Which usually happens as they choke to death on the matter that is still clogging their throats from having been birthed. If you believe this is a lie... please look it up for yourselves and see if it is true!

And, that is just one bad act from the human monster that some people who claim to be born-again voted for in the last election. This will be just the first fact I am listing to end this tonight as this blog has already become lengthy. I will pick up at this point on my next blog and give more information about his hands shedding innocent blood. And I will prove from the Word of God that the Lord does hold him, and all men like him responsible for killing the children: even if they are not the ones cutting with their scalpels. 

I will also give many facts about his stand with homosexuals and his hatred toward Israel. Remember... by their fruits (actions) will you know them. You can not be opposed to everything the Bible holds as good and still pretend to be a child of God. He is simply another lost liar.

posted by Robin Johnson @ 9:04 PM