When Does God's Love End and His Hatred Start?

An excellent question was presented to me. When in a sinner’s life does God’s love for that sinner end and His hate begin? This is a difficult question, but I think part of understanding it is understanding the nature of man and of God.


First, in beginning this statement, we need to understand man’s condition. Man is fallen from the sinless state in which God created him (Gen 3:6,7). We are born with a sinful nature. “The heart [of man] is wicked and deceitful above all things. Who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9). Romans 3 tells us: 10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; 11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.

Romans 5:10

For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Colossians 1:21

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

There is nothing good in mankind to seek God or want God (Rom 3:10-11). “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8). Eph 2:1 says: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”

18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. Phillipians 3:18,19

So the Bible describes man as hostile, an enemy of God, spiritually dead in his sins (Gen 2:17). There is no way we can please God. Isaiah tells us that even our good deeds are like polluted garments to God (Is. 64:6). Our nature is so thoroughly pervaded with sin, there is nothing in us that can want God (Rom 3:10-11). Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father draws him” Jn 6:44. We are dead in our sins, and all of us, apart from God’s grace, are running headlong straight to hell. And if not for His Amazing Grace, that’s where we all should end up. The only thing we can earn from God in our sinful nature is condemnation. We are all guilty and deserving of hell.

Of God, we know that He is love (1 Jn 4:7-10). That is His nature. God is love. God created man upon the earth, and provided a Savior to redeem him from his sins. Scripture says: For God so loved the world, that He sent his only begotten Son... (Jn 3:16).

That is a characteristic of God's being. God IS love. But yes, because He is love, He MUST punish sin and sinners go to the place of punishment God created for Satan and his fellow fallen-angels (Mt 25:41). Part of God being love, is that God is Just or Righteous. He must punish evil.

In the Bible, a person’s name was very important, and had to do with Characteristics of that person. So when God revealed His name to Moses, it was very significant. God was revealing to sinful man WHO HE IS. He said: Exodus 34:6-7 Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and bounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

We know that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). So here's the dilemma: Why doesn't God send us all to hell? For He is perfectly righteous and just and there is no sin in Him (1 Jn 5:1). Because He is Love (eternally), as a manifestation of His love, He sent the Savior at the right time to die for the sins of those whom God would redeem.

Pastor John Piper (www.desiringgod.org) gave an illustration that I find very helpful. It's like humanity is in a mass running full speed away from God. But God has mercy, and He reaches out and saves some. So I don’t think that it’s so much of an issue about when His love starts or ends. All people on earth experience the love and kindness of God.

Matthew 5:44-45 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

All people on earth experience the goodness and general grace of God. “Every good thing given, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” Jas. 1:17.

In Romans we read: Romans 9:13 13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED." One thing we need to keep in mind is, God does not hate as humans hate. Jesus said that if we hate our brother in our heart, we are guilty of murder. The lives of Jacob and Esau are very instructive. What is the difference between Jacob and Esau. Scripture says God hated Esau. His purpose of election was upon Jacob. But what did that look like in their lives. God fulfilled all his promises to and blessed Esau, so that at their reunion after their long estrangement, Esau needed nothing of Jacobs possessions. God had blessed Esau with riches and earthly prosperity (Gen 33:9). But Jacob had been marked with the discipline of God, for his holiness (Heb. 12:10). He walked up to his brother with a limp (Gen 32:25,31). That is the difference between those the LORD redeems and those he doesn’t; those whom He adopts as His children, he disciplines for their holiness.

Hebrews 12:5-6 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."