“Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner” Is Not Biblical

The phrase “Hate the sin, love the sinner” is commonly used to express a compassionate stance toward individuals while rejecting their sinful actions. Although this phrase appears noble, it is vital to recognize that this phrase does not originate from Scripture but from Mahatma Gandhi. Perhaps its closest parallel in the Bible is Jude 22-23, “And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others have with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”

While this passage and others characterize Christian behavior should be merciful toward sinners, it also recognizes that our hatred of the sin all too easily turns into hatred of the sinner. It also says nothing about loving the sinner but, rather, having compassion on them. Moreover, the Bible provides a more nuanced understanding of sin, love, and hatred that challenges the practicality and theology behind this phrase for human creatures.

First, it is essential to understand that humans, in their fallen state, cannot perfectly separate their love for the sinner from their hatred of the sin. Our emotions and actions are often intertwined with malice, judgement, and imperfection. In contrast, God’s holiness and righteousness enable Him to love and hate perfectly without contradiction or impurity.

Scripture emphasizes the complexity of sin and the human heart. For example, God says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Here, the Lord underscores the human inability to discern and act without the taint of sin, including our attempts to “hate the sin” without eventually harboring malice toward the sinner.

Jesus’ teachings do call us to love others that reflect God’s love, even our enemies, yet we should always acknowledge our limitations as sinful (yet forgiven) people living in a sinful world. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus commands, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” This command does not differentiate between the sinner and the sin but rather calls for an all-encompassing love that mirrors the grace we have received from Christ, with whom we were first enemies.

As St. Paul poignantly put it, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9). Think of it this way: Would you die for a person’s sin? No, you wouldn’t. Not only would it accomplish nothing since you’re not the Son of God (hence Genesis 22), there’s also no guarantee they would believe or even care that you died for their sins anyway. As Paul wrote just before this, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die” (v. 7). We might consider and actually die for a good person—and even then we seldom consider them—but someone whom we know is engaging in bad or evil behavior? Don’t kid yourself.

Jesus knew the risk, and He took it. His sacrifice was sufficient to cover the sins of the whole world, and He knew not everyone would believe in this sacrifice, yet He did it anyway. We would not and cannot do that. While our love is to be rooted in humility and compassion, we recognize we too are sinners in need of grace.

Second, the Bible teaches judgement and vengeance belong to God alone. Quoting from Deuteronomy 32:35, St. Paul writes, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). God, in His perfect justice and holiness and righteousness, is the one who rightfully and perfectly judges sin. Our role is not to balance love and hatred since it is foolish to trust our own hearts in the matter, but to trust in God’s righteous judgement.

God’s love and hatred are expressions of His holy nature. For example, David writes, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity” (Psalm 5:4-5). God hates sin so much that even He hates the evil person, so it is foolish of us to expect that we can hate the sin without hating the sinner. Yet God’s hatred is holy, not tainted with sin as ours always is. God’s hatred of sin is inseparable from His nature.

However, God’s love is also profound and redemptive, as God had Ezekiel prophesy, “‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord GOD, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?'” (Ezekiel 18:23). And again, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'” (Ezekiel 33:11).

God’s heart goes out to the wicked, and His incomprehensible love for them is culminated in Jesus, who said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). God the Father gave His heart—His only Son—to the world that the wicked should live. God’s perfect love seeks the redemption of sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Human creatures, however, are called to love without the presumption of perfect judgement or the ability to separate sin from the sinner flawlessly.

Another close parallel in Scripture to Gandhi’s sentiment is 1 John 4:20, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” Yet again, no differentiation between the sin and the sinner is made here. Rather, the term “brother” is used, which in context refers to a fellow believer in Christ.

In summary, while “Hate the sin, love the sinner” encapsulates a well-meaning attempt to navigate the tension between compassion and righteousness, it falls short of the biblical model, vastly overestimating our ability to perfectly distinguish between the sin and the sinner at all times. Rather, we are to trust in God to do that perfectly for us. We cannot love or hate perfectly due to our sinful nature, yet there is One who has. Christ hates sin so much that He took all our sins upon Himself to atone for our sins—He who knew no sin Himself became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21); and He loves sinners so much that He died for them—you and me. Rather than pointing to our meager ability to make this distinction perfectly, we ought to point sinners to the One who has and does make this distinction perfectly: Jesus Christ our Lord.