What It Truly Means to Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin

What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “Love the sinner,
hate the sin”? To some, maybe it’s something that their parents
would say to them when they heard them gossiping. Maybe it’s
something you were taught in school, or maybe it’s a phrase you’ve
mocked or not taken seriously. But this phrase is synonymous with
one of the greatest commandments Jesus gave us: to love our
neighbor as ourselves. Here’s where the connection comes in: We are
all sinners. We are all sinners, yet we want the best for
ourselves, and we love ourselves enough to want good things for our
lives. Just as we want good things for ourselves despite our
sinfulness, we should want the best for our brothers and sisters
despite their sinfulness. Sin plagues every human heart. While some
may struggle more than others, we are all tempted on a daily basis
to turn away from God. To love the sinner and hate the sin is to
acknowledge that our brother or sister is constantly being pursued
by God. In order to love the sinner, we must love ourselves enough
to strive for a better relationship with God. How we view sin
starts with how we view our own struggles, and if we are constantly
getting down on ourselves about falling into temptation, that
attitude will transfer to our brothers and sisters who need our
support. To love the sinner and hate the sin—and to love our
neighbors as ourselves—we have to be real about what sin is. No one
is so far gone that God cannot reach them. He’s pursuing their
hearts constantly, and every little victory counts in their walk
toward eternity. God is so patient with us. Let’s glorify him and
imitate him by being patient with one another— and with ourselves.