Does God hate sin? Why does God hate sin?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

However, though God hates sin, He does so perfectly and completely consistent with His character. For example, God never changes (Malachi 3:6a), is holy (Isaiah 6:2a, 3), and is just (Deuteronomy 32:4). When God expresses His hatred, it is never a sinful, rash, or “over the top” type of hatred. Instead, His hatred is perfect, settled, and intentional.

Though God will pour out His wrath against sin, we also learn that He holds back His anger out of His mercy and patience. Therefore, the hatred we see now is limited—He gives us many graces in this life. However, when Jesus returns (Revelation 19:11–18), He will no longer hold back His anger. Unleashing it in full, He will consume all unrepentant sinners once-and-for-all.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• God hates sin (Psalm 5:4). God created the world and humanity perfectly “very good” (Genesis 1:31), making men and women in His exact image (Genesis 1:26–27) so they would reflect His character to all creation, but Adam and Eve rebelled by choosing to be like God themselves rather than faithfully representing Him (Genesis 3:1–5).
• Because of Adam’s sin, all generations of humans are born sinful (Psalm 51:5) and enemies of God (Psalm 14:2–3). We distort the image of God in us. God hates sin because it is a distortion of Him and it’s a distortion of how He created things to be.
• God also hates sin (Psalm 5:4–5) because it is contrary to who He is (Habakkuk 1:13a) and to how He created us to be (Genesis 1:31). Because He is holy (Isaiah 6:3), to keep His holiness, He must respond fiercely and fully to sin. So, yes, God hates sin (Psalm 5:5).
• God is holy which means that He is also perfectly righteous (Habakkuk 1:13a).
• God’s hatred of sin extends to unrepentant sinners themselves, as Scripture shows He hates those who persist in iniquity and violence (Psalm 5:5; Psalm 11:5), though He offers a way of escape through repentance.
• In Proverbs 6:16–19, Solomon lists specific sins God hates—pride, lying, violence, wicked schemes, false testimony, and sowing discord—showing that God’s hatred of sin is personal, especially when committed by His image bearers.
• God’s hatred of sin is shown in His judgment during the flood, where He wiped out nearly all humanity due to their continual wickedness (Genesis 6:5–7), sparing only Noah and his family (Genesis 6:8), yet acknowledging that human sinfulness persisted afterward (Genesis 8:21; 11:1–9). Though He promised not to judge the world the same way again (Genesis 9:11), He ultimately plans to remove all sin because it corrupts His perfect creation and holiness.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The New Testament teaches that God hates sin and will bring wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, as creation itself reveals His coming judgment (Romans 1:18–20), though many suppress this truth to avoid facing His anger.
• Though God hates our sin, He is currently being patient and giving everyone a chance to repent. Paul asks, “Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).
• Most people reject God’s knowledge and, because of their stubbornness and unrepentant hearts, store up His wrath for the day of judgment, when only wrath and indignation remain for the unrighteous (Romans 2:5, 8).
• God hates sin and is angry over unrepentant sinners despite His offer of salvation; Paul explains that because of immorality, greed, idolatry, and other sins, God’s wrath comes upon the disobedient (Ephesians 2:3–6).
• Because God is a merciful God, He has held His wrath back and sent us one escape: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
• Like His Father, Jesus hated sin. This is particularly clear whenever he met unrepentant and arrogant sinners like the Jewish leaders. In one example, He discovered that they were using His Father’s temple as a marketplace. “And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen. And He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables” (John 2:15). He burns with a holy zeal for His Father and for righteousness (John 2:17).
• This same Jesus who hates sin, is like His Father in showing unbelievable love to the world (John 3:16). He came to earth, was born as a baby (Luke 2:11), lived perfectly (Hebrews 4:15), and then died as a propitiation for our sins “and also for the sins of the whole world” (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). A propitiation is a sacrifice that appeases wrath. When Jesus died, the Father poured out His infinite anger towards sinners on Jesus.
• So, although God hates sin and those who sin, there is hope. When one repents of sin and confesses that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9), then that sin has already been paid for by Jesus. Because a saved sinner is now considered righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21), God’s hatred is no longer trained on him or on her. Instead, He only loves them as His children (1 John 3:1).
• Those who persist in unrepentance will not be forgiven. For them, only an eternity of hell awaits. In fact, God’s wrath is hanging over their head at this very moment (John 3:36b). Though God is love (1 John 4:8), He will not sacrifice His holiness or justice by ignoring sin.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

God’s hatred of sin means that His anger burns against unrepentant sinners. Though God gives an opportunity for us to repent, that does not mean His wrath will never come. In fact, John says that those who willfully disobey God—meaning they are unrepentant sinners—have God’s wrath already hanging over their head (John 3:36b).

For unbelievers, there really is only one implication of what we learn: flee the wrath to come (Matthew 3:7b). Jesus said that anyone who comes to Him will not be cast out (John 6:37b). He is the Son of God. As the Son of God, He hates sin and is the one bringing God’s wrath! (Revelation 19:15b). However, right now He offers Himself as the one way of escape (John 14:6). All who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus (Romans 10:9) will escape the final explosion of wrath that will consume all sinners once-and-for-all (Romans 5:9).

For believers, the implication for us is to not grow complacent and forget that we were saved from God’s wrath. We were not saved because we did anything, but only because God was merciful to us despite us deserving His condemnation. There are many among our families, friends, and coworkers who are currently under God’s anger. When they die, they will be cast into Hell. If that happens, we know that they will receive their due wages for sin (Romans 6:23a), and God will be righteous when He destroys them. However, He is also merciful. Tell everyone you know about God’s burning hatred of sin. Warn them, plead with them, and pray for them. Tell them about God’s great gift (Romans 6:23b), His Son!

UNDERSTAND

• God hates sin because it directly violates His holy nature and distorts the reflection of who He is.
• God’s hatred of sin is perfectly just and consistent with His unchanging, holy, and righteous character.
• Despite His hatred of sin, God patiently withholds final judgment to give sinners the opportunity to repent and receive salvation through Jesus Christ.

REFLECT

• How do you personally respond to the truth that God hates sin because it distorts His perfect image in you and is contrary to who He is and all that is good?
• How does understanding God’s just hatred of sin affect how you view your own struggles with sin and repentance?
• How does God’s patient mercy toward sinners, including you, motivate you to live differently and share His salvation with others?

ENGAGE

• Why is God’s hatred of sin tied so closely to His character? How does that shape our understanding of His character?
• How does God’s hatred of sin along with His mercy challenge or encourage us in our daily walk of faith?
• What are practical ways we can faithfully warn others about the seriousness of sin and the hope found in Jesus without losing the message of God’s love?