Apostasy: Hebrews 6:4-8

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned."

We have already dealt with three basic interpretations regarding the Hebrews passages, but there is another interpretation sometimes given for 6:4-12, which we will denote as the "hypothetical interpretation." It asserts that this passage describes what would happen "if" a saved person could apostatize (which proponents view to be impossible). Thus, according to this view, we have a hypothetical postulation just to make a point—a theological argument from an extreme case. Although this interpretation is certainly incorrect, it has a logical appeal in that it holds that saved people cannot apostatize since that would (hypothetically) lead to the loss of their salvation, which, of course, cannot happen (owing to the presumption of eternal security). Thus, this interpretation argues against a saved person being able to apostatize, but fails to recognize that apostasy is an actual state for some—not just a hypothetical argument.

The fact that this passage is addressed to a believing audience has been a stumbling block to some who fail to see that the key is being able to distinguish between "who is being addressed" (a mixed group that is presumptively Christian) and "who is being referred to." Whoever they are, they are described by five statements:

1. They have been "enlightened."
2. They have "tasted" of the heavenly gift.
3. They have been made "partakers" of the Holy Spirit.
4. They have "tasted" the good word of God and the powers of the age to come.
5. They have "fallen away."

How do we know that apostasy is in view here? First, because of the description. The individual described is one who has "fallen away." The word parapipto (παραπιπτω) is a strong term; it means "to defect." The nature and magnitude of this defection can be seen in the last half of verse 6, "since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame." Note the following: We are told that they "re-crucify" the Son of God (i.e. they display in their own hearts and minds the same hatred, hostility, and rejection toward Christ as did those who crucified him).  This rejection is both personal and public; they re-crucify Him "to" (or "for") themselves (middle voice) and put Him to "open shame" (ridicule). This is clearly the same description given of apostasy elsewhere (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 2:18-19). While some imply that carnality in the life of a believer is figuratively a re-crucifixion of Christ, such a thought is completely foreign to the book of Hebrews (cf. Heb. 10:10-14). Re-crucifixion of Christ in the heart and mind of an individual can only be taken as rejection of His Messiah-ship; it is a "falling away" which, as we have seen from Hebrews 3, disqualifies one from the title of "brethren," and being "partakers of the heavenly calling."

The second reason we know this passage is describing apostasy is because of the nature of the examples given. In verses 7 and 8, the two types of ground represent two types of people. There are those that respond with "fruit" and those that respond with "thorns and thistles" (cf. Jesus' parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-23). The ground described in verse 8 is clearly representative of the person described in verse 6 who "falls away." Notice the description of this ground: "...it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned." The word for "curse" is katara (καταρα), which means "condemnation." Of course, it would be impossible for a saved person to suffer the condemnation of God. Otherwise, what is he/she saved from if not condemnation? Some find what they suppose to be a loophole in the word "nigh" (KJV) or "close" (NASB). The argument is that this can describe saved people because it does not say that they are cursed—only that they are "close" to being cursed. But, if as established, a saved person cannot be lost, how close can one get to something that is absolutely impossible? It is as ridiculous to think that a saved person could be close to condemnation as it is to think that such a one could be condemned. The word translated "close" is eggus (εγγυς, pronounced "engoos"). Its usage here has the sense of that which is "impending" (cf. 2 Pet. 2:3b). The idea is that the judgment of the apostate has not been carried out, but it will be carried out when he faces the Lord whom he has persistently denied with full knowledge.

The third reason for believing that the person described here is an apostate is that apostasy is indicated by way of contrast with true faith. Verse 9 says, "But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way." The word "accompany" (or "to take possession of") is echo (εκω), which in the middle voice, as here, means "to seize" or "to possess for one's self." Notice that the writer distinguishes his readers, in general, from those people he has just described in particular. They (the believers) have taken possession of salvation, clearly implying that those described earlier (vv. 4-8) had not. There are two responses to the gospel. One is to take possession of salvation; the other is to actively turn away from it, or passively ignore it. The people described in verses 4-8 are those who having heard the gospel, and perhaps at some superficial level having embraced it, have ultimately turned away.

The question we need to answer is this: Is there any indication that these who apostatize were ever true believers? The answer, as before, is "No!" However, the descriptive clauses in this passage present us with more problems than the previous passages because they contain some words or phrases that many have mistakenly come to associate only with true belief.

The first clause occurs in verse 4, and describes the subjects as "...those who have once been enlightened." The word "enlightened is photizo (φωτιζω), and its use here is figurative. The idea is of a person coming to understand truth. The question is: Does enlightenment come before or after saving faith? The answer is, "Both." One certainly comes to understand some things only after coming to faith in Christ, but they must understand the gospel before they can even make the decision to come. So, enlightenment both precedes and follows saving faith. The point with respect to the passage at hand is whether this reference to the subjects having been previously "enlightened" indicates faith on their part. Since one can be enlightened without responding in faith, we must conclude that there is nothing in this description that indicates these individuals possessed saving faith. We should also note from John 1:6-13 that although every man is "enlightened" at some time, not all are saved.

The second clause, also in verse 4, describes the subjects as ones who "have tasted of the heavenly gift." While there is some uncertainty as to what "the heavenly gift" refers to, the key to unraveling this statement lies in the word "tasted." Obviously this is a metaphorical use of the word, since the heavenly gift is not something that could be literally (physically) tasted. The word "geuomai (γευομαι), when used metaphorically, means "to perceive"—as in "a taste of reality." It is not necessary for a person to be saved to perceive the gift of God. The reason is simple: perceiving salvation through the illuminating and convicting work of the Holy Spirit is an integral part of the epignosis (επιγνωσις, sure knowledge) of truth, which one must possess before they can come to Christ. When a person comes to the sure knowledge of the truth, they have perceived (i.e. metaphorically "tasted") the gift of salvation, even if they eventually reject it.

The third clause also occurs in verse 4, and describes the subjects as having been made "partakers of the Holy Spirit." Unlike the previous clause, there is no reason to regard this as a metaphor. There is general agreement that no one could be saved unless they first become a recipient of the work of the Holy Spirit. That work includes illumination, conviction, and calling. Because we normally regard "partaking" as active, it is easy to misunderstand what is being said in this clause. "Partake" is in the passive voice. In other words, these individuals were only passive recipients of the illumination, conviction, and general calling of the Spirit.

The fourth descriptive clause is in verse 5 and pictures the subjects as those who "have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come." Again we have the word "tasted" (geuomai), and as before it is here used metaphorically (since one cannot literally taste the Bible or future realities). These individuals are said to have perceived the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come (possibly a reference to the ministry of the Spirit in signs and wonders as manifested in the early churches), but this could be said of anyone within the church whether saved or lost. So there is no implication that these individuals were saved.

The fifth descriptive clause occurs in verse 6 and pictures the subjects as having received all of the aforementioned benefits "and then have fallen away." The question is, "What did they fall away from?" The answer is that they fell away from what they had—the opportunity (by virtue of knowledge and conviction) to respond to the gospel. Here we encounter a hard concept; hard in the sense that it is not pleasant to consider, but there comes a time in the life of every person who refuses the gospel when that refusal becomes permanent by his/her own choice. There is a time in the life of every person when they are at the closest point they will ever be to coming to Christ—maximum light, conviction, persuasion, etc. If they refuse at that point (and they will never be closer), how will they ever be saved? The sad truth taught in this passage is that they will not, and since a person never knows if he/she is at their closest spiritual point, refusing to say “Yes” at any opportunity could potentially render them beyond hope. The writer of Hebrews is delivering a poignant warning to those within the church who had come out of the world and into the church, but who had failed to enter into salvation. Hence the strong parallel to Israel’s wandering in the wilderness described in Hebrews 3:7-4:11.

There is nothing in this last clause that indicates that these individuals were at one time true believers. Again, this passage is a description of an individual who falls beyond hope after hearing the gospel by persistent failure to respond in faith.

Borrowed and revised from Sam A. Smith's The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy.

Apostasy: Hebrews 3

"Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, "THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART; AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS"; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.' Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end; while it is said, 'TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.' For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief."

Three major views exist with regard to the meaning of this passage (and other related passages found in the book of Hebrews—6:4-14; 10:26-31; 12:14-29). The first view says that these passages are warnings to Christians not to live carnally. The second view, being Arminianist, says that these passages are a warning to Christians not to apostatize and thus forfeit their salvation. The correct view is that these passages are warnings to individuals within the church with regard to the danger of failing to take possession of salvation, thus falling beyond hope into apostasy. When we come to Hebrews 6:4-8, we will note an additional view with respect to that passage.

Our major concern with this passage is identifying who is being addressed. In verse 1, the address is clearly to "holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling," and in verse 6, to the house of God. Again in verse 12 they are referred to as "brethren." There can be no doubt that these are all references to a group of saved people. That is the obvious point. Now, let us examine the not-so-obvious point: Each time the readers are addressed as "brethren," or some other term indicative of genuine faith (cf. vv. 1-6a & 12), the address is qualified. The identification as saved people established in verses 1-6a is qualified in verse 6b (where "if" is the third class conditional—"ean" εαν [the subjunctive mood—implying that the condition is uncertain]; in other words, they may or may not actually be of God's house). What the writer of Hebrews is saying is this: "You are what I have called you (in verses 1-6a), assuming (i.e. "if") you hold fast (v. 6b)." What is the opposite of holding fast? Verse 12 defines it as "falling away" (apistia, απιστια). Likewise, the identification of the saved people established in verse 12 is qualified in verse 14 (again, "if" is the third class conditional—subjunctive mood, as before). In other words, the author addresses his audience according to their profession of faith, since he does not know their hearts. But he does so with clear qualification. His form of address contains the cordial assumption that they are what they claim to be (true believers in Christ), though he clearly has concerns that some within the church may eventually be manifested as apostates. This is a wise assumption to make about any church—past, present or future.

There is a parallel to this form of address in Paul's letter to the Corinthian church. Thrice in 2 Corinthians, Paul refers to his readers as "brethren," twice as "beloved," and in the first verse he addresses the letter to "saints;" but in 13:5 he warns that some of them might not be saved! Clearly his designations were conditioned upon true faith in Christ. Even though Paul addressed the readers as "saints" and "brethren," he knew the likelihood that in any church there are some who, though they fully understand the gospel, have yet to act on it. The author of Hebrews does the same thing; he writes to a local congregation warning them about the possibility of apostasy among some within the congregation, even though he is convinced that most of them are saved (cf. 6:9). After all, how else could such a letter have been addressed? We could hardly expect him to have said, "To the saints and potential apostates." Such would have been highly offensive and does not fit with the tone of the letter. While the passage is addressed to those professing faith in Christ, it is a warning of the danger of failing to take possession of salvation through faith in Christ.

The presence of these conditions is clear evidence that the author was concerned about the salvation of some in the local church. His assertion is that those who are truly saved are those who "hold fast the beginning . . . firm until the end." This agrees with the message of 1 John 2:18-19. Therefore, we should understand the "rest" referred to in 3:14-4:13 as illustrating (analogically) salvation through faith. Those who have placed their faith in Christ have entered that rest—all who have not are strongly exhorted to do so. Again, we have seen that there is no indication from this passage that a saved person can be lost. The message here is this: It is those who hold fast to the end that are truly saved. It is simply the nature of true faith to be "faithful." "Faith" that proves unfaithful was never true faith to begin with.

Borrowed and revised from Sam A. Smith's The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy.

Apostasy: 2 Peter 2

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter; and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, 'A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,' and, 'A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.'"

Peter describes the same type of person that Paul had described in 1 Timothy 4:1-3. Notice:

1. In verse 15, he "forsakes" (relinquishes) the right way.
2. In verse 20, after escaping the defilements of the world by knowledge (epignosis, επιγνωσις, which means "full discernment") of the Lord and Saviour, he reverts back to those defilements.

The question we have to answer is this: Is there any indication from this passage that the apostates described here are, or ever were, saved? The answer is an emphatic "No!" This can be supported from three lines of evidence.

The first line of evidence is found in 2 Peter 2:20 where Peter says, "the last state has become worse for them than the first." Verse 21 defines the two states to which verse 20 refers: the first state is "not to have known the way of righteousness;" the second state is "having known it, to turn away." If we understand this statement to be referring to saved people, then that sets Peter up in the position of stating that these people were better off before they were saved—obviously an absurdity. For that reason alone, this passage cannot be referring to saved people. It could never be correctly stated that a Christian was better off before they were saved. The Arminianist view of this passage believes that the people described were saved and then lost their salvation, in which case they certainly would be worse off (but not worse off than they were before they knew the gospel—only worse off than they were before they "lost" their salvation). But that is not what this passage actually says. The passage says that they are worse off than before they knew the gospel. The idea is that these individuals were far better off before they turned away from the truth, because up until that point they could have yielded themselves and have been saved. But now they have determined to reject the truth, and in so doing they have rendered themselves with no recourse—since there is no other means of salvation than faith in Christ. If a person rejects the truth with full knowledge of what he/she is doing, what hope is there? Such an individual had understood the truth of the gospel fully, and with sufficient knowledge has refused it.

The second line of evidence is found in verse 22. What does the proverb of "a dog returns to its own vomit" mean? A dog returns to its vomit because that is a dog's nature. Why does a pig "wallowing in the mire"? Because wallowing in the mire is consistent with the pig's nature. You can bathe a pig, but that does not change the pig's nature. A pig having had a bath is still just a pig. We should not be surprised when it returns to the mud. This proverb simply illustrates the difference between reformation and transformation. An apostate turns away from the faith because he/she was never transformed through person faith in the truth, even though they may have experienced a measure of personal reformation (behavioural modification) for a period of time. (Personal reformation may involve both attitudes and actions—soul and body—but does not originate from a renewed spirit as does transformation.) When such a one departs from the faith and denies the Saviour, they are simply doing what is in accordance with their untransformed nature. They may have appeared to be a saved person, from what could be detected externally, but in reality their nature was never changed. Eventually, some of them overtly return to their old ways (they apostatize, cf. Luke 11:24-28), while others covertly remain as "hidden reefs" within the local church (Jude 12).

The third line of evidence that this passage is describing apostasy involved the apostate's destiny. Verse 1 says that apostates will be "destroyed" (apoleia, απωλεια, which means "to destroy utterly"—a total and final destruction). This is the same term that is translated "perish" in John 3:16. There, the ones perishing are set in bold contrast to the saved. In Matthew 15:24, apoleia is translated "lost." The idea is that to be "lost" indicates a future of eternal destruction in hell. In 2 Peter 2:9, Peter indicates that these individuals will be kept under punishment "for the day of judgment." In 2:17, Peter says, "the black darkness has been reserved" for apostates. This phrase, composed of six Greek words, is repeated in only one other location in the entire New Testament—Jude 13. A comparison of Jude 5-13 clearly establishes that Jude was speaking in reference to the same people that Peter had in mind—apostates. Note that Jude adds the word "forever" in the phrase. Doubtless, this is an eternal judgment. Thus, we see that apostates, as described in this passage, are lost and there is no indication that they were ever saved.

Borrowed and revised from Sam A. Smith's The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy.

Apostasy: 1 Timothy 4:1-3

"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."

In this passage, Paul describes an apostate as one who departs from the faith. Some individuals have erroneously interpreted Paul's statement here to mean that these individuals were previously saved. However, this is a reference to a departure from the gospel itself, not from personal saving faith. We must not confuse "the faith" with personal faith in Christ Jesus. These are two distinct concepts (cf. Jude 3). "The faith" refers to the body of truth (inclusive of the gospel) that defines Christianity. "Personal faith" is submission to the gospel, which is a portion of that truth (cf. 1 Pet. 1:22; 2:8; 3:1; 4:17). Of course, in order for someone to depart from the faith, they must have professed to have believed that faith. Otherwise, how else could it be said that they depart from it? In other words, an apostate is one who professes to believe the truth for a time, but later turns from that profession. It is crucial for you to understand that outward profession may or may not be the product of genuine saving faith. There is no way of telling from a profession if the faith professed is genuine. True faith can only be seen through a transformed life consistent with belief in the truth. The fact that Paul indicates it was from "the" faith that they departed, rather than from "faith," proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this passage is not suggesting that they were previously saved.

Borrowed and revised from Sam A. Smith's The Biblical Doctrine of Apostasy.

What Is Apostasy?

What is apostasy? Why is it repeatedly warned against in Scripture? Over the course of the next several blog entries, we are going to be looking at some key passages regarding apostasy and determining what it is they are telling us. Once we understand what these passages are teaching and why, everything becomes much simpler and clearer for us.

WHAT IS APOSTASY?
Apostasy is a transliteration of the Greek word apostasia (αποστασια), which literally means "a defection, revolt, apostasy." The Wycliff Bible of 1380 translated this word as "dissension." The Tyndale Bible of 1534, the Cranmer Bible of 1539, and the Geneva Bibles of 1560 and 1599 translated this word as "departing." The Douay-Rheims Bible of 1582 translated this word as "a revolt." The King James Bible of 1611 translated this word as "falling away." In all these translations, the implication is the same: a dissension from the faith, a departing from the faith, a revolt from the faith, and a falling away from the faith. It is all religious apostasy. The term "backsliding," found in the Old Testament of the KJV, also refers to apostasy (see this entry). As is clearly evident, an apostate is someone who once made a profession of the faith but has since jettisoned it. In other words, they were a false convert.

The verb form of the word apostasia is the Greek aphistemi (αφιστημι), which means "to cause to depart, to cause to revolt." In 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul uses this word to encourage Christians to depart or abstain from evil. In Hebrews 3:12, however, it is used to warn people against departing from the living God. Obviously, departing from sin and departing from God are actions that would result in very different consequences.

WHY IS IT REPEATEDLY WARNED AGAINST IN SCRIPTURE?
Apostasy is warned against in Scripture for a specific reason. I could answer this question here and make things clear for you, but I would rather save this question for the last blog entry dealing with this subject. Once you have that truth, you will understand without a shadow of a doubt why warnings of apostasy are necessary and what they accomplish.

WHY ALL THE CONFUSION?
Some individuals who read the passages regarding apostasy, due to their poor understanding of Scripture, salvation, and the covenants, view these passages as if a Christian can lose their salvation. The reason why they believe this is because they believe a false gospel and assume that everyone who walks an aisle, prays a prayer, signs a card, or whatever other gimmicks they use, is a genuine convert. Apparently they have missed reading some key passages in Scripture that prove such a thing is false. What one believes about the permanence of salvation (i.e. eternal security) is relevant to the interpretation of these passages. Based on these passages, Arminians believe that it is possible for a saved person to lose their salvation. Another erroneous view  is one that teaches these passages are warning Christians not to live carnally.

The main reason why so many individuals misunderstand the passages regarding apostasy, and attempt to apply them to the erroneous teaching that a Christian can lose his/her salvation, is because they fail to understand the covenants correctly. By the time we are finished looking at the various passages on apostasy, you will have a greater understanding of why they are there. Once you understand the covenants correctly, you will understand the warnings against apostasy correctly. Apart from having a correct understanding of the covenants, it makes absolutely no sense to warn against apostasy.

So... let us begin our study...

Backsliding

BACKSLIDER

            Proverbs 14:14              5472

BACKSLIDING

            Jeremiah 3:6                  4878

            Jeremiah 3:8                  4878

            Jeremiah 3:11                4878

            Jeremiah 3:12                4878

            Jeremiah 3:14                7726

            Jeremiah 3:22                7726

            Jeremiah 8:5                  4878

            Jeremiah 31:22              7728

            Jeremiah 49:4                7728

            Hosea 4:16                    5637

            Hosea 11:7                    4878

            Hosea 14:4                    4878

BACKSLIDINGS

            Jeremiah 2:19                4878

            Jeremiah 3:22                4878

            Jeremiah 5:6                  4878

            Jeremiah 14:7                4878

4878: waywardness, backsliding, faithlessness, apostasy; turning away (Prov. 1:32)

5472: [Q] to turn away, be faithless, be disloyal; [N] to be turned back, be disloyal, be faithless; [H] to move, displace; [Ho] to be driven back

5637: [Q] to be stubborn, be obstinate, be rebellious

7726: faithless, rebellious, apostate

7728: unfaithful, traitorous, apostate

[H] Hebrew verb stem, Hiphil

[Ho] Hebrew verb stem, Hophal

[N] Hebrew verb stem, Niphal

[Q] Hebrew verb stem, Qal

APOSTASY: A “falling away.” The common classical use of the word has to do with a political defection. In the NT its more usual meaning is that of a religious defection. This is called “apostasy from the faith:” a withdrawing from the church, and a disowning of the name of Christ. Some of its peculiar characteristics are mentioned, such as seducing spirits, doctrines of demons, hypocritical lying, a seared conscience, forbidding of marriage and of meats, a form of godliness without power. The grave nature of apostasy is shown by such passages as Heb. 10:26-29, 2 Pet. 2:15-21, and John 15:22. Apostasy is the act of a professed Christian who knowingly and deliberately rejects revealed truth regarding the deity of Christ (1 John 4:1-3) and redemption through His atoning sacrifice (Phil. 3:18; 2 Pet. 2:1). Apostasy departs from the faith but not from the outward profession of it (2 Tim. 3:5). Apostasy, whether among angels (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:15; Jude 6), in Israel (Isa. 1:1-6; 5:5-7), or in the church (Rev. 3:14-16) is irremediable and awaits judgment. Apostates are only professors and not actual possessors of true salvation, otherwise their defection would incur severe chastening or, if this failed to restore them, untimely (physical) death (1 Cor. 5:5; 11:32; 1 John 5:16).

Can a backslider be a Christian? No, because he has never slid forward to begin with.

Can a Christian be a backslider? No, because the mere definition proves they were never Christian to begin with. A Christian cannot jettison the faith and disown Jesus Christ.

The Struggle With Sin

Q. What would your position be on someone who has had tremendous change in their life but can’t seem to kick a particular sin—maybe they’ve even stopped trying?

A. I would probably ask them whether they're trying to kick it in their own power, by making laws in order to help kick it, which never work (Rom. 7:7-25), or in the power of Christ? I would also ask whether or not they love Jesus more than they love that sin, because our love for Jesus is a great motivator. Whenever sin is at our door via the means of temptation (which we will always have), we know it. At that point, before we commit the sin and/or while starting to commit the sin, we know precisely what we're doing and should ask ourselves, "Do I love Jesus more than I love this sin and how it makes me feel? or do I love this sin more than I love Jesus who died for this sin and to free me from this sin?" If we are in Christ, we are dead to sin and commanded to consider this position a reality (Rom. 6 and 8). This has nothing to do with sinless perfection.

Then I would try to find out how they find themselves in this sin. If they are making plans for it and making provision for it and looking for ways in which to commit it privately (everything 1 John 3:4-10 condemns), then they might want to consider the possibility that they are not yet saved. If they are saved, it may be a matter of ignorance, in which what I shared at the beginning should help open their eyes and breathe new life into them. Regardless, they should be examining themselves in light of Scripture to see whether their profession of faith is genuine or not. We're commanded to "examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith" (2 Cor. 13:5), "work our your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12), and "make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10). Not to mention Christ's statement in regard to denying ourselves means to "utterly deny, disown, abstain."

Romans 8:13 commands us to be sin murderers. We need to pursue the sin in our lives and put it to death. Not by laws we erect upon ourselves, but through Jesus Christ. Paul said he kept under his body lest after he preached to others, he found himself cast into hell (paraphrase). Jesus came to save us from our sins. Not merely to save us from the penalty of them, but to save us from them. "You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free" (John 8:32). "If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed" (John 8:36). Why would Paul state everything he stated in Romans 6 and 8 and all his other epistles if there was no truth to it? Can and will we struggle with the temptation for particular sins? Yes. Probably until we die. But through Christ's death we have been given the victory and given power over that sin. We are dead to it. It no longer holds power over us unless we give it the power and deliberately submit ourselves to it. Remember, we are slaves to whom we yield ourselves. Is that going to be sin, for which Jesus died on our behalf? or is that going to be God? Victory is the by-product of obedience. When we are obedient toward God, victory naturally and inevitably results.

Just because someone has had a significant amount of change in their life does not necessarily prove anything. What kind of change is it and what motivated such change? Behavioural modification can be significant change, yet it does not change the heart. The heart is still deceitful, deceiving us into thinking we have changed when all we have done is swapped one idol in our lives with another. Rather than repenting, we have just swapped our bad deeds for good deeds, deceiving ourselves into thinking our good deeds will make up for the bad and square us with God, when in fact they are a putrid stench to His nostrils and will only condemn us that much faster. Paul speaks of godly repentance versus worldly repentance in 2 Corinthians 7:10-11. Which one do we have?

Tests of True Conversion

Give diligence to make your calling and election sure (2 Pet. 1:10); examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5); work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12).

1. 1 John 1:7 – You like hanging out and fellowshipping with other Christians - and not just on Sunday.


2. 1 John 1:8 – You admit that you have a wretched, abominable heart. This is not a mere admission of being a sinner and committing sins, for the unsaved will admit that.


3. 1 John 2:3 – You strive to obey God's Commandments. If you think this means the two Commandments of Love, consider the fact that these two sum up the entire ten. It is still the Ten Commandments that we are looking at, no matter how you try and dice it. Consider these verses:
   • Exodus 20:6
   
   
   • Deuteronomy 7:9; 11:26-28 (v.27)
   
   
   • Psalm 112:1; 119:47, 127
   
   
   • Ecclesiastes 12:13 (the whole duty of man)
   
   
   • Matthew 22:37-40 (the 10 summed up in 2 - the first 3 pertain to God, the last 6 pertain to our neighbour, the 4th was a shadow of things to come and is the only one not repeated in the New Testament)
   
   
   • John 14:15, 21; 15:20
   
   
   • 1 Corinthians 7:19
   
   
   • 1 John 2:3-4; 3:22, 24; 5:2-3
   
   
   • 2 John 1:6
   
   
   • Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 22:14


4. 1 John 2:15 – If you love the world, you are not a Christian. We are called to be set apart (separated) from the world.


5. 1 John 2:23 – Do you know who Jesus Christ is? He is not merely the Son of God. If your Jesus is that of the Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, etc., you have the wrong Jesus.


6. 1 John 3:2 – You can't wait to see God. It is your hope from day to day, expecting His return to be imminent (immediate).


7. 1 John 3:9 – You do not habitually sin. You do not go through the same motions of sin day after day. It's not about perfection, it's about direction. God is sanctifying the believer in holiness. If you're not growing - if you walk, talk and act the same way you did before you were "converted" - you're not a Christian.


8. 1 John 3:14 – You love your Christian brothers and sisters and it shows.


9. 1 John 4:6 – Christians love preaching, teaching and hearing the Word. Hearing it is not boring to you and you are not ashamed to speak about it.


10. 1 John 4:15 – You proclaim Jesus Christ. Charles Spurgeon said, "If you do not have a passion to see lost souls saved, you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that!" Do you go out of your way to make Jesus known, or are you in silence telling the world, "Go to hell!"?

“God, Who has SAVED us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began…”
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not only as in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own SALVATION with fear and trembling.”
“And this, knowing the time, that it is now the hour to arise from sleep: for now is our SALVATION nearer than when we first believed.”

These three verses of Scripture by themselves could present three drastically different messages of salvation. However, when looked at together, under the whole counsel of God, the message is singular, plain, and clear. Salvation is not a one-point-in-time decision that secures me and allows me to do whatever I please. No, that is a false gospel and Scripture condemns such thoughts on every page. Salvation is past, present and future. Justification says that I am saved. Sanctification says that I am being saved. Glorification says that I will be saved. It is a continuous motion. All of this is the work of God and all of this is present in the salvation of the true born again believer. True salvation clearly reveals the evidence of fruit in our lives and will culminate with the endurance of the true saint until the end. These are the seeds that fell among good soil. The seeds that fell among the other soils are all false converts. The rocky soil depicts those who accept the Word, follow it, but fall away revealing that they were never genuinely saved to begin with, because “those who endure until the end will be saved.” Regeneration and repentance are as much a part of the salvation process as is faith, and you will find hundreds of verses that make these statements. Not one of them can be diminished or rejected.

In the above verses, you have three different tenses of the word “salvation.” All of them true in what they have to say. We cannot limit our knowledge on a subject to a singular verse or passage or chapter or book. We must take the whole counsel of God in what He declares in every verse, every passage, every chapter and every book bearing on the subject. The truth of salvation cannot be limited to one’s understanding of Galatians only and thereby build the doctrine. That is where you get the false doctrine put forth by those who turn the grace of God into licentiousness – a license to sin, which contradicts Romans 6 and other passages of Scripture. Further, we must consider verses such as 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 6:9-10. If these people claim to be Christians but are known to be the listed practices - that is, they are known to be a liar, an adulterer, a thief, a drunkard, etc. – Scripture is clear that they will not inherit the kingdom!!! Christ declared the same statements several times throughout the gospels. Claiming to be a Christian doesn't make a person saved. It is the changed life, the Spirit living within us, directing us, bearing fruit, and conforming us to the image of Christ here on Earth, that reveals true salvation. If there is no evidence of a changed life, of hatred toward sin and love toward God, then regeneration has never taken place and the person is still dead in their sins. They are not a genuine born again believing saint. They are a false convert, as a plethora of Scriptural passages tell us - regardless of what they think or claim. That is why we never pronounce someone saved because we are giving them false assurance of salvation. If they are genuinely converted, it will work itself out in their life and there will be evidence of that fact and they will endure until the end. If they run the race hard and strong and quit half way there, they were never genuinely converted to begin with.

Dual repetition of names has great significance. "Moses, Moses." "Samuel, Samuel." "Saul, Saul." When Jesus uses "Lord, Lord," He is letting us know that these people genuinely believe themselves to have been saved, and yet He tells them, "Depart from me! you who live as though I never gave you a law to obey. I NEVER KNEW YOU!" It's not about whether we know Him (which can be mere intellectual knowledge in ascent to the facts), but about whether or not He knows us. Again, only time will tell whether we will finish the race or not. If we finish, we will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." If we fail to finish, we were never saved to begin with. That is why we need to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling," because we don't know how we are going to finish. Even Paul made reference to the same thing: "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." He states that he has "fought the good fight." He has pressed toward the mark and not let up. Was his a work's based salvation? I don't think so. Works reveal your faith, as James tells us. "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." What he says and what Paul says are complementary messages. They are not contradictions, as some heathen false teachers assert.

Develop a right understanding of Who God is and what His Word teaches and walking in faithful obedience will not be difficult. The more accurate picture you have of God, the easier it becomes to submit to His authority and humble ourselves in awe before His face. Without a proper understanding of Who He is, we will live in rebellion to Him and only pave the way to our destruction. There are more verses in Scripture than those that simply state "believe." James states clearly that belief alone means absolutely nothing. Even the demons believe. We need to take the whole counsel of God. Not random verses that make us feel good about ourselves where we can apply personal opinion. What will we do with clear commands to "cleanse your hands and purify your hearts" and "renew your minds and do not be conformed to this world"? Selectively citing verses that appeal to our own personal opinion and make us feel good gives us a very shallow view of God and what He expects from us. It leaves us not knowing Who God truly is. He is not our buddy sidekick!!! He is our Creator, our Master, our Lord, our King!!! All these titles and positions demand obedience - not suggest it!

“Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firms, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord MUST turn away from wickedness.’” 2 Timothy 2:19

Again, this is not a mere suggestion. It is a command to be obeyed. If we confess the name of Christ, if we claim to be Christians, then we must turn away from wickedness and walk in holiness. Failure to do so equals false conversion. Pure and simple. The whole counsel of God stands firm in its truth.

For I am NOT ashamed of the gospel of Christ: it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes.

He Is Not A Christian...

Paul, speaking to the Jews, told them, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Romans 2:28-29). Matthew Henry in his commentary made an excellent like statement:

He is not a Christian that is one outwardly, nor is that baptism which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Christian that is one inwardly, and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God.

Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary, p. 307.

We seem to miss this crucial point in Christianity today. Everyone wants to call themselves a Christian but nobody wants to act the part. One of Satan's greatest victories was the "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" campaign. Many of the cults call themselves Christians, but they are not. Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians. Mormons are not Christians. Roman Catholics are not Christians. Oneness Pentecostals are not Christians. Seventh-Day Adventists are not Christians. There are also many false converts that call themselves Christians, which are no Christians at all. As long as all these liars call themselves "Christians," how is the world to know any different? How is the world to know what true Christianity looks like? It is no wonder they think very little of Christianity with all these hypocrites and liars claiming to be what they are not.

Very few pay any attention to anything the Scriptures have to say any more. They are either ignorant of it or ignore it. Jesus gave many hard sayings in regard to what it means to be a Christian. Rather than accept and believe what Jesus said, we tend to try and sift His words so that they are more palatable. This is where the false nonsense of a "carnal Christian" came from. It is also where the nonsense of losing one's salvation came from. We see people in the ministry for years and then all of a sudden they leave and turn their back on it and we want to say that either they are "carnal Christians" at the moment or have lost their salvation and might be able to get it back again later.

There is a Chinese proverbs that says, "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names." Let us call a spade a spade. We tend to forget, or are ignorant of, the fact that Judas served full-time in the ministry for three years at the side of Jesus. He was sent out with the other disciples to witness. He was a partaker of the miracles that were done. He was not carnal nor did he lose his salvation. Jesus Himself testifies, "those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12). All through His ministry Jesus said one of them was a devil, one of them was unclean, and one of them would betray Him. None of them suspected Judas. They all looked to themselves and asked, "It is I?" The same with Demas. Demas was one of Paul's companions, but in time Demas forsook Paul, being in love with this present world, and left him. Judas and Demas were apostates.

We need to realize that just because someone calls themselves a Christian and serves in ministry does not make them a Christian. There are many false teachers serving as shepherds and many false converts serving in ministry. Many are only serving because of the money. They have no real love for Christ or Christ's people. As soon as the money is gone, so are they. So many people come to Christ for the wrong reasons. Coming to Christ does not mean that you belong to Him. Jesus made this clear when He said, "Not everyone that saith unto Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). These people came to Him. They call Him Lord. But they are not His: "will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me" (Matthew 7:23).

We need to read our Bibles a little more often and pay greater attention to those things which are written there. We need to stop paying homage to man's ideas and accept the reality of Scripture. If Jesus repeatedly tells us "you will know them by their fruits," then we can indeed know them by their fruits. If he tells us repeatedly that "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," then those who fall away have proven themselves not to be Christians and that they never had salvation in the first place. When Scripture repeatedly paints the Christian life as one of victory and overcoming, we need to accept it, believe it, and pursue it instead of believing the lie and living in defeat. A Christian is one who continually puts on Christ-likeness, becoming more like Him every day.

He is not a Christian that is one outwardly, nor is that baptism which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Christian that is one inwardly, and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God. Amen.

Characterized By Sin? Not A Christian!

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, not thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
"Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
"But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:8

If your life is characterized by the above and you are calling yourself a Christian, please stop deceiving yourself because you are not a true, biblical, born again Christian. Despite false teachings to the contrary, there is no such thing as a "carnal Christian" (see the article Jesus' Bookend Declaration). Lewis Sperry Chafer distorted 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 into this false concept that says you can sin like the devil and yet still be a Christian. While this false notion is very popular among mainstream Christianity today and their watered down "gospels," such as the A-B-C Gospel and the Four Spiritual Laws Gospel, it is important to realize that if this were indeed true, it contradicts a very clear passage of Scripture that states quite the opposite.

"If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him. ... And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother." 1 John 2:29; 3:3-10

If you are known to be a liar, if your lifestyle is characterized by habitual lying, then you are not a Christian. If you are known to have a short fuse, if your lifestyle is characterized by habitual anger, then you are not a Christian. If you are known to be a pervert, if your lifestyle is characterized by habitual lusting and/or looking at pornography, then you are not a Christian. If you are know by any sin that you commit and your lifestyle is characterized by that sin, you can be sure that you are not a Christian.

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Galatians 5:24

If this is not true of you, if you are not dead to sin as Romans 6 puts forth, if you are not constantly waging war against the lusts of the flesh, the world, and the devil, then you do not belong to Christ. You are not a Christian. Jesus said it quite clearly: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:13-14). "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). In Hebrew grammar, when a Jew wants to emphasize his point, he repeats it. It is clear that by their use of "Lord, Lord" these people believed themselves to be saved—to be "Christians." What does your "acceptance" of Christ or your "decision" for Christ mean? Absolutely nothing! "Then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:23). Remember, sin is lawlessness. Living life as though Jesus never gave you a law to obey. "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Hebrews 12:6-8).

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

So Jesus said that he who obeys His Father will enter into heaven (Matthew 7:21); that he who loves Him will obey His commandments (John 14:15); and if you abide in Him you are His disciple (John 8:32 - contrast with Luke 14:25-33 and Matthew 10:34-39 and those who cannot be His disciples). So how can you tell who is a true, biblical, born again Christian? Re-read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and then read this beautiful verse: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Christians used to be characterized by those exact same lifestyles, until Jesus Christ saved them and set them free. Again, it is imperative to note this difference: a Christian falls into sin against their will; a non-Christian or a hypocrite dives into sin with/by their will. For the Christian, he is fighting it and fighting it and fighting it and he falls. For the non-Christian, it is habit. He wakes up, contemplates it, plans it, and does it. For the Christian, there is remorse after having failed. For the non-Christian, it is no big deal. They have oodles (that's the technical term) of excuses up their sleeves, such as "I'm not perfect" or "Everyone makes mistakes" or "It's not that big of a deal." They are not willing to fess up to their sin. They want to brush it off as if it is not the end of the world. If there is no fruit, then there is no root.