Dr Paul Allen

Yes, it is biblical in the sense that we are sinners, that we have sinned, that we do sin, and that God loves us and hates our sin. The way this question is framed is the way it has often been used both in evangelism tactics and in order to paint a picture of God, who God is, and God’s love that is ultimately not biblical.  So, as many hear that phrase, “God loves the sinner but hates the sin,” the reason that’s not entirely appropriate is that it’s not just the sin that God sends to hell. God sends sinners to hell. God has enmity with those sinners, and they have enmity with Him. While God has a sort of general, universal love of benevolence that is manifested in a love of beneficence upon all creatures, there is only a special, filial, saving love upon His own children. And not everyone is a child of God. Only those who trust Christ by faith are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). So, it is not appropriate to say that God loves the sinner but hates...

These are not the most en vogue labels today. Even so, the word “ sin ,” “transgression,” or “iniquity” occurs 1148 times in the NASB translation of the Bible in 906 verses. This is more, for example than the word “love” (528 times), “lovingkindness” (138 times), and “grace” (133 times). What does this have to do with me? Every one of us is individually accountable to the God of the Bible. We are morally responsible to our Creator. It is not your religious preference that tells you that, but your humanity. You are a creature, but you are supra-all-creatures. You have a hard-wired conscience. In your soul is an effortlessly-existing moral smoke alarm. It may have been damaged. But it’s there. The beeping may have not sounded much since you jacked the cookie jar. But it has sounded. We cower. You have a hard-wired knowledge. Man knows that there is a Creator. Archaeologists, for example, constantly declare the existence of him. Tools in hand, thousands of miles awa...

As Christians, we are all a combination of saint, sinner and sufferer (CrossTalk, Mike Emlet). This is not to say that there are portions of us that are saved and portions that are unsaved. There are parts of us that emphasize one aspect of our identity, but all three are necessary for a balanced Christian walk. Too Much A Saint? We know that those who trust in Jesus Christ and him alone for salvation are described as saints (Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11) and are called to act like saints (1 Peter 1:15–16). It is the saintly aspect of our Christian identity that finds joy and peace in the holiness of our God and strives to be more like him in our words, thoughts and deeds. It reminds us of the inexhaustible riches of God’s word and the safety of abiding in his law. Yet when this aspect is over emphasized, we lose sight of our need for grace or the fact that we are still sinners who hurt those around us with our sins. We forget the need of repentance both to the Lord and t...

An act of sin does not cost you your salvation. There are people who teach that if you sin once after you have accepted Jesus, you must be saved again. But this is not what the Bible teaches. Can you conceive of somebody adopting a child and then throwing it out on the street because it falls while learning to walk? When we are saved, we are adopted into the family of God. We must, out of love on one hand and godly fear on the other, seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him. But the idea that one act of sin would cause someone to be thrown out of God’s family is not in the Bible (I John 1:7, 9). However acts of sin or rebellion will take away the joy of your salvation. When David sinned he had no joy, because he had rebelled against God (Ps. 51:12). He said, "Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. 51:11). Even though he had committed adultery and had been responsible for an innocent man’s death, by this clear statement we are shown that he still had the Holy Spiri...

Anyone known for hate rather than love doesn’t deserve to be called a Church. Ps 15:4 …In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord… We all agree that God hates sin and that believers should hate sin (Prov 8:13). The question is, whether it is acceptable to hate the sinners who commit the sins? Advocates of this view may cite the rare verses that seem to legitimize hating sinful people (Ps 15:4). Most notably, David’s declaration of fealty to God’s cause in Ps 139:21-22 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Bear in mind David was a king anointed by God’s decree, given prophetic capabilities, and a divine military commission to wage war against Israel’s enemies. If that’s you, perhaps you could make a case for stirring up a bloodlust to fuel your grim responsibility to kill the men of war God instructed you to exterminate. (There isn’t...