Moderator: Since God is slow to anger and patient, then why, when man first sinned, was his wrath and punishment so severe and long lasting?!
Sproul: Time out! Didn’t we just have that question just a second ago? That God’s punishment for Adam was so severe. This creature from the dirt, defied the everlasting, holy God. After that, God had said, “The day that you shall eat of it, you shall surely die.” And instead of dying (thanatos) that day, he lived another day and was clothed in his nakedness by pure grace and had the consequences of a curse applied for quite some time, but the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him, whose head would be crushed by the seed of the woman. And the punishment was too severe?!? What’s wrong with you people?! I’m serious! I mean this is what’s wrong with the Christian church today. We don’t know who God is. And we don’t know who we are. The question is, why wasn’t it infinitely more severe? If we have any understanding of our sin and any understanding of who God is. That’s the question, isn’t it?!
