Doubt & Devotion

“God loves the sinner but hates the sin.”

We hear this phrase often, and surprisingly enough, even from believers themselves.

Perhaps you’ve heard it in a sermon. Or maybe during a difficult conversation or while discussing a controversial issue. People often use this phrase to express two truths at once: that God is loving, and that He is holy,

The phrase certainly sounds biblical.

However, you won’t find these exact words anywhere in Scripture.

Does that mean the idea is wrong? Not necessarily. Like many popular Christian sayings, it attempts to summarize several biblical themes. The question, however, isn’t whether the phrase appears in the Bible. The question is whether it accurately reflects everything the Bible says about God, sin, and humanity.

The Phrase Isn’t in the Bible

Unlike many quotes about God, such as “God helps those who help themselves” or “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” this saying isn’t entirely unbiblical. In fact, part of it reflects a truth that runs throughout Scripture.

The first truth is that God hates sin. There is no question about that. Sin destroys God’s good creation. It corrupts human hearts, separates people from Him, and produces death. From Genesis to Revelation, God consistently opposes sin and evil because it stands in direct opposition to His holy character.

This creates a problem, however. People who believe it assume that God isolates the sin from the person committing it. It may be well-meaning, but the Bible speaks more strongly than that.

God Doesn’t Just Hate The Sin

One verse that often surprises Christians is Psalm 5:5: “The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong.”

Notice how David says that God doesn’t simply hate wrongdoing. He says God hates those who do wrong. 

A similar statement appears in Psalm 11:5: “The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”

We’ve been accustomed to hearing the simplified version of these truths so much so that these verses can be unsettling. But as we can see, they remind us that sin isn’t separate from the person committing it. 

Sin always proceeds from the sinner, and God’s opposition to evil includes His righteous judgment against those who persist in rebellion against Him.

Yet the Bible Also Says God Loves the World

We would be left with an incomplete picture if we stopped in that first truth. The good news is that the same Bible that declares God’s hatred toward sinners also tells us that God loves the world so much.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (John 3:16)

And in another place, Paul writes:

“God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

God didn’t wait until sinners became righteous before He decided to love them. He sent Jesus Christ to die for sinners while they were still His enemies.

At first glance, these passages appear contradictory. How can God hate sinners and yet love sinners at the same time?

A Biblical Paradox

This is one of those places where Scripture refuses to flatten God’s character into something easier for us to understand. The Bible teaches that God is perfectly holy, but it also teaches that God is perfectly loving. These two truths are not in competition.

Because God is holy, He must oppose everything that is evil. His hatred of sin and of sinful humanity in rebellion against Him is not based on whim or emotional. It is His settled, righteous opposition to all that corrupts His creation and dishonors His glory.

Yet, because God is love, He genuinely desires to save those who deserve His judgment.

But God’s love does not cancel His holiness. And His holiness does not cancel His love. Both realities exist simultaneously. 

We often struggle with this because we tend to think of love and hate as opposites that cannot coexist. But even in our own lives, we experience something similar. As a father, I love my son deeply. But at the same time, I hate the destructive choices that he continues to make. My love for him doesn’t remove the seriousness of his rebellion, nor does his rebellion erase that love.

Of course, every illustration eventually breaks down. God’s love and holiness are infinitely greater than ours. Still, it helps us see that the two are not necessarily incompatible.

The Cross Holds Both Truths

If everything ended with God’s love and God’s wrath existing side by side, we would still be left asking an important question: How can a holy God forgive guilty people without compromising His justice?

The answer is found in Jesus Christ. 

At the cross, God’s justice and God’s love meet perfectly. God didn’t simply overlook sin, nor did he abandon sinners. Instead, he sent His one and only Son to bear the judgment that our sin deserved. God’s wrath that should have fallen on sinful man was poured out on Christ.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is the heart of the gospel. God’s love is fully displayed and His holiness is fully satisfied. Neither attribute is diminished.

What This Means for Us

When left to ourselves, we are not simply people who occasionally make mistakes. Scripture says our hearts are full of evil desires and that every intention of our thoughts are continually evil. Even David admitted that he was a beast before God. And that’s what we are apart from Christ. Just take a look at everything that’s happening in the world right now.

That reality should strip away any sense of self-righteousness. But at the same time, it should fill us with profound gratitude. The God who rightly judges sinners is the same God who, in His mercy, sent His own Son to save them.

Our confidence, therefore, is never found in the idea that God simply overlooks our sin. It rests entirely in Christ. Because of Jesus, those who trust in Him are no longer under condemnation (Romans 8:1). We are reconciled to God, adopted into His family, and clothed in Christ’s righteousness. That is far better news than merely saying, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin.”

So, Is the Saying Biblical?

The phrase captures part of the biblical picture, but not all of it.

Yes, God hates sin.

Yes, God loves sinners.

But Scripture also teaches that God’s righteous anger is directed toward sinners who remain in rebellion against Him. Ignoring that truth weakens our understanding of both God’s holiness and the seriousness of sin. Thankfully, that is not where the story ends.

The gospel declares that the God who judges sinners is also the God who saves sinners. If you are in Christ, you no longer stand before God as His enemy. Christ has borne your judgment, removed your guilt, and reconciled you to the Father. The One who once had every reason to condemn you now welcomes you as His beloved child.

That is the wonder of the gospel. God’s love does not ignore His holiness, and His holiness does not prevent His love. They meet perfectly in Jesus Christ, where justice is satisfied, mercy triumphs, and sinners are invited home.