Posted on 06/14/2013 1:02:47 PM PDT by Colofornian
The Word of God clearly teaches that in the last days just before the return of Christ for the saints there will be a falling away from the Truth...
...The words falling away in this text are old English words for an abandonment, a defection, a desertion or a departure from ones faith. It is a forsaking of something once believed.
An apostasy or falling away is leaving the principles of ones faith as set forth in the Word of God and either compromising them or clearly abandoning them. In the Word of God, the words falling away is the same in the Greek text, the Textus Receptus. We get the word apostasy from that word and the Authorized Version of the Word of God uses the term falling away. The apostle Paul tells the church in Thessalonica that in the last days, preceding Christs return for the saints, there will be a great falling away from the Truth once believed. Many will be affected by that apostasy.
An apostate is one who has rejected Gods Word and no longer accepts it. A truly saved person cannot become a full blown apostate. According to Romans Chapter One, one who continues to reject the Truth can become a reprobate. A reprobate is one who has been rejected by God. In 2 Timothy 3:8, we see...those who did reject the Truth and were finally rejected by God and became reprobate with no hope. In Titus 1:16, we see an example of some who professed to know God but whose works denied Him. A reprobate is one who has rejected the Truth and continued to fall away to a place of no return. The apostate or reprobate is then abandoned by God with no possible chance of ever being saved.
(Excerpt) Read more at baptistpillar.com ...
Apostasy is never about regenerated believer-disciples who persistently commit theirselves and their lives to The Christ Who saved them with His Blood and Righteousness. Neither does it refer to the souls who never took up the offer by The God of salvation by His grace. Apostasy is the act of unregenerated "believers" voluntarily participating in the affairs and activity, often having moments of great enthusiasm, but who in the end cannot sustain and persist in their own perseverance and determined will of the flesh.
An example of this is the 20th Century Charles Templeton, who started in the work of evangelism as a young man; but the more seminary he took, the more he fell away. Look him up.
The passage in Hebrews describes such people:
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Heb. 6:4-6 AV)
What this says, very somberly, if one gets involved enthusiastically through being enamored, but walks away, never was "saved" to begin with; and perhaps can never go back. Christianity is not something to dabble in.
Ah, what did Jesus mean "this rock" when he was talking with Simon BarJonah? Tell me about this, eh?
To be answered later — preparing for assenbling at this moment —
One must always keep in mind that this section is primarily addressed to the Jewish diaspora who, having operated under the law covenant, met all the conditions--but under the law, could fall aside, and miss the benefit of the first (and only) crucifixion.
No. More later. It's church time for me.
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