Have you heard the phrase, “Hate the sin, love the sinner?” I bet you have. Perhaps you have said it yourself. “Sin” is a "difficult" word today and one that too many churches, and pastors, try to avoid. One definition of the word, in the biblical context, is to miss the mark when it comes to living according to the example set by Christ. In Greek, the word is an archer’s word which means to miss the bullseye on a target. Whether you miss by an inch or a mile, you miss the goal. Another biblical definition focuses on the result of sin – it is anything we think, say, or do – or fail to say or do – that separates us from God. The first definition is more objective, that is, Christ sets the standard that every Christian is to strive to attain. The second definition is more subjective, which is to say that certain things that move me away from God and my faith may not affect you in the same way. The reality is, however, that both definitions are biblically valid … and all of us fail in both to some degree on a somewhat regular basis. It’s just what we do.

Did you know that in 1631, a publisher in London, quite by accident, printed an unknown number of copies of the Bible – reprints of the King James Version – that came to be called the Wicked or the Sinner’s Bible? When it came to Exodus 20 and some of the Ten Commandments the printers mistakenly left out one little word, the word “not.” Do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not murder, do not covet … now read them without the word “not” and you get the point. The error was considered so scandalous that the printers were called into court, fined, and their printing license taken from them. The majority of the misprinted Bibles were located and destroyed, but it seems there are about twenty that survived, most of which are in museums. Two were privately sold within the last fifteen years, each going for almost $100,000. Sin sells in more ways than one.

Sin, as damaging as it is to our relationship with God, is nevertheless a constant and wonderful reminder of God’s love and grace. When our desire to repent and seek forgiveness is genuine, God’s act of grace covers any sin we have committed. God loves you that much. As for that saying, “Hate the sin, love the sinner,” I encourage you to stop saying it to yourself or anyone else. When a sentence begins with the word “hate,” that is too often the only word that is heard. “Love” gets lost along the way. God loves us … despite our sins. And I thank God for that.