What you quote comes from "The Baker Letter". It would be good to read the whole letter.

Uninspired words? Just the opposite? Hm. In 1888, Jones and Waggoner had the strong support of EGW at the Minneapolis sessions. After the Minneapolis session Mrs. White joined A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner in carrying the message of righteousness by faith to the churches. From coast to coast they visited camp meetings, workers’ meetings, and Bible schools. In 1889 she could write: “I have never seen a revival work go forward with such thoroughness, and yet remain so free from all undue excitement.” {RH March 5, 1889) Following Minneapolis many books dealing with righteousness by faith were produced, for example, Steps to Christ and The Desire of Ages. In his book Christ and His Righteousness (1890) Waggoner suggested that Christ took sinful flesh with sinful tendencies. In the Baker Letter, EGW writes, "Not one occasion has been given in response to His manifold temptations." Waggoner agrees!

It is impossible for us to understand how Christ could, as God, humble Himself to the death of the cross, and it is worse than useless for us to speculate about it. All we can do is to accept the facts as they are presented in the Bible. If the reader finds it difficult to harmonize some of the statements in the Bible concerning the nature of Christ, let him remember that it would be impossible to express it in terms that would enable finite minds to grasp it fully. Just as the grafting of the Gentiles into the stock of Israel is contrary to nature, so much of the Divine economy is a paradox to human understanding. {1890 EJW, CHR 25.2}

Other scriptures that we will quote bring closer to us the fact of the humanity of Christ and what it means for us. We have already read that "the Word was made flesh," and now we will read what Paul says concerning the nature of that flesh: "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:3, 4. {1890 EJW, CHR 26.1}

A little thought will be sufficient to show anybody that if Christ took upon Himself the likeness of man in order that He might redeem man, it must have been sinful man that He was made like, for it is sinful man that He came to redeem. Death could have no power over a sinless man, as Adam was in Eden, and it could not have had any power over Christ, if the Lord had not laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Moreover, the fact that Christ took upon Himself the flesh, not of a sinless being, but of a sinful man, that is, that the flesh which He assumed had all the weaknesses and sinful tendencies to which fallen human nature is subject, is shown by the statement that He "was made of the seed of David according to the flesh." David had all the passions of human nature. He says of himself, "Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalms 51:5. {1890 EJW, CHR 26.2}

The following statement in the book of Hebrews is very clear on this point: For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. ["For verily not of angels doth He take hold, but He taketh hold of the seed of Abraham." Revised Version.] Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted. Hebrews 2:16-18 {1890 EJW, CHR 27.1}

If He was made in all things like unto His brethren, then He must have suffered all the infirmities and been subject to all the temptations of His brethren. Two more texts that put this matter very forcibly will be sufficient evidence on this point. We first quote 2 Corinthians 5:21: For He [God] hath made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. {1890 EJW, CHR 27.2}

This is much stronger than the statement that He was made "in the likeness of sinful flesh." He was made to be sin. Here is the same mystery as that the son of God should die. The spotless Lamb of God, who knew no sin, was made to be sin. Sinless, yet not only counted as a sinner but actually taking upon Himself sinful nature. He was made to be sin in order that we might be made righteousness. So Paul says to the Galatians that "God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Galatians 4:4,5. In that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor them that are tempted." "For we have not a High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 2:18; 4:15, 16. {1890 EJW, CHR 27.3}

One more point and then we can learn the entire lesson that we should learn from the fact that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." How was it that Christ could be thus "compassed with infirmity" (Hebrews 5:2) and still know no sin? Some may have thought, while reading thus far, that we were depreciating the character of Jesus by bringing Him down to the level of sinful man. On the contrary, we are simply exalting the "Divine power" of our blessed Saviour, who Himself voluntarily descended to the level of sinful man in order that He might exalt man to His own spotless purity, which He retained under the most adverse circumstances. His humanity only veiled His Divine nature, by which He was inseparably connected with the invisible God and which was more than able successfully to resist the weaknesses of the flesh. There was in His whole life a struggle. The flesh, moved upon by the enemy of all righteousness, would tend to sin, yet His Divine nature never for a moment harbored an evil desire nor did His Divine power for a moment waver. Having suffered in the flesh all that men can possibly suffer, He returned to the throne of the Father as spotless as when He left the courts of glory. When He lay in the tomb, under the power of death, "it was impossible that he should be holden of it," because he "knew no sin." {1890 EJW, CHR 28.1}

Please relate your view about Jesus' sinful flesh nature and the topic of this thread. Thank you.

What brings punishment...

Answers, please. Not questions. State your position plainly and concisely. Thank you.

This argument always comes down to this element.

God is not committing murder when He executes justice.

Satan is the murderer from the beginning. He was the one who instigated all of the sin in the world, so he is the one who murdered the wicked when God executes judgment. Every single person on the other side of the wall at the second resurrection will recognize this and turn on him just before God executes final judgment and destroys the wicked for their unconfessed sins. It is not as if God has put a self destruct mechanism in the world, that when His cup of indignation is overflowing it autonomically begins to ignight.

Hell is not spontanious combustion of the wicked. There is a court that is seated, and there is a judge and jurry, and the sentence is pronounced, and the sentence is executed, and like Mountain Man has said, it is good. Righteousness does this. It is good that the unrepentant are destroyed for righteousness sake, but God does not delight in the act of execution.

James - - Did Christ die the second death? Yes. Was Christ executed by God? No. There is your answer.

Indeed. That is precisely where the answer is.



Here's the catch, and APL doesn't see the truth because he cannot fathom justice being in the same category as love. But it is true. God's justice is an act of love.



Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Green - - I have never said that God will not punish sin. The question I have repeatedly asked is HOW. When EGW speaks in plain terms on how it is done, why do you ignore it?

"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" The wrath of God fell upon Christ. This was the hiding of the Father's countenance. . {ST, April 14, 1898 par. 9}

APL, how Jesus punishes sinners is plainly revealed in the Bible and the SOP. You advocate one of the ways, namely, the withdraw and permit principle of punishment. However, there are several other ways:

1. Jesus employs the forces of nature.
2. Jesus uses His enemies.
3. Jesus commands holy men and angels.

King David commanded his soldiers to withdraw and permit Uriah the Hittite to perish at the hands of his enemies. Similarly, Jesus commanded His angels to withdraw and permit King Saul to be defeated in battle. King Saul committed suicide. Jesus commanded Moses to kill criminals and combatants. We cannot, without ignoring the plainest utterances of God's Word, force every incident in the Bible to fit the withdraw and permit principle of punishment.