“He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

In front of every unsaved person is a divine deadline of destiny.

There is a time, I know not when,
There is a place, I know not where,
Which marks the destiny of men
To heaven or despair.

There is a line by us not seen,
That crosses every path.
Tis the hidden boundary
Between God’s mercy and God’s wrath.

It is possible for a man or woman to case their lot with sin that will forever prevent them from being saved.

Follow the “Divine Drama to Damnation” in this single, stand-alone scripture.

Spiritual Direction. “He, that being often reproved…”

God speaks to us time and time again. It would be more than we deserve if God never spoke to us at all or if He spoke to us only once. Yet, for so many people, He speaks over and over again. How does God speak to us?
Spirit—the Holy Spirit.
Servants—preachers, teachers, friends.
Sermons.
Situations—sorrow sickness, setbacks.
Scriptures.

We need to understand that when God speak He is not giving us a suggestion or an option. It is of great concern that some seem to hear God’s Word so casually. Nothing seems to get their attention. Nothing seems to be real to them.

Years ago a corps of civil engineers came to a little town in Pennsylvanic. They went up into the mountains to examine the dam that controlled the waters of the streams that flowed down to the valley. They told the people, “The dam is unsafe. Those of you who are in the valley are in constant danger.” The people said to them, “You can’t scare us.” They came again the next fall and made the same study and gave the same warning.

Fifteen days later a boy, with his horse on a dead run, came downt he valley shouting, “Run for your lives! The dam is gone, and the water is coming!” The people laughed at him, but he did not wait to hear their laughter. He went on down the valley, still shouting this warning.

In a few minutes the water came, and in less than 30 minutes after it struck, Johnston, Pennsylvania, was in ruins and more than 3,700 of those who had been in the town were swept into eternity.

Stubborn Disobedience. “...hardeneth his neck…”

This is not talking about having a stiff neck, a crick in your neck. This is talking about stubbornness, defiance, contempt. Some display their stubborn disobedience by…

Procrastination. Look back at Proverbs 27:1. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” If I were to ask you, “Do you intend to be saved?” most would say “yes.” And the same positive reply would be given to the question, “Do you want to be saved? Do you need to be saved? Are you going to be saved?” But when you add, “Right now?” Then the procrastinator digs in and defiantly says, “No!”

Procrastination is a horrible thing. When Moses gave Pharaoh the opportunity to rid himself of the frogs that had been sent as a plague upon him and his land, he strangely said, “Tomorrow,” Exodus 8:10. He wanted one more night with the frogs! How weird is that! If you put off coming to Christ…
You will lose today!
Something worse will come tomorrow (lice, flies, murrain, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death).
Tomorrow may not come at all!

Pride. People come under divine conviction, their souls are stirred to salvation, and then pride says to them, “Look around you, man. You are as good as anyone here. You can do it privately. Don’t make a fool of yourself.”

Pleasure. In offering you salvation, you are confronted with your own life-style. Will you be a “lover of pleasure more than lovers of God,” 2 Timothy 3:4. And you weigh between your sin and God’s salvation. And your foolish conclusion, “It’s too much to give up!” You need to know…
The only things God will ask you to give up are the things that hurt you. “No good things will He withhold from them that walk uprightly,” Psalm 84:11. If it will make you healthy, happy, holy, whosesome, God says, “Help yourself.”
What you give up is nothing compared to what you get. Who wouldn’t’ trade hell for heaven, dirt for diamonds, pain for peace?
What you give up cannot be compared to what Chrsit gave up for you. Think about His coming. Giving up heaven for this old earth. And think about His cross. He suffered, bled and died for our sins.

Possessions. Such was the actual case of one young man in the Bible. He came to jesus and every indication was he was ready to do whatever Jesus would say. But when Jesus told the young man he would have to trust Christ instead of his cast, the Bible says, “he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions!” Actually, his possessions had him! How sad. He allowed his temporal comfort to be of more value than his eternal condition. In order to keep his good home here, he gave up a great home in heaven.

Now watch it closely. The third step in this drama of damnation…

Sudden Destruction. “...shall suddenly be destroyed…”

There is a three-fold judgment every person passes through when he steps across God’s deadline with destiny.

The destruction of the mind through strong delusion. Turn over to 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12. When a person is presented the truth, it is not a choice between truth and error, but truth and sin. And when the decision is made to refuse the Savior and hold on to sin, God sets in and then becomes involved in preventing that person from ever coming to salvation.

The destruction of the spirit through spiritual desertion. Genesis 6:3 warns, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man…”
There comes a time, known only to God, when he says, “Enough is enough.”
Romans 1:24 “God gave them up…”
Romans 1:26 “God gave them up…”
Romans 1:28 “God gave them over…”
It may be that the people referred to in Hebrews 6:4 of whom it is impossible to renew again to repentance are these whom God has given up.

The destruction of the body through sudden death. If you, for a moment, think you control how long you live and the quality of life until you die, you are out of touch with reality. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment,” Hebrews 9:27.

Settled Destiny. “...and that without remedy.”

Is there a chance of people being saved after death?
Absolutely, 100%, without any question—”No!”
There is a “great gulf fixed” between the saved and the lost.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:46, “And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Do you follow the mood and motion of this single, stand-alone Scripture? What begins with …
An invitation ends with an indictment!
Reproof ends with retribution!
Love ends in loss!

The sobering and stirring thought that comes to my soul today is this message may he God’s final call to some of you today!

A person who will not respond to God’s precious invitation has the devil’s initials carved into his heart. A person who either causally or caustically refuses God’s mercy is approaching God’s deadline.

Evangelist Sam Jones preached Proverbs 29:1 in Oklahoma City on October 14, 1906. After that service, he boarded a train for his next appointment. He died on the Rock Island train at Perry, Oklahoma, at dawn, October 15, 1906. He lacked one day being 59 years old. What a great Scripture with which to conclude one’s ministry.

“He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”