Love the sinner, and hate…what?

Rosaria Butterfield is a wonderful author, and I think every Christian needs to read all of her books. There is so much Biblical truth in her books to mine that she just…gets. I find myself returning to some of her statements as effective and short representations of great Biblical truth, requiring me to return to the Bible time and time again to find these truths repeated there. One of these is this quote:

Some say you should love the sinner and hate the sin. I think we should love the sinner and hate our own sin. If we spent more time hating our own sin, we would be more responsible in our dealings with others.

Rosaria Champagne Butterfield – https://rosariabutterfield.com/new-blog/2018/2/14/can-a-practicing-homosexual-be-a-practicing-christian

I believe this concept, that of being far more concerned with our own sin than we are with the perceived sins of others, would do much to foster unity in our churches today. And of course, we find this concept expressed in the Word, as we would expect.

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Matthew 7:1-5 (ESV)

Pretty simple, and yet we can’t keep ourselves from pointing fingers and looking outward, ignoring our myriad sins and focusing on the sins of others. That’s why I like the Butterfield quote. In a simple statement, we point away from the foolish extrabiblical statement that so many people know better than almost any verse in the Bible (except possible the much misunderstood “judge not” passage I quoted above), and turn toward the introspection that our churches desperately need.

For example, it is important to forgive our brother or sister when we are wronged. What keeps us from doing so more consistently and completely? Frequently, we want to return to the sins that have been perpetrated against us. “Why, don’t you see what so-and-so has done to me?” The implication is that we are sinless. After all, if we’ve perpetrated many more sins against others, shouldn’t we be more concerned with how we’ve wronged others than how we’ve been wronged? When we love the sinner and hate OUR OWN sin, forgiveness becomes such an OBVIOUS activity…as it should be.

Another example, something else that destroys the unity of a church is gossip. “Then she said…then he did….why, I never thought they would…” Gossip is being so concerned with the sins of others that we MUST TELL SOMEONE. We Christians like to cover our gossip up by labeling it as a “prayer request.” And yet, if we love the sinner and hate OUR OWN SIN, we are ashamed to think of ourselves as any more superior to others. We know that whatever “so-and-so” has done, we’re worse. Whatever “thus-and-such” has said, our tongue has done far worse evils. If we hate our own sin, we will instead be asking for prayer for OURSELVES. Gossip will give way to confession of our own sins…as it should be.

Brothers and sisters, if you want to improve the unity of your church, start here. And I’m not recommending you point outside of yourselves. I’m saying, start with yourself. Love the sinner, and hate your own sin. Forgive. Confess. Love. Become people for whom forgiveness, confession, and the aroma of Christ permeates their every being. And then pray for your church, for your elders, and for your pastor.

God’s blessings to you and yours.