As stated in my previous blog post, there are those who believe in the possibility of someone praying to be saved (while yet in this life) only to be turned away by Jesus Christ. I began with the most popular verse they use and showed how they use that verse out of context.
Now, I will point out a few other verses that this crowd uses. I will show how ALL of these verses are taken out of context, and will show the true meaning of these verses.
Proverbs 1:24-28
"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a desolation, and your desolation cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"
This passage is preached often and sinners are told that if they do not come to God right now, they may try to come later, but will be rejected. Advocates of this belief use verse 28 especially - "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer." This passage is ALWAYS taken out of context when it is used in this manner.
This passage IS NOT DEALING WITH SALVATION. To use it this way is to take the verses out of context. In this passage, God Almighty is not even the one speaking. If you will just back up a few verses and read verse 20 - "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets..." Then the following verses tell what Wisdom is saying. Wisdom, in this passage, is personified. She is telling all who will listen that they need to receive wisdom now, BEFORE calamity comes. She says, "If you seek wisdom after your life is in shambles, wisdom will do you no good." The purpose of wisdom is to keep calamity from coming. This passage is about receiving wisdom, not about receiving salvation. Simply reading the entire passage clears this up.
Hosea 4:17
"Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."
This verse is used to indicate that there may be a time when God quits dealing with an individual to be saved. First, in reply to this, I made it clear in my previous blog post that I do believe in a possibility of God ceasing to deal with an individual. If this happens, however, you should note that this is a rare experience. Jesus did not come to tell people they couldn't be saved; He came to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness and declare the glad tidings that WHOSOEVER WILL could be saved. It is equally important to note that, if the Lord ceases to deal with an individual, that person will have NO DESIRE to make things right with God. The desire to be saved is evidence of God's dealings. I cover this more extensively in my previous blog post.
Hosea 4:17, however, IS NOT DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL SALVATION. This verse is another that is often taken out of context. Ephraim is not an individual, but a group of people. God had dealt with them, sent prophets to deal with them, and gave Ephraim many opportunities to return to the Lord. Now, judgment had come, and it was too late for Ephraim to pray. This is proven in Hosea 5:11 - "Ephraim is oppressed and broken in JUDGMENT..." Judgment had come! I stated clearly in my previous post that there are three places where man will pray to be saved, but it will be too late - in hell, at the coming of the Lord, and at the judgment. Friend, when judgment comes, it will certainly be too late to pray. For Ephraim, judgment had come. Chapters 4 and 5 of Hosea do not deal with individual salvation, but rather with a tribe of people who were facing God's judgment, and for them to be saved, it was too late. The correct way to preach Hosea 4:17 is in this manner: "If you wait until judgment to make peace with God, you'll be left alone." Thank God we are not at the judgment yet. If you do not know Jesus, and are not in hell or at the Great Judgment, then this verse does not yet apply to you! You can be saved today! However, if you wait until judgment, this verse will apply to you - you will be left alone.
Genesis 6:3
"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man..."
This verse is more popular among those who believe the faulty teaching which I discuss. They state how "God won't always strive, or deal, with man." They conclude that if you try to pray after God quits striving, then you will be rejected.
This verse does not deal with individual salvation, but rather with God's dealings with mankind as a whole.
This chapter introduces Noah. God tells Noah that He will destroy the earth with a flood. He is tired of man's wickedness. He tells Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man." This is because God had plans to destroy mankind. He was through dealing with mankind as a whole. The Lord dealt with man just a little longer, giving mankind an opportunity to enter the ark to be saved. But after it started raining, God's dealings with mankind as a whole was finished, and the whole earth was destroyed. Then, God began dealing with mankind afresh, with those who were on the ark. Jesus Christ compared His coming to the day when Noah entered the ark. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is coming to destroy the wicked. Only those who are in the ark, which is Jesus Christ, will be saved. When the hour of His coming arrives, His striving with man will be over. You must get in the door of the ark while it is open. It is open for all who will enter! But one day, the door will close on all of mankind. God's spirit will cease to deal with man at that point.
Hebrews 12:16, 17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
This passage, like the others, is taken out of context when it is used to say that a person can seek the Lord, only to be rejected. In this passage, we have Esau, a wicked man. He lived his life as a fornicator. Then, it came time for him and his brother Jacob to stand before their father to receive their inheritance. Esau received no inheritance, no blessing. He was rejected. He began to weep and cry to his father to bless him, but no blessing came. Even when he begged and cried, he was rejected. Some preachers take this passage, and preach that it is possible to beg and plead to be saved IN THIS LIFE and be rejected by Christ. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
In this passage, the most important detail to note is the setting. When was Esau rejected? Our passage says, "when he would have inherited the blessing." Esau was standing before his father, and was rejected. Of course, he tried to repent then, but it was too late. What the Hebrew writer is telling us is this: If you wait until you are standing before the Father, at the time when rewards will be given (the Day of Judgment) it will be too late to repent. If you wait until then, you will be rejected. THIS PASSAGE IS NOT REFERRING TO PEOPLE BEING SAVED PRIOR TO STANDING BEFORE GOD. It deals with people trying to repent as they are standing in judgment, and there it will be too late, even if they seek repentance with bitter tears.
CONCLUSION
Clearly, "today is the day of salvation, and now is the accepted time." It will be too late when judgment comes. The good news is this: you still have breath in your body. The Lord has not yet come. We are not yet standing before God. You are not yet in hell. The door is still open to you! But when your eyes close in death; or, when Christ comes to gather His elect and destroy the wicked; it will be everlasting too late. Repent of your sins today. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Ask Him to save you, believing that He will do so, and you will be saved today.
Now, I will point out a few other verses that this crowd uses. I will show how ALL of these verses are taken out of context, and will show the true meaning of these verses.
Proverbs 1:24-28
"Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as a desolation, and your desolation cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"
This passage is preached often and sinners are told that if they do not come to God right now, they may try to come later, but will be rejected. Advocates of this belief use verse 28 especially - "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer." This passage is ALWAYS taken out of context when it is used in this manner.
This passage IS NOT DEALING WITH SALVATION. To use it this way is to take the verses out of context. In this passage, God Almighty is not even the one speaking. If you will just back up a few verses and read verse 20 - "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets..." Then the following verses tell what Wisdom is saying. Wisdom, in this passage, is personified. She is telling all who will listen that they need to receive wisdom now, BEFORE calamity comes. She says, "If you seek wisdom after your life is in shambles, wisdom will do you no good." The purpose of wisdom is to keep calamity from coming. This passage is about receiving wisdom, not about receiving salvation. Simply reading the entire passage clears this up.
Hosea 4:17
"Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone."
This verse is used to indicate that there may be a time when God quits dealing with an individual to be saved. First, in reply to this, I made it clear in my previous blog post that I do believe in a possibility of God ceasing to deal with an individual. If this happens, however, you should note that this is a rare experience. Jesus did not come to tell people they couldn't be saved; He came to open a fountain for sin and uncleanness and declare the glad tidings that WHOSOEVER WILL could be saved. It is equally important to note that, if the Lord ceases to deal with an individual, that person will have NO DESIRE to make things right with God. The desire to be saved is evidence of God's dealings. I cover this more extensively in my previous blog post.
Hosea 4:17, however, IS NOT DEALING WITH INDIVIDUAL SALVATION. This verse is another that is often taken out of context. Ephraim is not an individual, but a group of people. God had dealt with them, sent prophets to deal with them, and gave Ephraim many opportunities to return to the Lord. Now, judgment had come, and it was too late for Ephraim to pray. This is proven in Hosea 5:11 - "Ephraim is oppressed and broken in JUDGMENT..." Judgment had come! I stated clearly in my previous post that there are three places where man will pray to be saved, but it will be too late - in hell, at the coming of the Lord, and at the judgment. Friend, when judgment comes, it will certainly be too late to pray. For Ephraim, judgment had come. Chapters 4 and 5 of Hosea do not deal with individual salvation, but rather with a tribe of people who were facing God's judgment, and for them to be saved, it was too late. The correct way to preach Hosea 4:17 is in this manner: "If you wait until judgment to make peace with God, you'll be left alone." Thank God we are not at the judgment yet. If you do not know Jesus, and are not in hell or at the Great Judgment, then this verse does not yet apply to you! You can be saved today! However, if you wait until judgment, this verse will apply to you - you will be left alone.
Genesis 6:3
"And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man..."
This verse is more popular among those who believe the faulty teaching which I discuss. They state how "God won't always strive, or deal, with man." They conclude that if you try to pray after God quits striving, then you will be rejected.
This verse does not deal with individual salvation, but rather with God's dealings with mankind as a whole.
This chapter introduces Noah. God tells Noah that He will destroy the earth with a flood. He is tired of man's wickedness. He tells Noah, "My spirit shall not always strive with man." This is because God had plans to destroy mankind. He was through dealing with mankind as a whole. The Lord dealt with man just a little longer, giving mankind an opportunity to enter the ark to be saved. But after it started raining, God's dealings with mankind as a whole was finished, and the whole earth was destroyed. Then, God began dealing with mankind afresh, with those who were on the ark. Jesus Christ compared His coming to the day when Noah entered the ark. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, is coming to destroy the wicked. Only those who are in the ark, which is Jesus Christ, will be saved. When the hour of His coming arrives, His striving with man will be over. You must get in the door of the ark while it is open. It is open for all who will enter! But one day, the door will close on all of mankind. God's spirit will cease to deal with man at that point.
Hebrews 12:16, 17
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears."
This passage, like the others, is taken out of context when it is used to say that a person can seek the Lord, only to be rejected. In this passage, we have Esau, a wicked man. He lived his life as a fornicator. Then, it came time for him and his brother Jacob to stand before their father to receive their inheritance. Esau received no inheritance, no blessing. He was rejected. He began to weep and cry to his father to bless him, but no blessing came. Even when he begged and cried, he was rejected. Some preachers take this passage, and preach that it is possible to beg and plead to be saved IN THIS LIFE and be rejected by Christ. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
In this passage, the most important detail to note is the setting. When was Esau rejected? Our passage says, "when he would have inherited the blessing." Esau was standing before his father, and was rejected. Of course, he tried to repent then, but it was too late. What the Hebrew writer is telling us is this: If you wait until you are standing before the Father, at the time when rewards will be given (the Day of Judgment) it will be too late to repent. If you wait until then, you will be rejected. THIS PASSAGE IS NOT REFERRING TO PEOPLE BEING SAVED PRIOR TO STANDING BEFORE GOD. It deals with people trying to repent as they are standing in judgment, and there it will be too late, even if they seek repentance with bitter tears.
CONCLUSION
Clearly, "today is the day of salvation, and now is the accepted time." It will be too late when judgment comes. The good news is this: you still have breath in your body. The Lord has not yet come. We are not yet standing before God. You are not yet in hell. The door is still open to you! But when your eyes close in death; or, when Christ comes to gather His elect and destroy the wicked; it will be everlasting too late. Repent of your sins today. Confess Jesus Christ as Lord. Ask Him to save you, believing that He will do so, and you will be saved today.
