this could be hurtful and alienating. Apply this “love the sinner; hate the sin” phrasing to common sins such as lying and pride, and it’s easier to see how it can feel like a spiritual hit-and-run: “I love you, but I hate that you are a liar” or “I love you, but I hate that you are a self-centered jerk.” That’s not the way we would confront people if we really did love them. Yet we face a quandary: the Bible is clear about sin. What we do and who we do it with are tied to how we bear God’s image.