Why is it almost impossible to reach people in their 80s and 90s who have rebelled against God all their lives?
Repeated rejection of the gospel hardens the conscience, so by their 80s and 90s lifelong rebels have become increasingly resistant. Each refusal makes the next no easier, while their recognition of God’s mercy shrinks, building barriers of resistance that are almost impossible to break through.
Les explains this through Pharaoh. God brought Pharaoh to a tough decision, but like the average human being, Pharaoh chose his own direction and made his own choice. After every plague, Moses asked whether he was ready to let the Jews go, and Pharaoh refused. Les sees the same human nature today: when people are confronted with a choice for or against God and say no, the next no becomes easier. Their concept of rebellion grows while their recognition of God's mercy gets smaller. So when people reach their 80s and 90s still rebelling against the grace of God, it is hard to break through—almost impossible—because they have become so hardened. Les says he has talked to a few and you just cannot get through to them. Sometimes you can, but usually it is very hard, because every time they were confronted with believing the gospel and rejected it, it becomes harder later to break down those barriers of resistance. It was that way with Pharaoh.
Why is it almost impossible to reach elderly people who are still rebelling against God?
Repeated rejection of God’s mercy hardens the heart: every time a person says no, the next no becomes easier, while awareness of mercy shrinks. By their 80s or 90s, if they remain rebels against grace, accumulated resistance makes breakthrough nearly impossible, though sometimes it still happens.
Why is it almost impossible to break through to people in their 80s or 90s who are still rebelling against God?
Repeated rejection of God's grace hardens the heart: each refusal makes the next refusal easier, while recognition of God's mercy shrinks. When people reach their 80s or 90s still rebelling, entrenched barriers of resistance make breaking through to them almost impossible.