A.W. Tozer: We are to hate sin in ourselves and in all men, but never undervalue the man in whom the sin is found.

Contempt says of a man, “Raca! Fool! This fellow is of no worth. I attach to this person no value whatsoever!” The person guilty of thus appraising a human being is thoroughly bad. The gravity of the situation lies not in the fact that a man can cry “Fool!” but that he can entertain in his heart the contempt which the word expresses.

Contempt is an emotion possible only where there is great pride. The error in moral judgment that undervalues another always springs out of the error that overvalues one’s self. The contemptuous man esteems himself too highly, and for reasons that are invalid. His high opinion of himself is not based upon his position as a being made in God’s image; he esteems himself for fancied virtues which he does not possess. The error in his judgment is moral, not intellectual.

Here is our warning: the Christian believer’s disapprobation of the evil ways of men and women must not betray him into contempt for them as human beings! He must reverence the humanity of every man—for no one for whom Christ died can be common or worthless. To esteem anyone worthless who wears the form of a man is to be guilty of an affront to the Son of Man! We are to hate sin in ourselves and in all men, but never undervalue the man in whom the sin is found.

— A.W. Tozer

Cited from A. W. Tozer and Gerald B. Smith, Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 83.

Appears these days that the more pronounced one’s display of contempt in public and/or social media some are inclined to imagine that vindicates their cause. But such only reinforces social polarization. May we all see the value in the person next to us. God never erases or annihilates the humans that bear His image, but comes down from Heaven to Earth to redeem the lost. We ought never to treat the other with contempt. Deal with the sin; yet, value the person, just as the Good Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep.

Aiden Wilson Tozer (1897-1963) was a Christian author and Missionary Alliance pastor. He began pursuing God at the age of 17. He committed himself to prayer, study, and proclamation. Countless believers have been positively influenced and encouraged by Tozer’s writings. Works such as The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy are considered Christian classics.