Apostasy,\nfrom the Greek word \u201capostasia,\u201d means \u201ca defiance of an established system or\nauthority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.\u201d In the\nfirst-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or\ndefection. And just like in the first century, apostasy threatens the Body of\nChrist today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With respect\nto apostasy, it is critical that all Christians understand: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forms of Apostasy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As to the\nforms of apostasy, there are two main types: (1) a falling away from key and\ntrue doctrines of the Bible into heretical teachings that proclaim to be \u201cthe\nreal\u201d Christian doctrine, and (2) a complete renunciation of the Christian\nfaith, resulting in a full abandonment of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Characteristics of Apostasy and\nApostates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The dangers\nof apostasy were warned about in the book of Jude,\nwhich serves as a handbook for understanding the characteristics of apostates, strongly\nurging those in the body of Christ to contend earnestly for the faith (v 3). The Greek word translated \u201ccontend earnestly\u201d is\na compound verb from which we get the word \u201cagonize.\u201d It is in the present\ninfinitive form, which means that the struggle will be continuous, serious,\ndifficult and dependent upon every believer\u2019s discernment skills so that they\ncan recognize and prevent apostasy in their midst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After urging\nhis readers to contend earnestly for the faith, Jude highlights the reason: \u201cFor certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were\nlong beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the\ngrace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus\nChrist\u201d (v 4). In this one verse, Jude\nprovides Christians with three traits of apostasy and apostate teachers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately,\nthe sign of an apostate is that he eventually falls away and departs from the\ntruth of God\u2019s Word and His righteousness: \u201cThey went\nout from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they\nwould have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that\nthey all are not of us\u201d (1 John 2:19).<\/p>\n\n\n\n God, Apostates and Consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n That God\ntakes apostasy and false teaching seriously is evidenced by the fact that every\nNew Testament book except Philemon contains warnings about false teaching. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The great\ntragedy is, whether knowingly or unknowingly, the apostate teacher dooms his unsuspecting\nfollowers. One of the most frightening verses in all of Scripture comes from\nthe lips of Jesus. Speaking to His disciples about the religious leaders of His\nday, He said, \u201cLet\nthem alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a\nblind man, both will fall into a pit<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew\n15:14). This verse is alarming because Jesus affirms that it is not only\nthe false teachers that go to destruction, but their disciples also follow\nthem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Falling Away; Hallow Religion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scripture\nsays apostasy will only get worse as Christ\u2019s return approaches. \u201cAt that time [the latter days] many will fall away and will\nbetray one another and hate one another\u201d (Matthew\n24:10). Paul echoes Jesus in his inspired writings as well. The apostle\ntold the Thessalonians that a great falling away would precede Christ\u2019s second\ncoming (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and that the end\ntimes would be characterized by tribulation and hollow religious charlatans: \u201cBut realize this, that in the last days difficult times will\ncome. For men will be . . . holding to a form of godliness, although they have\ndenied its power; avoid such men as these\u201d (2\nTim. 3:1-2, 5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scripture\nand history are filled with examples of people who made an initial positive\nresponse to Christ only to fall away later. In the parable of the sower and the\nseed, some of the seed sprung up quickly, only to wither away or be choked out\nby weeds. \u201cAs for what was sown on rocky ground, this\nis the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has\nno root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or\npersecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for\nwhat was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares\nof the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves\nunfruitful\u201d (Matthew 13:20\u201322). But the\nseed (the gospel) sown on good soil brings forth fruit for harvest. In the\ninitial stages, it might be very difficult to tell which plants will make it or\nnot. Time reveals the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In John 6, Jesus calls himself the Bread from Heaven and\nmakes some statements that were very hard to understand. Verse 66 says, \u201cAfter this\nmany of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.\u201d There\nwere people who had identified themselves as followers of Jesus, but they\nturned back when Jesus said something they disliked. It was not that they lost\nsalvation; they never had it to begin with, and this incident is what showed\ntheir true colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next in John 6, Jesus comments on Peter and Judas Iscariot. \u201cJesus said to the twelve, \u2018Do you want to go away as well?\u2019\nSimon Peter answered him, \u2018Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of\neternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the\nHoly One of God.\u2019 Jesus answered them, \u2018Did I not choose you, the twelve? And\nyet one of you is a devil.\u2019 He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for\nhe, one of the twelve, was going to betray him\u201d (Vv 67\u201370). At the time Jesus spoke those words, Peter and Judas\nlooked very much alike\u2014both were disciples. On the night that Jesus was\narrested, Peter and Judas looked very much alike\u2014both denied the Lord. A few\ndays later, however, they showed themselves to be very different. Judas,\novercome with remorse, did not seek repentance and forgiveness but committed\nsuicide (Matthew 27:5). Peter was filled with\nshame and wept (Matthew 26:75). Three days later\nPeter is still with the disciples and becomes an apostle of the Risen Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responding to Apostasy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Examine\nyourself first. We are called to humility, not pride. \u201cIf\nyou think you are standing firm, be careful that you don\u2019t fall!\u201d (1 Corinthians 10:12). Each of us bears a responsibility to be\nserious about the state of his relationship with God: \u201cExamine\nyourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not\nrealize that Christ Jesus is in you\u2014unless, of course, you fail the test?\u201d\n(2 Corinthians 13:5). Are we truly in the faith,\nor are we only paying lip service to Christ and pretending to follow Him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Pray for\nthe apostate. The decision of someone to \u201cfall away\u201d from the faith should\nbreak our hearts. Pray that he or she would come to know the Lord in truth.\nPray for everyone in the apostate\u2019s sphere of influence: family members, church\nmembers, and others who are sure to be devastated by the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Look to\nJesus. He alone is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Right now, it may be a certain pastor\nor best-selling author who holds the headlines. Tomorrow, it may be someone\nelse. But our focus should be Jesus as He never changes (Hebrews 13:8). His love, His purity, and His\ntruthfulness are constant. This is the\nheadline of our hearts; focus of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Remember\nthat the gospel is not affected by the actions of fallible men. The decision of\nan apostate to leave the faith says exactly nothing about who Jesus is or the\ntruth of the Bible. It does say much about the apostate, though. Drawing a\nwindow shade does not cause the sun to go away, and the choice of someone to\nreject the truth does not change the truth. The gospel remains unsullied:\nrepentance and faith in the death and resurrection of Christ will result in the\nHoly Spirit\u2019s supernatural transformation of a person from Satan\u2019s child to\nGod\u2019s own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Look for\nthe good that true followers of Christ are doing every day. Jesus said to His\nfollowers, \u201cLet your light shine before others, that\nthey may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven\u201d (Matthew 5:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Put on\nthe whole armor of God. This spiritual battle we are in is real. Our enemy is\nactive and seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).\nBut God has given us protection (Ephesians 6:10\u201318)\nthat we would be wise to wear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Stay\nconnected to the believers in your church. We have a great asset in fellow\nbelievers who can exhort, encourage, and edify us. We can hold each other\naccountable and help guard against the subtle encroachment of sin. \u201cSee to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a\nsinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage\none another daily, as long as it is called \u2018Today,\u2019 so that none of you may be\nhardened by sin\u2019s deceitfulness\u201d (Hebrews\n3:12\u201313). Encouragement is a medicine that helps counter sin poisoning\nand spiritual hardening. A dose of it is prescribed daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Apostasy, from the Greek word \u201capostasia,\u201d means \u201ca defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.\u201d In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. And just like in the first century, apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today. With respect to apostasy, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[535],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n