Question:  Dear Greg,

Someone very close to me told me tonight that God told her to tell me that if I mess up again sexually then I will be struck down dead by God—that this is “my last warning”. I was also told that God is very angry with me right now. She felt a “burden from God” to tell me this.

Is this true? I repented for what I did, and yes, I admitted that I screwed up very badly. I repented because:

1.     I knew I was messing up in God’s eyes and was very miserable because of that.

2.     I know now that the reason God has rules about sexuality is so that you will not lose all self worth before marriage.

How can God send me a message like that after I had repented of my sin? Would God strike me down for committing a sin over and over? I know he would probably stop listening to me and make my life a living Hades.

Keep in mind that this is a lady who listens and believes in Benny Hinn and all his contemporaries. I myself believe in a loving God. The God I believe in wouldn’t do something like that…or would he?

Sue

Answer: Dear Sue,

It seems to me that the person who gave you “a direct message” from God may well be subjectively transferring her feelings to God and informing you that God is mad at you when either she is or thinks that God ought to be.

God is not mad at you. That is the clear message from the Bible. He may not be happy with your conduct and you may need help to deal with your life and the problems to which this person has reference. But, God is not mad at you and he has much better things to do than waiting to zap you or me when we goof up.

We would have to assume that the person who told you that God is going to kill you and that he is mad at you (presuming motive—that God kills, or at least allows death in the cases of those with whom he is upset) does not know about your relationship with God, about your repentance, etc. Further, this individual needs to come to know the one true God who is in the salvation business, not in the zapping business.

When we commit a sin over and over again, we are making our own lives a living Hades. God has nothing to do with that. It’s our choice—we live with any hell that we create. God may help us out of situations, or we may have to live with the consequences of our actions, but God does not go out of his way to ensure that we will suffer and live in misery.

As for the ministry of Benny Hinn, you will find little agreement on this web site or in the ministry of PTM about his antics, showmanship and hyperbole.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht