Pictet:
With regard to the beginning of sin, God is concerned with it in various ways, first, by permitting it. This. the scripture teaches us–I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust, and they walked in their awn counsels,” (Psalm lxxxi. 12.)” Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways,” (Acts xiv. 16.) But here we must carefully observe, that permission does not imply approbation; far be it from us to say this of God. Again, we must not imagine that it is a mere cessation of the divine will, as though God either ignorantly, or unwillingly, or even indifferently, permitted what he does permit; for this is contrary both to his wisdom and to his power, since there is nothing more unworthy of God, than to suffer any thing to take place, and at the same time to wink at it, or to behold any thing taking place, while he himself (if we may so speak) remains an inactive spectator of it. Further, to permit is not simply not-to-prevent, as is evident from this one argument-If God permits sin by not preventing it, he either wills not-to-prevent it, or he put forth no act of volition at all; if the latter, then the event takes place, either against God’s will, and without any regard on his part, which it were impious to assert; if the former, then that permission will not be a simple non-prevention, but an effectual volition on the part of God, whereby he suffers man to use his own liberty, and puts no hindrance in the way of sin. This permission also includes the preservation of man’s life and faculties, which God could take away, if he wished to prevent sin, as he took away life from Pharaoh, Sennacherib, and Ahaz’s soldiers (Exod. xiv; 2 Kings xix. 37; i.10,12); and as he took away strength and power from the Sodomite~, from Balaam, from Jeroboam, from the Syrian hosts (Gen. six. 10; Numb. xxiii.12, 26; xxiv.13; 1 Kings xiii. 4; 2 Kings vi.18,19.) It implies also the not opposing a superior strength and power by way of hindrance. This then is the jr6t act of God in reference to sin. Do not ask why God hath permitted it; for it is not for us to pry into these secrets: we are sure he has permitted, the reason why is unknown; this only we know, that God brings forth out of the darkness of sin the light of his own glory.
The second act, by which God is concerned with sin, is that by which he forsakes the sinner, giving him up to himself, taking away from him the light which he has abused, and the Spirit which restrained him, so that, all barriers being removed, he rushes headlong, the reins being as it were thrown loosely on his neck. Thus God is said to have ” given up the Gentiles to vile affections, to their own lusts, and to a reprobate mind,” (Rom. i. 24, 26, 28); and so Zachariah the son of Jehoiada, said to the people, “Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you,” (2 Chron. xxiv. 20.) Thus we read of God’s smiting men with mudne68, blindness, and hardness of heart, making heavy or stopping their ears, &c.