As we enter the Falling Away, a hateful, railing, self-righteous, Pharisaical church is rising up in reaction to the liberal, lukewarm, watered-down, morally permissive, modern churches. They preach hate, death, and condemnation, and believe that “love” is a dirty word. Instead of being “gentle unto all men”, patient, meek, and longsuffering, they use “hard preaching” to rail and mock people who don’t join in their carnal, hateful behavior. But where is the Biblical balance?

While hateful pastors point to the Psalms and the Old Testament to pray for the death of the wicked, are there any New Testament instructions from Jesus or the apostles that we should hate sinners or pray that they die? There are no contradictions in the Bible, but the Old Testament must be interpreted in light of the New Testament, not the other way around. There is not one verse in the whole of the New Testament that says Christians should hate, mock, and rail against the wicked or pray that they die.

Jesus came to save sinners, not to condemn them. While God disciplines believers, God’s wrath is being stored up against the unbeliever in the Day of Judgment. In the meantime, Christians are instructed to preach the Gospel to every creature and fulfill the Great Commission in hopes of saving sinners, not praying for their death.

Romans 12:17-18: “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”