You say that sin is a sickeness, and that Christ had our sickness. How wasn't He a sinner?

By taking upon Himself man's nature in its fallen condition, Christ did not in the least participate in its sin.

What killed Christ?

Then sin can't be a physical condition, because Christ had the same physical constitution that we have. If we are sinners because of our physical constitution, then Christ was a sinner, too.

The sin must be a real and physical thing, else how could Christ be "made" to be sin? Christ was made to be sin, but never participated in the sin. Sin is not immaterial. If it were, how can if affect the whole creation?

Thoughts are real.

"God has given in his Word decisive evidence that he will punish the transgressors of his law. Those who flatter themselves that he is too merciful to execute justice upon the sinner, have only to look to the cross of Calvary. The death of the spotless Son of God testifies that “the wages of sin is death,” that every violation of God’s law must receive its just retribution. Christ the sinless became sin for man. He bore the guilt of transgression, and the hiding of his Father’s face, until his heart was broken and his life crushed out. All this sacrifice was made that sinners might be redeemed. In no other way could man be freed from the penalty of sin. And every soul that refuses to become a partaker of the atonement provided at such a cost, must bear, in his own person, the guilt and punishment of transgression. {GC88 540.1}

“Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God." {DA 753.2}

Yep. I agree!

APL, here is the crux of the situation.

This quote summarizes everything I believe on this subject, and you will claim you believe it too because you interpret the meaning different than me.

"The wrath of God is not declared against unrepentant sinners merely because of the sins they have committed, but because, when called to repent, they choose to continue in resistance, repeating the sins of the past in defiance of the light given them. If the Jewish leaders had submitted to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, they would have been pardoned; but they were determined not to yield. In the same way, the sinner, by continued resistance, places himself where the Holy Spirit cannot influence him. {AA 62.1}

To you this is saying that the 'wrath of God' is the withdrawal of God's protection.

To me this is saying the wrath of God is against everyone who would not repent. I understand where you are coming from, knowing God is merciful, but I also know what I have been warned about the wrath. It is God's strange act because He is the one executing justice and unleashing every element of what being cut off entails. His wrath includes every element of torment that you have listed AND it includes God's frown and the curse of Jesus. Anyone who does not accept what He did for them must suffer what He went through for them. This is the curse Jesus pronounces on the wicked in the second resurrection.

God is so righteous that sin is destroyed in His presence. He made every opportunity for men to repent. He gave His own Son in the offering, yet men refuse to repent, so everything they dished out they receive back. They receive the penalty for rejecting the offering, they receive the exact same punishment Jesus did for them, sweating blood and terror, but this is a billion fold greater on Satan than on men, so it's not like he is in charge of hell. He is the focus of the anger from God against that seething mass of torment. God hates that He has to destroy the wicked. But the bible promises that even He forgets the wicked in the earth made new.

Jesus suffered the wrath of God by the Father hiding His face... {GC88 540.1} If the face of the Father would have been revealed in the moment Jesus was carrying the sins of the world Jesus would have ceased to exist.

Jesus cherished His fathers face so much that it tormented Him not to see Him (even though He was right there in the cloud suffering everything Jesus suffered).

But would sinners care if God hid His face? In fact that is the intent of rebellion, to do away with the presence of the Holy Spirit so conscience is not continually tormented. The antediluvian wicked moved as far away from the gate to heaven as they could so they would not have to be reminded.

The wicked in the second resurrection suffer the wrath of God with His face unveiled while they are rebelling still in their hearts. God breaths fire on the wicked, this is what Mrs White saw. It is an act of destruction to cleanse. But to me it is also an act of mercy in that it ends their torment. As soon as the fire touches them they are burning in proportion of their sins until consumed. Mrs White said "that every violation of God’s law must receive its just retribution". There was different punishments for violations of different laws just as there are different elements of punishment in the wrath of God.

Jesus was carrying our sins for us, suffering the consequence, so we receive mercy. This is how mercy met justice in the life of Jesus for the repentant. Gethsemane was where the gates of hell did not prevail against heaven.

There were two deaths on atonement. One was a sacrifice, the other a penalty. There is no atonement in the death of the Scapegoat, only retribution. The one for the Lord was a means of carrying sin so the scapegoat could receive the full penalty for all confessed sins. The sins of the unrepentant are on their own heads.

APL, it seems like you believe:

1. Jesus punishes sinners by withdrawing His retraining hand and allowing nature to act in and of itself resulting in viruses, diseases, epidemics, earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, sink holes, etc.

2. Jesus punishes sinners by withdrawing His protection and permitting evil angels to employ nature as a weapon causing viruses, diseases, epidemics, earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, sink holes, etc.

3. Jesus commanded Moses to stone sinners to death and to wage war killing enemy combatants because Moses mistakenly believed killing is right.