Originally Posted by MikeL
I wish I could disabuse you of the belief that God hates certain people. God hates sin. God hates evil. Most of the verses you mentioned have to do with God hating certain actions - but to say God has an abiding hate for certain people through all eternity - decreeing they be damned in hell forever - that is certainly a dangerous claim to make, on only a few verses.

Sin has no existence apart from the sinner. God's hatred is directed toward sin & the sinners who sin. Thus Scripture does not sharply distinguish between sin & sinner, e.g., Prov. 6:16-19, Ps. 5:5, Ps. 11:5. God punishes sinners in hell, not their sinful deeds. See "Does God Love the Sinner and Hate Only His Sin?"

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I'll only mention that your inclusion of Malachi is helpful in perhaps perceiving how the word "Esau" and "Edom" are interchangeable. I don't believe God hated Esau personally enough to damn him. I don't believe God hates anyone to that point. But in these verse from Malachi, and then from Romans 9, it appears to me that God is using Esau to represent Edom, and Jacob, Israel.

Does God ultimately damn anyone, on your view? You do not characterize the eternal hellfire awaiting those who die in their unbelief as "God's love," do you?

Kyle

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified.