If God cannot even look at sinners, it implies that He cannot be near them. If God is unable to be near sinners, it suggests that He hates them. If this is true, then the argument that God must send all sinners—all of humanity—to hellfire is validated. As the renowned Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul stated:
We always say the Cliché, “God Hates the sin, but he loves the sinner.” That’s nonsense! The Bible speaks of Him abhorring us, and that we’re loathsome in His sight, and He can’t stand to even look at us!
R.C. Sproul
To assess the claims that “Adam’s relationship with God was broken” and that God “can’t stand to even look at us,” one must simply compare these statements with the accounts given in the Scriptures. Should it be the case that Adam and Eve’s bond with God was severed by their sin, one would anticipate the text to reflect this. Yet, not only does the narrative not suggest such a severance, but it indicates the contrary.
According to the biblical account, Adam and Eve fled in shame. It was not God who “couldn’t even look at them.” They were the ones who “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God,” as described in Genesis 3:8. There is no suggestion that God could not look at them or that He withdrew His presence. On the contrary, following their sin, God actively sought them out (Genesis 3:9). He approached them and made garments to cover their shame (Genesis 3:21). Would Sproul suggest God did all that with His eyes closed? I beg to differ: God’s actions contrast sharply with human tendencies to hate, judge, ostracize, and shame sinners; God, instead, draws near to sinners and provides for their needs, covers their shame, and forgives their sin, demonstrating His commitment to restoration rather than alienation.
Furthermore, Genesis 3:22 reveals that Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, not from God’s presence. This distinction becomes clear in Genesis 4, where God continues to engage directly with Adam and Eve’s family even outside the Garden. This continuity of relationship underscores that expulsion from the Garden did not equate to abandonment by God, affirming that physical separation from a specific place does not sever the Divine connection.
As a flawed human, I cannot earn salvation through my own limited and finite efforts; that’s why salvation MUST be a gift of grace freely given by God through Christ’s sacrificial death. This, however, does not imply that God hates me for my imperfections and err. The Augustinian-Calvinist notion that sinners are beyond God’s reach, that God despises them, or that He cannot even look at people simply because they are not perfect contradicts both the Old and New Testaments. God’s interactions throughout scripture demonstrate His ongoing engagement with imperfect humanity, underscoring His enduring love and universal accessibility of His grace to all from the very beginning.
God may despise sin, but He also knows our mistakes contribute to character development. The key lies in recognizing our faults and striving to improve. My understanding of the Bible leads me to believe that God pays more attention to our efforts to overcome our sinful nature on earth than to the sins themselves.
Consider David: he made many mistakes and faced numerous corrections. He endured the earthly consequences of his actions, yet he continually sought to amend his behavior, demonstrated genuine remorse, and consistently worshipped God. This reflects a profound spiritual journey, not a sin-free existence.
There’s a common misconception that accepting Jesus into your heart and being baptized magically transforms us into sinless beings like Jesus. However, we remain human, and sin persists. Paul himself confessed to being the “worst of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), highlighting our ongoing human flaws. The crucial difference is that Jesus covers our sins. Embracing Jesus doesn’t make us sinless; it liberates us from the fear of being hated or alienated by God, allowing us to live in grace, not perfection.
Despite being great sinners with significant flaws, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David maintained very intimate relationships with God. This demonstrates that divine intimacy is not restricted to the sinless. Furthermore, God’s love for sinners is so profound that He chose to dwell among an entire nation of sinners, as illustrated in Leviticus 16:16, where God continuously made His dwelling among Israel, even in their impurity:
The tent of meeting, which is among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
Leviticus 16:16
This underscores that God does not shy away from sinners, and His presence is not withheld from those who are imperfect, emphasizing His commitment to be with His people despite their flaws.
Jesus taught us to view God as our ultimate Father. What loving parent would hate their children and wish to torture and burn them for their flaws? On the contrary, good and loving parents desire to redeem, teach, repair, discipline, and restore their children, not destroy them.
The overarching theme in both the prophetic writings of the Old Testament and the New Testament is that God, incarnated as a human in Jesus, came to Earth specifically to seek out and extend love to sinners. This divine mission is vividly depicted through Jesus’ actions, as He spent much of His time on Earth engaging with sinners, often sharing meals and offering blessings to them. This is highlighted in several biblical passages, such as Matthew 9:10-17, Mark 2:15-22, and Luke 5:29-39, where Jesus is shown not shunning but rather actively seeking the company of those considered impure or unworthy by religious standards, thereby emphasizing God’s inclusive love and mercy.
In contrast to an angry, hateful God who hates sinners and wants nothing but to punch us all in the mouth and into damnation, Jesus spoke of God as loving, caring, forgiving, full of compassion, and protective (Matthew 23:37). A Father who’s not only able to look at His sinful children but makes an effort to reach out to them, to deliver and redeem them from their own mistakes.
And yet, those cheering for the Augustinian-Calvinist theology will point to two Old Testament verses:
“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.” (Habakkuk 1:13)
“Your iniquities have separated you from your God.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Wish to continue?
This article was a chapter from my new book: “HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine“
