Recently, a minster in a Reformed church in Grand Rapids stated that we are frequently told that God "hates sin but loves the sinner." He said that this statement was incorrect. He went on to emphasize that God not only hates sin but He hates the sinner as well. He referred to texts like Romans 9:13: " . . . Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." This is quite different from Thomas Long's view: "Worship trains us . . . to see people, including ourselves, as flawed and broken but also as created, chosen, and beloved by God . . . Once we see people as the treasures of God, we can't look at the kid in Blockbuster Video or the cashier at Wal-Mart the same anymore."
These opposite points of view are neither so easily dismissed. It is not by accident that the first section of the Heidelberg Catechism deals with man's sin and misery. Without this knowledge, he cannot understand his need of a Saviour. Is there "God's perspective" and "our perspective" in all of this? What do you think? How much of grace and how much of truth should be present in our approach with unbelievers?
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Never did Paul hesitate in sharing the Gospel to a people because he was unsure of their election. Paul saw himself as an apostle to the Gentiles—all of them. Likewise we should see ourselves as evangelists to all people everywhere.
Jesus himself was shrewdly compassionate towards all people, except when certain people like the Pharisees or the Rich used their religious or material power to extort or oppress others. Jesus dealt shrewdly with the pride even in his own disciples, and sought to teach them that those who have been privileged must become servants in the Kingdom of God. We must be like Jesus and see the peoples before us with compassion—they are “sheep without a shepherd.” We must be patient, and we must be compassionate.
The very nature of sin is self-destructive. If you are prideful, you will be lonely and self-deceived. If you are covetous, you will never be satisfied. If you are lusty, you will ruin relationships. I can’t help but think that God has compassion on sinners, since he sees clearly that we are destroying ourselves.
It is for this purpose that Paul wrote about predestination: that we who are sinners and have no chance by our own power, should know the awesome and unconditional grace that God has for us. God chose us out of the perishing masses, because of nothing that we’ve done.
Predestination should evoke a profound gratitude in everyone who properly understands it. We should be so moved because of God’s love for us, we being terrible sinners ourselves, that we leave everything and follow him, sharing the Good News and spreading the Kingdom of God. We rely on God to open hearts before us as we faithfully step out as a response of his amazing love for sinners.
Predestination should never be used to justify a lack of evangelistic zeal, or a giving up because the ones we’re evangelizing “have not been chosen by God.” This is frankly an abomination, and ultimately reveals that the love of Christ is not in us.
(I’m preaching to myself here.)
Through prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit - we will be guided in what to say to non-believers. Our sharing of the gospel will as effective as it needs to be. We need to use our discretion in what we share - but the fundamental message - Christ laid down His life for us - needs to be shared.
Deeper theological aspects of faith do not affect or undermine the basis of our faith. We need to share the good news. We are saved through God's grace - this needs to proclaimed throughout the world.
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