1st Samuel 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
This passage of scripture clearly shows that there is a limit to the grace and forbearance of God, for when His long-suffering towards us has reached a certain limit, mercy is withdrawn permanently, never more to be restored. This is what took place with Eli and his sons, who had been warned on several different occasions about their irreverent and sacrilegious behavior, to the point where the people under their jurisdiction came to hate the services of the sanctuary, and to abhor the sacrifices that were offered there, which pointed to Christ. But with all of the efforts God made to institute reformation and change in the house of Eli for many years, they still persisted in a wrong course of action, and Eli, instead of taking the necessary steps to correct the evils, allowed his sons to perpetrate very grave wrongs against God and His people. Let's read:
1st Samuel 2:12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord. 13 And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came" .... "with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself" ...... 16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently" ..... "then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
These deliberate and high-handed sins against God and man culminated in the permanent withdrawal of God's mercy, and therefore, when Jesus comes to claim His own at the first resurrection of the just, Eli and his sons will be missing, being appointed to the second death, together with Hitler, Nero, and Bin Laden. The doctrine which teaches its adherents that there is no limit to the mercy and forbearance of God is without merit or scriptural foundation, for in several other instances given, The Lord clearly states that we cannot go on sinning against Him indefinitely, for there is a cut off point, where mercy ceases and judgment begins. Let's read:
Jonah 3:1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
Daniel 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin" ... 21 ..... "Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
In our day of grace where The Lord has granted to each of us a probationary period to decide whether or not we will serve Him, it's important that we too understand that His forbearance has limits, and therefore it behooves us not to trifle with His mercies that are renewed to us every day. In other words, when He sends us His Holy Spirit and His written word with sacred instructions and commands given in the clearest language, let us be certain not to grieve The Holy Spirit by deliberately pursuing a wrong course of action, whilst at the same time trying to justify ourselves in what we know is not right. Whenever we persist in destructive behaviors such as these, and the voice of God's entreaty is beaten back in our consciences for many years, His voice becomes less and less distinct over time until it finally goes dead, never more to be heard.
When we moved to our current residence, we soon realized that airplanes were landing and taking off at the airport which is situated close by, and for the first few months, the sound of those engines would sometimes disturb our peace, since they were flying at very low altitude, just above our residence. But after several years the sound of those engines have become less and less distinct, to the point where they no longer bother us, and we can sleep undisturbed while large jets fly right over our heads. The same thing takes place with the voice of God, and the forbearance which grants to us probationary time, hence the reason why it is of critical importance for us to move with dispatch, when the word of God, and the promptings of His Spirit point us in a certain direction.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which cautions us against trifling with our day of grace, for the probation of the world is now hastening to a close, when our decisions will be sealed for time and for eternity. Let's read:
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts" ..... 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. God bless!