Bible Question:
Psalm 5:5 states that God hates sinners. I thought God loved everyone. Can you explain?
Bible Answer:
The Bible actually has many verses similar to Psalm 5:4-5 that answer our question, “Does God hate sinners?”
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity. Psalm 5:4-5 (NASB)
For example, consider Leviticus 20:23; Psalm 11:5; 26:5; Proverbs 6:16-19; 16:5; Hosea 9:10-15 and Malachi 1:2-3. These passages teach that God hates sinners or evil and wicked people. In contrast scripture also teaches that God loves everyone. For example, read John 3:16,
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)
Romans 5:8 and 1 John 4:16 and many other New Testament passages also teach that God loves everyone. Therefore, how should we understand the statements that God hates evil doers? The answer is found in the fact that scripture passages such as Psalm 5:4-5 provide comparisons between the righteous and sinners. God loves the world but in comparison to the righteous, who are holy before God because the blood of Jesus covers their sins, He does hate the sinner comparatively speaking. God loves the sinner, but He is not very happy with them. Should God be glad and joyous that a sinner continues rejecting Jesus Christ? Should God be equally pleased with a repentant sinner and a Christ rejecting sinner who is going to hell? Passages like Psalm 5:4-5 should be understood in a comparative sense and not in an absolute sense.
Conclusion:
The Old and New Testaments loudly scream that God loves everyone. He rescued the wicked city of Nineveh through a reluctant prophet called Jonah. Jesus died for the sins of the world. But in contrast to the holy believers, God is not very pleased with those who reject Him. Yet, God loves the world.