When Christians forfeit their calling in the pursuit of wealth, Paul warns that they often wander away from their faith and inflict pain on themselves.
5. ‘This Too Shall Pass’
This is another kind sentiment that is often said as though it were a Bible verse, but “this too shall pass” is not a phrase that is found anywhere in Scripture. Instead, it is a Persian adage that was likely first coined sometime in the nineteenth century.
Even still, there’s nothing wrong with the phrase itself. In fact, the idea that the various moments and seasons of life, whether they are full of joy or pain, are only temporary and fleeting in light of eternity, is quite congruent with Scripture.
So feel free to keep saying this one without fear of theological error. Just know that this specific phrase isn’t in the Bible.
6. ‘Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin’
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments, we are instructed both to love others and fight against sin. For example, Paul encourages the Roman church, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).
But what happens when those two things seem to conflict with each other, as in the case when someone we love is engaged in a behavior that we believe is sinful? How do we maintain our commitment to holiness while also remaining in relationship with them?
Enter the axiom: “Love the sinner, hate the sin.”
Nevertheless, this isn’t a dichotomy that the Bible ever seems to establish. We are called to love others without reservation. We are called to love our neighbors as well as our enemies, regardless of what sins they may be engaged in (Matthew 22:39; Matthew 5:44).
Further, while the New Testament gives us guidelines for church discipline (e.g., Matthew 18:15-20), the Bible rarely calls us to place an emphasis on hating the sins of other people. Rather, we are called to focus primarily on dealing with our own sin—the “plank” in our own eye, as Jesus puts it in Matthew 7:3—before we even consider the sins of others.
When we focus on hating the sins of others, what invariably happens is that we end up acting hatefully toward the sinner as well.
So, as a platitude, “love the sinner, hate the sin,” seems like a good idea, but we would do well to hate our own sin more than we hate anyone else’s. The humility that results from such an endeavor will undoubtedly make us more gracious and loving toward the flawed people around us.
