And you've just twisted what I said. After the inception of sin there was no "good option" for God to follow, so He followed the less evil of the two options. Now, you are entitled to your opinion, but you can't convince me (or anybody else, I think, besides yourself) that letting Satan live, with all the suffering, disease and death he has brought, was a good option.

As to Ellen White, in DA 759 she is not saying that if God destroyed Satan, He would be using force towards Satan. She is saying that, by destroying His opponent, God would be forcing all the inhabitants of the universe to choose His side, for fear of being destroyed. This would be compelling force. Instead, He opted for letting Satan live and make manifest the fruits of his government, so that the inhabitants of the universe could choose God’s side by themselves. After that, He could safely destroy Satan.

Commenting on Satan’s rebellion in heaven, she says:

“God sees that the same course of action is being pursued the world over. Men and women come to the place where the road diverges: it is either right or wrong. Thousands upon thousands clothe themselves in what they suppose to be an impenetrable disguise, and choose the wrong. To make their course plain to others by abrupt disclosures would only cause a larger number to choose the side of wrong. Thus the wrongdoers would be sustained and many souls would be ruined. God does not force anyone. He leaves all free to choose. But He says, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ (18MR 362.4)

If God destroys in mercy, He doesn’t destroy as an act of force, and this is completely in harmony with His character. Nothing could be clearer. Now, what you think is that if my horse breaks his leg irreparably, then I should let the animal continue living in agony, because I don't love him if I kill him; on the contrary, I'm heartless, mercyless and cruel.

Rosangela, you clearly said that God's actions were evil. There was nothing evil in God's actions - none.

Even when he was cast out of heaven, Infinite Wisdom did not destroy Satan. Since only the service of love can be acceptable to God, the allegiance of His creatures must rest upon a conviction of His justice and benevolence. The inhabitants of heaven and of the worlds, being unprepared to comprehend the nature or consequences of sin, could not then have seen the justice of God in the destruction of Satan. Had he been immediately blotted out of existence, some would have served God from fear rather than from love. The influence of the deceiver would not have been fully destroyed, nor would the spirit of rebellion have been utterly eradicated. For the good of the entire universe through ceaseless ages, he must more fully develop his principles, that his charges against the divine government might be seen in their true light by all created beings, and that the justice and mercy of God and the immutability of His law might be forever placed beyond all question. {PP 42.3}

Satan's rebellion was to be a lesson to the universe through all coming ages--a perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results. The working out of Satan's rule, its effects upon both men and angels, would show what must be the fruit of setting aside the divine authority. It would testify that with the existence of God's government is bound up the well-being of all the creatures He has made. Thus the history of this terrible experiment of rebellion was to be a perpetual safeguard to all holy beings, to prevent them from being deceived as to the nature of transgression, to save them from committing sin, and suffering its penalty. {PP 42.4}

What is the perpetual testimony to the nature of sin and its terrible results? Sin kills. Sin causes all disease. God's rule is prefect. You can not change what God has made. The penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Not execution by God.

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

It appears to me that Rosangela and APL are both referring to important facets of this subject. Trouble is that you are looking at it from different levels - or circumstances - as far as I can see.

APL, I clearly said God's options were evil. If you think that the option of letting Satan live was a good one, this is your privilege, but the misery of this world contradicts you. God had two options and both were evil. God overrules evil for good.


Sin won't destroy itself. God will destroy it.

God has declared that sin must be destroyed as an evil ruinous to the universe. Those who cling to sin will perish in its destruction. {COL 123.3}

But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, must destroy them. ... The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked. {DA 107.4}

There is no question sin will be destroyed. The question is how it is destroyed.

It will be destroyed by the glory of God.

Death will eventually be destroyed. What is the relationship between sin and death? What is death?

Well, pastor Johann, I believe sin is the reason why sinners die, not the (physical) agent of their death. Basically sinners die because they were debarred from the tree of life; if it wasn't for this, they would be immortal sinners. It follows that sin can't be the physical agent of death. The angels who sinned would never die if Christ, by His death, hadn't brought them under the dominion of death. For Christ, by dying, secured the right to destroy them (FLB 179.5).

So, basically what Rosangela is saying, it that sin does not kill it is God that kills. Sin is not inherently deadly, sin is just a breaking of the rules. The penalty of sin is not intrinsic to sin, but has to be judicially meted out. Sin is a legal problem for which there is an imposed penalty. Am I right?

What killed Jesus?

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? In order to die Jesus had to let go of the sustaining hand of His Father. His cry shows how hostile it was to His nature, but He did it for our sake.

We would never sin if we did not give up the sustaining hand of divinity. So the sinner gives up on God, he lets go of the connection with the only Source of eternal life, and there is no access to the tree of life.

A few days ago there was no electricity in the northern part of our country. It was due to the worst snowstorm for decades. Finally some technicians braved the storm and repaired the connection.

Jesus braved the great storm of sin in order to reconnect. That connection is available to all, but only those who permit their own line to touch will benefit and get the power.