Christians: How can you 'love the sinner', when first YOU decide what is sinful?

Question

Mind you, I know that you believe your God decided which are sins. And that's okay, I respect that.

Do you also respect that to people who don't believe your book is valid, sin is not even a concept? The woman who had an abortion, the couple that got divorced, the old man who begs for euthanasia, the homosexual...to you they are all sinners. And they have to listen to comments like 'we hate the sin, but we love the sinner'.

What makes you think that a person who is first pointed out in a very judgmental manner as being a 'sinner', even wants to be loved by somebody who first points them out as being a 'sinner' ?

Answer 1

That's a really great question, and I honestly don't know what a good answer would be. It seems to me that the very act of CALLING someone a "sinner" is not an act of love. They will say it's "just the facts", but aren't there facts that we keep to ourselves out of love? Do we tell our girlfriend she's fat, even if she is a little chubby, or do we love her enough to realize that she's perfect even if her body isn't and that she has feelings too?

Furthermore, I get concerned that while they often say "love the sinner, hate the sin", there doesn't REALLY seem to be a difference in behavior. It'd be like me saying "love the Markster, hate the green hair". Can you really separate the green hair from the Markster? Isn't it a part of him? Isn't "being gay" a part of the homosexual? Wouldn't it be equally hypocritical for a Nazi to say that he "loves the man, but hates the Jewishness"? I'm not sure, but something about the phrase just doesn't sit right with me.

EDIT: I do not like that "doctor analogy" under me. I feel like it's pretty condescending. A doctor KNOWS what's wrong with you and you solicit his opinion. A Christian merely THINKS he knows and his opinion is usually unsolicited. There's quite a difference, in my mind.

Answer 2

God doesn't just tell us we are sinners, He puts it our hearts. Some people call it a conscience. Even people who are not Christian feel it because we are all made in the image of God.

So the woman who has an abortion today because she's scared half to death of giving birth may someday come to regret it. It happens every day. People who rob, cheat and steal repent. Maybe not to God, but to the person they wronged.

You don't have to call it sin to recognize it as wrong. You just have to face up to it.

And why would anyone want to hear from a Christian that they're a sinner? Because the Christian is a sinner too and that Christian wants to share a beautiful story about a man who willingly died so his or her sins could be forgiven. That my friend is loving the sinner. My hope is that anyone with a heart wants to be forgiven for the wrong they do.

And way deep down inside all of us, there is a longing to know our Maker. For some it takes a long time for that longing to surface. And sadly, for others, it never will.

Answer 3

The problem you're sensing here is that we Christians don't get to decide what is sin. If that were true, then none of us would be sinners (and trust me, all of us Christians are sinners). Like you already noticed, it all comes from the scriptures.

The point is that we don't (or rather, shouldn't) go around pointing out people's faults (especially because we have a ton of our own). God knows what is "holy" and what's not, and we're to use His measuring stick in our own lives. When we recognize what He requires, it's a natural human thing to notice the worse things in ourselves in others, so we sometimes fall down and point fingers.

Yeah, I know it's wrong, but it's a psychological thing: what you hate most is probably a deep part of yourself and you can't deal with it, so you project it outward. That's not an excuse, by the way... it's a reason.

For my part, I'd like to only ever serve others and help them, hoping that God's glory and mercy shine through my actions. I do blow it sometimes, but when I do, God always chastens me, and I go back to people asking their forgiveness (just as God is faithful to always forgive me).

Hope this helps, buddy.

Answer 4

The Bible tells us "that men loved darkness instead of light because there deeds were evil. And whoever lives by truth comes into the light, so that what they do may be seen plainly"--john3"19-20. So the very fact that they feel guilty is the proof that they know what they did was wrong.

I have heard this argument many times and its well justified (props for the great question!) but when someone says to us "Its wrong to force your view on others" ----unknowingly they just did it to us! Truth by definition is exclusive my friend, there can only be one way....

As for the "sinner", remember what Jesus said "it is not the sick who need a doctor...." so to the Christian, the person is sick. How do you deal with someone who doesnt think they are sick?

Answer 5

Well society as a whole also points this out for you. How do we have laws? How are morals decided? How is good and evil distinguished? Does anyone, Christian, Atheist, whatever, think that Murder is morally good? Or is it evil?

You will find constructive criticism all through life. If you sin and it is pointed out, then you should take that information and reflect on it and try and change. It shouldn't be pointed out in a mean and abrupt manner, it should be approached with a loving nature.

Answer 6

1John.3
[9] Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

A true Christian should read this above with a thoughtful mind. If you believe you are born of God (a true "born again" Christian), then you can not commit sin. ONLY, again ONLY because you no longer have KNOWLEDGE of what sin is because you are no longer judging out of the tree of knowledge (of good and evil). So then to follow, you could no longer judge others as sinners either, right. You can't judge yourself as a sinner or anyone else. This is what it means to truly be set free of sin and death. Your mind simply does not work in those terms any longer, that law no longer applies.

Rom.8
[2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

It is the Law and knowledge of the law of this world that one has to be set free from, not sin itself, what ever it may be. You are right, what is sin? Is it all relative to our carnal minds?

Answer 7

No one can cause someone to be convicted of sin. The bible says that unless God draws someone to himself then they cannot come to him. The Holy Spirit lays a burden on a person's heart that there is a God, and if there is then even the best person will admit that they don't deserve to be in his presence, and that if there is a God and he is a holy God, then they deserve to be in hell. This is what happens to the person who is a murderer and the person who has gone to church every Sunday of his or her life. When God touches their heart it's the same response.

Over zealous Christians come up with all kinds of catch phrases in the hopes of saying something that will be what the Holy Spirit uses to convict someone at any moment. We are fishers of men, bringing in the harvest to the glory of God. Terribly imperfect fishers of men, to the point that the one first called to be a fisher of men denied our Lord three times on the night he was crucified. For such love as Jesus has for us we are willing to do anything, and yes our flesh gets in the way and we do things out of our carnal nature which we consider "for God."

Please forgive us. We are but unprofitable servants of the Most High God.

Answer 8

No one should ever be pointing a finger and calling anyone a sinner. That is condemnation and God does not condem. We are ALL sinners, including christians.

Answer 9

Are you telling us that you don't believe that people commit sins?You can explain every action away as free thinking. If it feels right then it is right. Go punch your neighbour, that's OK, he deserved it? Have sex with every person you can jump? Be disrespectful to your parents? These things sound alright to you? Are atheists incapable of knowing right from wrong? You are in a very sorry place.

Answer 10

First of all Good Christians are not supposed to judge others. Second I have a lot of beliefs that I feel are correct yet I do not criticize others when they do not share my beliefs. Just because I believe something to be wrong(sin) does not mean I will badger you to death until you stop doing it. Typically I tell someone once and then allow them to live there lives.

I have atheist Friends
Jewish Friends
and Islamic Friends.