Christian Cliches

“God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.”

I have often thought about this saying and I think the intention behind it is pure. I think we say and hear this so often because we want to be a community who emphasizes the overwhelming goodness, faithfulness, and grace of God. However, like many cliches, I do not know if they are helpful when all is said and done because I think the tendency can be some sort of attempt to remove sin from us and place it outside of ourselves so that when we sin, we claim it as uncharacteristic of us. However, sin is not just something that we simply partake in, it is naturally who we are at the core. Paul clearly states this in the first several chapters of Romans. He states that men have failed to honor God (1:21), they have suppressed the truth of who He is, and they have exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images (1:23). For this, Paul says the wrath of God is on them (2:6-9).

In addition, if sin truly is something that is outside of us and rather than something we are, then why does Isaiah respond this way when he is confronted with the holiness of God: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Is. 6:5)” Isaiah never claims that his sin is simply something he does, but instead recognizes that he is ruined.

Then there are passages such as these that we must wrestle with:

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evil doers.” Psalm 5:4, 5

“The Lord tests the righteous but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” Psalm 11:5

“But you, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.” Psalm 55:23

Now the tendency might be for us to say, “Come on now, this is talking about really wicked people. The type of people who murder, rape, and commit horrible atrocious acts. However, apart from Christ, everyone is in league with the worst type of sinner. Apart from the redemptive work of Christ, I am a child and slave of Satan and God’s wrath rests on me just as it does on any other wicked person.

My point in bringing this up is not so I can correct people when they use the phrase, “God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.” I have no interest in being a theological nit pick. However, if we so quickly dismiss God’s hate toward us as evil doers, then we miss out on a truly beautiful aspect of the Gospel. John Calvin, citing St. Augustine, describes this in The Institutes of the Christian Religion:

“God’s love,” says [Augustine], “is incomprehensible and unchangeable. For it was not after we were reconciled to him through the blood of his Son that he began to love us. Rather, he has loved us before the world was created, that we also might be his sons along with his only-begotten Son—before we became anything at all. The fact that we were reconciled through Christ’s death must not be understood as if his Son reconciled us to him that he might now begin to love those whom he hated. Rather, we have already been reconciled to him who loves us, with whom we were enemies on account of sin. The apostle will testify whether I am speaking truth: ‘God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us’ [Rom 5:8]. Therefore, he loved us even when we practiced enmity toward him and committed wickedness. Thus in a marvelous and divine way he loved us even when he hated us. For he hated us for what we were that he had not made; yet because our wickedness and not entirely consumed his handiwork, he knew how, at the same time, to hate in each one of us what we had made, and to love what he had made (Book 2, Ch. 16, Sec. 4).”

Does God hate sin? Yes. Does God hate sinners? Yes. Does God love sinners? Yes! Do not so quickly dismiss the hatred of God toward the sinner because in his hatred we see the depth of His love. Only at the cross could God’s hatred for us and love for us meet.”He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).”

Cheers to Friendship

 ”Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”

~C.S. Lewis

When I was five years old my family and I moved from the bombing metropolis of Shreveport, Louisiana to a small town called Pittsburg, Texas. If you don’t know anything about Pittsburg, then you’re not missing much. We have chicken… Lots and lots of chicken. But, like anyone from an uneventful town I will always say it is the people who lived in Pittsburg when I was growing up that made it great.

(from left: Adam, Kyle, Ryan, Chris, me. Adam wasn’t there for this picture so I had to improvise)

The five of us were pretty much inseparable when we were younger. What was so great is Adam lived right next door to me, and Kyle and Ryan (brothers) lived just down the street from us. Chris might as well have lived at one of our houses because we were always hanging out.

Today is Kyle’s birthday so I want to share one of my favorite stories. One Saturday when we were all high school age, we (Kyle, Adam, another friend, and myself) decided to go play golf at Shadow Lakes in Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The first 9 holes were great. It was my first time to actually play a round of golf so I was really enjoying it. Well we came somewhere around half way and there was a big pond on that hole. When we eventually got on the green near the cup, another friend of ours, Luke, tried to chip in and his ball was headed straight for the water. He was the only one of the four of us that actually played golf. He was running low on balls, so he did what every logical human being would do—he threw his club at it. So at this point he is not only missing a ball, but a club as well. Luke does what he has to, he jumps in after it.

At this point I was standing on the shore, befuddled at the overwhelming genius-ness that I have just seen Luke display. All of a sudden I hear a yell and Kyle comes flying past me with his shirt off as he pulls a gainer into the pond. Soon after, Luke and Kyle discovered they were sitting on a gold mine of golf balls, so they started throwing them up on the green. They probably collected somewhere between 150-200 golf balls! They were stuffed into every zipper of Luke’s bag and in pants pockets.

Genius move number two by Luke was when we were finished playing, he waltzed right into the clubhouse soaking wet. The manager, upon seeing him asked if he could search his bag that was bursting at the seams. Needless to say, I never went back to Shadow Lakes and I don’t think the others did either. So while the story really highlights Luke’s genius, Kyle’s full gainer into the pond is what I remember most.

Not many people can say that they still have a close relationship, or even occasionally talk to those they were friends with when they were five years old. God has richly blessed me with them. I still see Adam from time to time and the other three are currently living in Wyoming, but every time we do see each other we pick up right where we left off.

So today, on Kyle’s 25 birthday I thank God for the mercy he has shown me by giving me good friends. Happy Birthday Bro!

Champs!

Another Year

Today more than any other day of the year, I am reminded of the brevity of life. I was born 25 years ago today. That means that even if I live to be 100 years old—I have already lived 1/4 of my life. Some people may view this as morbid or that I am a “glass half empty” type of guy, but I’m really not. Even though I am reminded of my mortality, I rejoice today that my God, the Father, Son and Spirit—the fountain from whom all blessings flow—has seen it good to allow me to continue living. He doesn’t do this because I have done something to merit this love, but just because He is good. As a matter of fact, God should have killed me a long time ago, but He has been merciful to me and I am thankful.

Psalm 90

1  Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2  Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3  You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4  For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

5  You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6  in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

7  For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8  You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9  For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10  The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their spant is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11  Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12  So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13  Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14  Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15  Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16  Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17  Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

That the Lord would teach me to number my days is the desire of my heart. I echo Moses, “Return, Lord! How Long?” I am thankful for life today. I am thankful for a beautiful, loving wife. I am thankful that I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. I am thankful that God has made provision for me. Most of all, I am thankful that I have been redeemed by the blood of the Son. I am thankful that the Holy Spirit indwells me and enables me to cry out to the Father. I am thankful for my church family. I am thankful for my godly friends. Simply put, I am thankful for another year.