Chapter 8 11. God’s Long-suffering Leads Some to Carelessness—In His dealings with the human race, God bears long with the impenitent. He uses His appointed agencies to call men to allegiance, and offers them His full pardon if they will repent. But because God is long-suffering, men presume on His mercy. “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” The patience and long-suffering of God, which should soften and subdue the soul, has an altogether different influence upon the careless and sinful. It leads them to cast off restraint, and strengthens them in resistance. They think that the God who has borne so much from them will not heed their perversity. If we lived in a dispensation of immediate retribution, offenses against God would not occur so often. But though delayed, the punishment is none the less certain. There are limits even to the forbearance of God. The boundary of His long-suffering may be reached, and then He will surely punish. And when He does take up the case of the presumptuous sinner, He will not cease till He has made a full end.{3BC 1166.1}

Kapitel 8

11. Guds langmodighed fører nogle til ligegyldighed. - ”I sin omgang med den menneskelige slægt bærer Gud over i lang tid med dem, der ikke angrer. Han bruger sine udvalgte til at kalde mennesker til overgivelse og tilbyder dem fuld tilgivelse, hvis de angrer. Men fordi Gud er langmodig, tager de hans nåde for givet. ‘Fordi der ikke hurtigt fældes dom over den onde handling, er menneskers hjerte fuldt af lyst til at handle ondt’ (Præd. 8,11). Guds tålmodighed og langmodighed, der skulle blødgøre og berolige sjælen, har en helt anden indflydelse på de ligeglade og syndige. Det får dem til at fjerne alle hæmninger og styrker dem i deres modstand. De tror, at den Gud, som har tålt så meget fra dem, ikke vil bekymre sig om deres perversitet. Hvis vi levede under umiddelbar gengældelse, ville oprør mod Gud ikke så ofte finde sted. Men skønt straffen bliver udsat, er den ikke mindre vis. Der er grænser selv for Guds overbærenhed. Grænserne for hans langmodighed kan nås, og så vil han i sandhed straffe. Og når han tager fat på den opblæste synders sag, vil han ikke standse, før han har ført den til ende.