When Does God Give Up On Us? – Part 1 “Get Out!”

Have you ever wondered if God ever gives up on us?  Over the years I’ve wondered it at times, about myself and about others.  When I’ve committed the same sin for the umpteenth time, I wonder.  When some heinous crime is reported on the news, I wonder.  When I see the world around us seeming to get farther and farther away from Jesus, I wonder. 

 

The other day as I was praying the thought came to me:  When DOES God give up on us?  As I reflected on the question, Scriptures started coming to mind that some could use to say that He does.  Over the next seven days, we’re going to look at some seemingly “give up” passages, along with some that make it clear that God is not one to give up. 

 

Today, we turn to Matthew 10:11-15, and hear Jesus say: Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.  When you enter the home give it your blessing.  If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing.  If any household or town  refuses to welcome you or listen to your message, shake its dust from your feet as you leave.  I tell you the truth, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

will be better off than such a town on the judgment day. (Emphasis added)

 

 “…shake its dust from your feet as you leave.”  That sounds like a “give up” passage if I’ve ever heard one, and I always thought of it that way until I heard Dr. Richard Armstrong say that this is NOT a “give up” passage, it’s a “get out” passage.  Dr. Armstrong’s point was that you can present the gospel of Jesus to anyone who won’t receive it, so if they won’t receive it TODAY, get out, but don’t give up.  Wait for a time and then go back, offer the gospel again.  If it isn’t received—get out, again.   Wait for a time and….. you get the idea!  Over time, we may  have to get out many times, but the person will know that we believe in Jesus and that we care about him or her.  Then when a challenge comes, the person knows where to turn to hear the good news.  Or it may be the tenth or one hundredth time that we go back that the person receives the good news.  So, Jesus wasn’t telling us to GIVE UP, just to GET OUT, and hopefully one day the person whose actions caused us to get out, will welcome us.  If not, we’ve been faithful to show him our God who never gives up.  If he does—we gain a brother in the Lord!