This is an important theological question that many Christians wrestle with. At first glance, there are some Bible verses that seem to suggest God cannot look upon or tolerate sin. However, when we examine Scripture as a whole, we see a more nuanced perspective on how a holy God relates to sinful humanity.
First, it is absolutely true that God is holy and righteous. Habakkuk 1:13 declares, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.” 1 John 1:5 states, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” These verses affirm God’s perfect moral character. He is completely separate from and opposed to sin.
At the same time, we see throughout Scripture that God does indeed look upon sinful humanity. Genesis 6:5-6 describes how God saw the wickedness of man on the earth and was grieved in His heart. In Psalm 14:2-3 we read, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” So clearly God sees and is aware of the sinfulness of humankind.
Furthermore, we are told in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” The world was deeply stained by sin, yet God did not turn away from it. Instead, in His love, He made a way for sinful people to be reconciled to Himself through Christ. Scripture affirms that God shows compassion to both the righteous and unrighteous (see Psalm 145:9, Luke 6:35-36).
At times in Scripture, particularly when God’s judgment against sin is described, it may sound as if He cannot bear to look upon wickedness. Passages like Habakkuk 1:13 that speak of God’s eyes being “too pure to look on evil” are pointing to His righteous wrath and opposition to sin. But other passages make it clear God does see and respond to the sin in the world through both judgment and mercy.
How do we reconcile God’s holiness and His hatred of sin with His omniscience and compassion for sinners? The key is understanding different aspects of God’s relationship with sinful humanity.
God’s View of Sin
First, we must realize there is an important distinction between God’s toleration of sin and His fellowship with sinners. God does indeed look upon sin in the sense of being fully aware of it, observing its manifestations, and expressing displeasure and wrath toward it. But He does not tolerate, delight in, or have fellowship with sin. Habakkuk 1:13 speaks to this: “You are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.” God deeply hates sin and will destroy it in the end, even though He sees it plainly.
There are some examples in Scripture that help us understand this distinction. Nehemiah 1 describes how the prophet was brokenhearted over the sin of his people and pleaded with God for mercy. Nehemiah confessed, “I now pray before you day and night…that your eye may look upon the ruin of us.” (Nehemiah 1:6-7). Here we see God does look upon sin, but not in a way that condones it. Rather, His eyes see the ruin sin has caused with compassion for the sinners caught in its grip.
Another example is found in Ezekiel 8-11. God gives Ezekiel visions of detestable idolatry and violence among God’s people in Jerusalem. Yet Ezekiel cries out, “Ah, Lord God! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel…?” (Ezekiel 9:8). Even though the people’s sin warrants judgment, God’s eyes still see them, not with complicity but in sorrow. Through Ezekiel, God declares He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11).
So one aspect of God’s view of sin recognizes that He sees it fully and understands the harm it causes, yet He does not approve of it or tolerate it forever.
God’s Response to Sinners
The second aspect relates to God’s relationship with humanity itself, which He originally created good (Genesis 1:31). Despite human sinfulness, God still relates to individual sinners with compassion and care. This makes sense of verses like John 3:16 which speak of God’s love for humankind even in its lost state.
Throughout Scripture we see God grieved over the self-destructive nature of sin, not wanting people to suffer its consequences (2 Peter 3:9). He seeks to reconcile all who will repent and believe to Himself. He came in the person of Jesus specifically to save sinners (Luke 19:10). Even after conversion, believers still struggle with sin. Yet God’s eyes remain on them, not because He delights in sin but because He is patient, merciful, and committed to sanctifying His children.
Many examples in Scripture reveal how God looks upon and responds to sinners with mercy. Zacchaeus was a corrupt tax collector, yet Jesus looked up at him in a tree and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house (Luke 19:1-10). As the woman caught in adultery was surrounded by religious stone-throwers, Jesus knelt down and met her eyes with compassion, refusing to condemn her (John 8:1-11). And in Luke 15:20, the prodigal son clearly represents every sinner who has repented. When his father sees him coming home, he runs to embrace and restore him.
Though God cannot tolerate sin itself, and sin cannot abide eternally in His presence, the eyes of God’s mercy are always gazing upon sinners, desiring their redemption.
Implications of God Seeing All Sin
Recognizing that God’s eyes see all sin, while also extending mercy to sinners, has several important theological implications:
- It means all sin is ultimately an offense against an infinitely holy God, deserving of punishment.
- There is no possibility of “secret” sin that God does not see.
- Awareness that God sees all sin should lead to godly sorrow and repentance.
- God’s omniscience in seeing sin should motivate turning from temptation and obedience to God.
- No sinner is beyond the reach of God’s mercy if they repent and seek forgiveness in Christ.
- God sees believers’ sins too, yet lovingly disciplines and restores those who are His.
- Gratitude for God’s mercy should compel believers to forsake sin and walk in holiness.
So in summary, God cannot ignore or deny the reality of sin, but this should not be misinterpreted to mean He cannot look upon sinners at all. Scripture reveals God’s holiness and how sin grieves Him, as well as His compassion in providing salvation. A balanced, nuanced theological understanding recognizes God’s eyes pure from sin yet still filled with mercy for sinners.
Objections and Discussion
Some may raise objections to the view presented above that God does see and relate to sinful humanity. Let’s interact with some of these objections:
Doesn’t Habakkuk 1:13 mean God literally cannot look upon sin?
This verse does speak very strongly of God’s purity: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” (NIV). Taken alone, it could suggest God is unable to look upon sin at all. However, we must interpret individual verses in light of Scripture as a whole. When we do, we see many examples of God observing and responding to the sinfulness of humanity. We cannot read more into Habakkuk 1:13 than the context warrants.
What about Jesus becoming sin on the cross? Wasn’t God unable to look at Him then?
This is a reference to 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says Jesus “became sin.” At the cross, Jesus willingly took upon Himself the guilt and shame of human sin. This necessarily affected the intimacy and quality of fellowship between God the Father and God the Son during those hours. However, there is no biblical evidence to suggest the Father was utterly unable to look upon the Son. Even in the depths of His agony, Jesus called out “My God, My God!” knowing the Father heard Him.
Doesn’t sin cause separation between God and man?
It is true that Isaiah 59:2 states, “your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” Sin creates a relational barrier and puts up a wall of hostility between the sinner and God (Romans 8:7). No one can enjoy intimate fellowship with God while clinging to sin. However, God’s eyes still observe and care for lost humanity. If He utterly turned His face away, there would be no hope for any sinner’s redemption! So separation caused by sin does not mean God cannot look upon sinners at all.
While objections may arise, ultimately the full counsel of Scripture provides a consistent and balanced perspective. God’s holiness and wrath toward sin, as well as His mercy and love for sinners, are both wonderfully displayed throughout the biblical narrative.
Conclusions
In closing, while simple slogans like “God cannot look upon sin” sound pious, they do not accurately reflect the nuances in Scripture. God is unimaginably holy. All sin is offensive and repulsive to Him. Yet He loves humanity and made provision for sinners to receive forgiveness. Any view of how God relates to sin must uphold both truths.
Rather than imagining God’s eyes are closed to sin, it is actually comforting for believers to know He sees all. Every struggle with sin we face is understood by our Heavenly Father. There is nothing we cannot bring to Him in complete openness. As Hebrews 4:15-16 assure us, we can draw near to God’s throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. His eyes will be gazing upon us with love.
In His wisdom, God has permitted sin’s presence for a time, using even evil to ultimately accomplish His good purposes (Genesis 50:20). But one day, sin will be eradicated from His presence for eternity. Until then, may all God’s children find hope that His eyes pure from sin yet filled with compassion are watching over them still.