Sodom & Gomorrah revisited in the light of God's love

[Robert]

God gives his creation free will and the consequence of free will is that people choose destruction for themselves by rejecting God.

 

 

Yes, agreed...and therefore it is suicide to reject Christ.  But Christ is not the means of execution as we traditionally understand.  Paul states that "the wages of sin is death".  Or paraphrased, sin pays in death, i.e., sin brings death.  Sin is the ultimate executioner.  Sin kills...it destroys. 

[Robert]

Some EGW statements that back what I am stating:

 

We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. The disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God's mercy and long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance, that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejectors of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown . Every ray of light rejected, every warning despised or unheeded, every passion indulged, every transgression of the law of God, is a seed sown which yields its unfailing harvest. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan. The destruction of Jerusalem is a fearful and solemn warning to all who are trifling with the offers of divine grace and resisting the pleadings of divine mercy. Never was there given a more decisive testimony to God's hatred of sin and to the certain punishment that will fall upon the guilty. {GC 36.1}

Satan is the destroyer. God cannot bless those who refuse to be faithful stewards. All He can do is to permit Satan to accomplish his destroying work . We see calamities of every kind and in every degree coming upon the earth, and why? The Lord's restraining power is not exercised. The world has disregarded the word of God. They live as though there were no God. Like the inhabitants of the Noachic world, they refuse to have any thought of God. Wickedness prevails to an alarming extent, and the earth is ripe for the harvest. {6T 388–389}

Men have become bold in transgression. The wickedness of the inhabitants of the world has almost filled up the measure of their iniquity. This earth has almost reached the place where God will permit the destroyer to work his will upon it . The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama. When this substitution becomes universal, God will reveal Himself. He will arise in His majesty to shake terribly the earth. He will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the world for their iniquity, and the earth shall disclose her blood and shall no more cover her slain. {7T 141.1}

God keeps a reckoning with the nations. Not a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice. Those who work evil toward their fellow men, saying, How doth God know? will one day be called upon to meet long-deferred vengeance. In this age a more than common contempt is shown to God. Men have reached a point in insolence and disobedience which shows that their cup of iniquity is almost full. Many have well-nigh passed the boundary of mercy. Soon God will show that He is indeed the living God. He will say to the angels, "No longer combat Satan in his efforts to destroy. Let him work out his malignity upon the children of disobedience; for the cup of their iniquity is full. They have advanced from one degree of wickedness to another, adding daily to their lawlessness. I will no longer interfere to prevent the destroyer from doing his work ." {RH, September 17, 1901 par. 8}

God could have destroyed Satan and his sympathizers as easily as one can cast a pebble to the earth; but He did not do this. Rebellion was not to be overcome by force. Compelling power is found only under Satan's government. The Lord's principles are not of this order. His authority rests upon goodness, mercy, and love; and the presentation of these principles is the means to be used. God's government is moral, and truth and love are to be the prevailing power. {DA 759.1} 

[Aliensanctuary]

If Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden for a seemingly small act of disobedience, triggered by telepathic forces of Satan, then we must be stronger than they were. If we were given the white robes which represent purity in Rev., how long could we keep them clean? Only by the memory wipe and destruction of self can we become willingly and totally obedient to our Master, only then will Sodom and Gomorrah and this world's sordid history never be repeated.

 

I believe this voluntary disengagement with evil will take place in the Valley of Decision after the Resurrection, but not until the Kingdom of YHVH is clearly explained to everyone who has ever lived. Once the telepathic demons are silenced, the universe will once again be safe and peaceful.

[phkrause]

Alien, it might of been a small act of disobedience, but what was in the garden that God actually wanted them not to have access to?? "The Tree of Life!" God had told Adam that if they ate from the other tree, that they would surely die! So if the kept eating from the "Tree of Life" they would've lived for ever! Would they not? So for me that is the reason that they had to go!! Just my opinion.

[Robert]

And this is my favorite quote relating to the topic here:

 

God destroys no man. Everyone who is destroyed will have destroyed himself. Everyone who stifles the admonitions of conscience is sowing the seeds of unbelief, and these will produce a sure harvest. By rejecting the first warning from God, Pharaoh of old sowed the seeds of obstinacy, and he reaped obstinacy. God did not compel him to disbelieve. The seed of unbelief which he sowed produced a harvest of its kind. Thus his resistance continued, until he looked upon his devastated land, upon the cold, dead form of his first-born, and the first-born of all in his house and of all the families in his kingdom, until the waters of the sea closed over his horses and his chariots and his men of war. His history is a fearful illustration of the truth of the words that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Gal. 6:7. Did men but realize this, they would be careful what seed they sow. {COL 84-5}

[Robert]

Gerry! And Robert! Back together again! Brings back memories!

Love you both!!