Is There A Point Of No Return?

Does the Bible teach that if a person rejects Christ over and over again, will they reach a point where they can’t be saved?

Strong Delusion

The Apostle Paul spoke about the days when many would reject the truth. Why? It would be because of “the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thess 2:9-10). The more often you reject the light of God, the harder it will be for you to see it. In time, those who reject the truth will not be saved because they did not love the truth. Eventually, “God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess 2:11-12). They purposely choose to reject it. God did not force them into unbelief. It was their decision. The Bible teaches that he that is reproved or corrected often, and yet hardens his heart, will see destruction come suddenly (Prov 29:1), but one that is reproved and corrected and repents of their sins, and then trusts in Christ, will receive eternal life (Mark 1:14-15).

Striving with Man

In Noah’s day, God gave the people ample time to repent, but they rejected the righteous preaching of Noah; some believe, for over a hundred years! In Noah’s day, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5), and so “the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Gen 6:3). Why? Because “the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen 6:11). Apparently, all they ever did was sit around and think up new ways to do evil (Gen 6:5), so they reached a point where even Noah’s preaching couldn’t reach them. This shows that God will not continually strive or contend with mankind to repent (Gen 6:3). People can reach a point where they no longer love the truth, and in fact, want to believe a lie. That is willfully rejecting the truth and when they do that, God gives them up to that rejection.

God Gives Them Up

The Apostle Paul wrote that mankind knows in his heart that God exists. They simply suppress it, even though they have no excuse for doing so (Rom 1:20-22), and in time, the person that denies God’s existence will harden their hearts to a point when they don’t want to hear about it anymore. That means, there comes a time when they don’t even want to hear the truth. What happens is that after they continually reject the truth, “they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom 1:21), and so, “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Rom 1:22-23). It is at this point that “God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen” (Rom1:23-24). Again, “God gave them up to dishonorable passions” (Rom 1:26a), and for the third time, Paul writes that “since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done” (Rom 1:28). Three times “God gave them up,” but truly, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Seek Him today because “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed” (2 Pet 3:10).

Open Invitation

There is an open invitation to all who would come to Christ, but you must come before Christ returns or before death. Just as in Jesus’ day, so it is today that “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:37b). Isaiah the Prophet says to “everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). Jesus says in the Book of Revelation to “let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Rev 22:17). Jesus spoke about the living water to the Samaritan woman at the well. He told her that “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). The woman thought it was another source of water for physical sustenance, but this was the living water that springs up unto eternal life! The water she thought Jesus spoke about, would never satisfy (John 4:13).

Conclusion

What is the point when a person becomes unredeemable (due to their own choice, not God’s)? I don’t know. Only God knows this. I just know that God gives them up to their own disbelief. We are told to choose life and listen to the Holy Spirit’s voice, while it is still called today, meaning that Jesus has not yet returned. Today, while it’s still “today,” you have a chance to trust in Christ before your judgment comes after death or at Christ’s return (Dan 12:1-3; Heb 9:27; Rev 1:7, 20:12-15, 21:8), but the more you suppress the Spirit’s voice, the less you will be hear His voice, so hear Him today (2 Cor 6:2). God “commands all people everywhere to repent,” (Acts 17:30b), so “my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness” (Psalm 69:13). Come today, while there is still time, because tomorrow may be too late.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is a writer at Christian Quotes and also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.