This will be the last of a three part series.
Part I- Carnal christians, not growing in Christ, and the danger of departing from the faith.
Part II- Separating from the things that keep us from growing in Christ.
Part III- The final results of not separating and growing in Christ.
Hebrews 3:12 " Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, departing from the living God. "
" depart "- From the Greek word apostasia or apostasy which is defined as a falling away, defection, withdrawal, or turning from what one has formerly turned to.
To apostatize means to sever one’s saving relationship with Christ or to withdraw from vital union with and true faith in Him. Individual apostasy is possible only for those who have first experienced salvation, regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit. It is not a mere denial of N.T. doctrine by the unsaved within the visible church. Apostasy may involve two separate, though related, aspects:
a) Theological apostasy, a rejection of all or some of the original teachings of Christ and the apostles.
b) Moral apostasy, the former believer ceases to abide in Christ and instead becomes enslaved again to sin and immorality. ( II Peter 2:20-21 ) " For if after the have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they had known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."
The bible issues urgent warnings concerning the possibility of apostasy, designed both to alert us to the deadly peril of abandoning our union with Christ and to motivate us to persevere in faith and obedience. The devine purpose of these warning passages must not be weakened by the view that states, " the warnings are real, but the possibility of actual apostasy is not." Rather, we must see these warnings as speaking to the reality of our probationary period, and we should regard them with sincere alarm if we want to attain final salvation. ( Matthew 24:12 ) " And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
a)" iniquity "- spiritual lawlessness ( II Timothy 3:1-7 ) gives us a picture of these times
b) " love "- type that God imparts to believers and believers give back to God
c) " many "- a major portion
d) " wax cold "- grow cold by the reduction of temperature through evaporation
The steps which lead to apostasy are as follows:
a) The believer, through unbelief, fails to take the truths, exhortations, warnings, promises, and teachings of God’s Word with utmost seriousness.
b) As the realities of the world become greater than the realities of God’s heavenly kingdom, the believer gradually ceases to draw near to God through Christ.
c) Through the deceitfulness of sin, the believer becomes increasingly tolerant of sin in his own life and no longer loves righteousness and hates iniquity.
d) Through hardness of heart and rejecting God’s way, the believer ignores the repeated voice and rebuke of the Holy Spirit.
e) The Holy Spirit is grieved, quenched, and His temple violated.He eventually departs from the former believer.( I Corinthians 3:16-17 ) " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. ( Psalms 51:11 ) " Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."
If apostasy continues on its course unchecked, an individual may eventually reach the point when no second beginning is possible. A person who once had a saving experience with Christ but deliberately and continually hardens his or her heart to the Holy Spirit’s voice, continues to sin willfully, and refuses to repent and return to God, may reach a point of no return where repentance and salvation is no longer possible. ( Proverbs 29:1 ) " He, That being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."
This point of no return cannot be defined in advance. Hence, the only safeguard against the peril of ultimate apostasy is found in the admonition of ( Hebrews 4:7 “…Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”)
It must be emphasized that while apostasy is a danger for all who drift from the faith ( Hebrews 2:1 " Therefore We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." ) and fall away from God ( Hebrews 6:6 " If they shall fall away…“), it is not made complete without constant and willful sinning against the voice of the Holy Spirit ( Matthew 12:31 " Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.”) This is nothing more than saying no to that little voice from within.
Those who by an unbelieving heart depart from God may yet think they are christians, but their indifference to the demands of Christ and the Holy Spirit and to the warnings of Scripture points otherwise. Because of the possibility of self-deception, those claiming salvation should adhere to ( II Corinthians 13:5 " Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you…")
Persons who become sincerely concerned about their spiritual condition and find in their hearts the desire to return to God in repentance, have sure evidence they have not committed unpardonable apostasy. The Scriptures clearly affirm that God ,as stated in ( II Peter 3:9 “…is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”) God will receive all who were once under saving grace if they repent and return to Him ( James 5:19-20 " Brethern, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."
Matthew 24:13 " But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."
Thanks to all who replied for your kindness toward the first two posts. I have seen many posts toward the unbeliever and yet, the believer is still accountable, for he is in a probationary period looking forward to the time of our Lord and Saviour’s return. None of the believers are truly saved until they set foot in heaven.
MARANATHA