At the beginning of this study, we said that the main reason why God gives up, is a very painful one.   We also said that the real reason why God gives up, on many today, is not always what appears to be the obvivous reasons.  Most of us would assume that the main reason why God gives up on men today is due to their sinful conduct. The main reason why God gives up on men, is not becuase of conduct such as, drunkenness, lying, homosexuality, whoremongering, stealing, murder, molestations, false religious cults, etc.   Paul tells us that Continuation in conduct such as this,  is only the symptoms of a sinful nature, which God can deliver us from.   We will now address the main reason why God has given up on trying to call, convict, and correct many today.   We will once again start with the writtings of Paul.  As we read, earlier the Bible tells us, of the of the results of God giving up on men and giving them over to their own sinful ways.  24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.  26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;  Rom 1:24-28.  As we can see, when Paul listed the various types of sinful conduct whch becomes prevailant, when God gives men over to themselves, Paul highlighted the sin of homosexuality, as being one of the major signs of this giving up and giving over process.   Paul did not stop there, Paul proceeded to list many other sins which would also become more and more prevalent, in God's giving up and giving over process.  29Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  30Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Rom 1:29-31.  As we look at the list of sins which increases as God gives up on trying to call, convict, and correct men, one thing becomes clear.  It is evident, to even the most casual observer, that the flood gates which once held much of these sinful activities in check, is more and more, being forced open.  In fact judging from the accelerated pace and dramatic ways sinfulness and perversion is being practiced, it is safe to say that these restraining gates have now been flung wide open.  When Paul  in Romans 1:24-31, named the type of sinful activity which would be occurring, as God gave men over to themselves, he first highlighted homosexuality and lesbianism, followed by twenty two other forms of sinfulness.  Just as described by the apostle Paul, so we now see, homosexuality and lesbianism, has reached an epidemic proportion and is leading the charge, of carnality, and sinfulness, as its practitioners boldly march down the main streets of our cities, demanding, acceptance, legitimacy, and legality.   AS WE HAVE SAID, THESE SINS ARE NOT THE MAIN REASON WHY GOD GIVES UP ON MEN.  IF YOU ARE READY FOR THE TRUTH, CLICK ON THE NEXT TAB BELOW TO ADVANCE THE SLIDES

When God can't find ten, he will still mercifully (if possible) seeks to find a small remnant and save them.  Such was the case in the days of Noah, when  God saved Noah and his family, and also in the case with Lot, when God sought to save Lot and his family from the doom of Sodom.  Thus we see the two angels saying to Lot, "¹²And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:  ¹³For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it".  Gen 19:12-13.  Before God pours out his wrath, God will always seek out the remnant  who sincerely desires to obey and honor him.  As was the case in the days of Noah and Lot, God could only find a very small remnant, so it is in these last days. God is giving up because he can't hardly find anyone who desires righteousness; we should strive to be part of this small remnant.    This is the real reason why God gave up on Sodom, (with the exception of Lot Abraham's nephew) God could not find anyone who sincerely desired Him and his way. When this occurs, God then seeks to save ONLY the small remnant, who still desires to honor and fear Him.  Later on in scripture we will see this truth being exhibited once again in the book of Ezekiel.  It is during the time of Ezekiel, when God was about to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem.  Just prior to Gods judgement being poured out, God sought to save the righteous  remnant from this destruction.  God showed this process to Ezekiel in a vision.   He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.  And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar.  3And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; 4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:  6Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. Ezek 9:1-6.  Sharon Cravens makes the following observations.  "Ezekiel listens as the Lord calls out loudly to some other men and gives them orders to begin destruction of the city.  (Reminder:  Ezekiel sees this in a vision.).   The first interesting observation is that these men "have charge over the city."  These men are obviously spiritual beings.  He instructs the man with the writers inkhorn to go throughout the city of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that are distressed by the wickedness of the people. It is interesting that in both instances the mark of protection is placed in the forehead, the part of our body that represents authority and the place of decision.  In the Hebrew mindset, the forehead represents thoughts or beliefs. Those who will receive the mark [or seal] of God, are those who are grieved in their minds, at all the abomination done.  God then allows the destruction to began,  Ezek. 9:8 And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?  At this point, Ezekiel falls on his face before the Lord and cries out for mercy for his people.  He can't believe that the Lord is going to completely destroy the nation as He judges the people of Jerusalem.  The number of those being destroyed was overwhelming compared to the numbers that were marked for protection.  We have to remind ourselves that Ezekiel is in the midst of a vision.  What he is seeing is representative of what God was going to do then, and is going to do in our generation. Ezek. 9:11 And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.  At this point in the vision, the man with the inkhorn who marked the people to be protected had returned and declared that he had done as commanded. God is always faithful to protect His obedient children from His hand of judgment.  He either warns them to get out of the area to be judged or He seals them with supernatural protection from the wrath of His judgment".   As we just said,  the mark of protection is placed in the forehead, the part of our body that represents authority and the place of decision.  In the Hebrew mindset, the forehead represents thoughts or beliefs. Those who will receive the mark [or seal] of God, are those who are grieved in their minds, at all the abomination done.   For the remnant whom God seeks to save, the mindset  they function in, is the key. THE MIND IS THE KEY.

The fact that God will give up on a person, is a hard thing for many people to accept, yet this is exactly what God did, in the days of Noah.  God determined that he would not continually pursue a people whom he knew, in their heart (their mind) did not want him.  God said it himself, And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. Gen 6:3.  There is much debate concerning what the 120 years mean.  Some say it represents a total of 6000 years, which they say is the totality of time given to mankind by God. They say each of the 120 years represent a Jubilee year. Each fiftieth year is a Jubilee year. Thus, 50 x 120 = 6000. *Some say the hundred and twenty years God spoke of would be the lifespan of man, and was the amount of time the old world lasted, until the floods came. II Pet. 2:5 says, "And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly."   No matter the debate about the time, one thing is clear, Noah explained to anyone who would listen, what the building of the ark meant.  The building of the ark was no secret, to the men of Noah's day; in fact it was a warning from God of things to come.  Peter tells us the building of the ark was an act of longsuffering, on the part of God; in that it gave the men of Noah's day time to think about the consequences of their sinful conduct.  Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.  1st Pet 3:20.   Some may argue that the fact that God was longsuffering in allowing the ark to take years to build, proves that God does not give up on stubborn sinners, who continually reject him.  It should be noted that though, God did allow much time, in the building of the ark,  BUT!!  of all the millions of people on the earth at that time,  God had Noah build an ark which did not have room for them.  Why???  Because God already knew that they would never obey him or seek to go into the ark until it was too late.  Therefore, he already had given up on them, and made no room for them in the ark. The ark was not only a testimony to them, but the way it was built was also a testimony against them. The key to understanding why God gives up on a people, is stated in these same passages, concerning the men of Noah's day. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.   The mind of men, their imaginations and thoughts, were totally given oven to sin and rebellion against God.   This is exactly where we are at today,   More and more people are mentally, saying to God "Go away. I don't want you telling me what to do. Leave me alone, get away from me.'' And this is precisely what God says he eventually does, to those who rebel and refuse to submit. His judgment on rebels is to withdraw from them, to leave them to their own thoughts and lies.   The greatest battle that our society is in, is not in the physical realm (our real fight is not with flesh and blood) but in the mind.  The Bible tells us Satan blinds the minds of men to the truth of the gospel.  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  2nd Cor 4:1-4.   (THE MIND IS THE KEY, COMPARE SLIDES BELOW

When Jesus spoke of the heart of man defiling him, Christ was not referring to the physical heart of man but the MIND of man.  21For from within, out of the heart (MIND) of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.  Mk 7:21-23.  The heart which we use to love , or hate, trust or not trust, etc,  is located in our head not our chest.  The Bible tells us God deals with our heart (our mind) and we should be careful to not harden ourselves (our mind) to God's voice. "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, (MIND) as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:" Heb 3:7-8.   What causes God to give up on trying to reach a individual, is when he sees in their mind, that they have completely rejected his call, and has no intentions of ever humbling themselves and coming to him, in faith.  Charles G. Finney tells us, that the act of hardening ones heart is all formulated and acted out in our mind. "It is always a voluntary act to harden the heart, (mind) and a voluntary state when the hardness of heart is continued".  When the will decides to resist or reject the truths of God, the mind will then find reasons to justify the will's decision. When the will commits itself to any position, (such as hardening itself to the voice of God's truth) the feelings and attitude (in our mind) are made to adjust themselves to the will's position.  This process does not usually happen instantly, but this hardening of the heart (mind) gradually develops, as the mind more and more sympathizes with the attitude taken by the will.  The will has indirectly a great control of our feelings, and attitudes, because many of the feelings and attitudes we function in, are formed by the things, we by an act of the will, have chosen to do.