Proverbs 1:28

Shall they call. When God, through wisdom, called and beckoned, they would not heed. Now they call in vain for a saving knowledge of the Lord (see Amos 8:11, 12).

In storm and earthquake, in war and want, careless, sinful men frequently call upon God for salvation and promise reformation of life if He will save them from peril. Too often, however, when peace and quiet return, they laugh off the promises made during their fears. While it is true that imminence of death at times brings genuine conversions, a last-minute salvation is seldom secured by those who have long turned a deaf ear to the call of the Spirit.

The fullest and most terrible fulfillment of this prophecy will occur at the close of the world’s history. When the Spirit of God has been finally rejected and the protection of grace removed, the impenitent will find themselves at the mercy of a cruel master whom they have chosen to serve in place of God (see GC 614).

Why is there no answer? Why does God mock at these poor souls for whom He gave His Son? To say that God mocks is, of course, using figurative language. Actually God is deeply grieved when men turn against Him (see Eze. 33:11; Hosea 11:8). However, men are free moral agents, and God does not prevent the results of a course of their own choosing. At the same time He does all He can to prevent men from making a contrary choice. He appeals to all to come to Him even though they have been long-time enemies of good (Eze. 18:21; Matt. 11:28; Rom. 5:8; Rev. 22:17).