The Church is Spiraling Downward - Falling Away (Apostate)
· Although much more could be written about the falling away of the church, this is enough to open the eyes of God’s people who are not aware of all these foolish things that are happening in the body of Christ. Even so, it is not a surprise to seasoned (mature) Christians when it comes to what the Word of God says about the apostasy (falling away).
· As I conclude this series, this may come as a shock to many, because you may be wondering “How can the church (denominations) be apostates? Remember this, it is those who are saved that moved away or shifted from the foundation of Jesus Christ, our Chief Cornerstone.
· According to the Word of God, some are apostate! Hard pill to swallow? The Word of God defines apostate as falling away or moving away from.
· Some denominations believe and embrace the full gospel, whereas many of them say some things ceased. Beginning of the church on the day of Pentecost – This is the confidence that we have and are assured of, what God started He will complete it until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6).
· Some denominations say gifts ceased after the book of Acts. Did they mean certain gifts? Isn’t a pastor a gift to the body of Christ? Apparently they recognize some gifts and not others. They call missionary a gift, and the word is not in the Bible. Don’t you think that is moving further away from the truth?
· Others believe one can lose their salvation (eternal security). O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith (Galatians 3:1-2)? They allowed false teachers to come in and they influenced them to revert back to the law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace (Romans 5:4).
· What did Christ say about eternal security? And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand (John 19:28-30).
· · People who say we are sinners, do not understand who we are from God’s perspective. The problem is, they are still seeing things from the natural only. Yes we sin because we are living in a fallen world, and our flesh is not saved, but we are saved because the Spirit of God lives in us. They need to learn to perceive who we are from God’s perspective. God knew us before we were formed… (Jeremiah 1:5) – to know someone is to have a relationship with them.
· Since God is eternal, He is not confined to space and time, like we are. Therefore, with God, everything is already complete.
· Some still hold on to rituals – when John wrote to some of the churches, Jesus said they were doing some good works, but He had something against them, because they had left their first love. They held on to some erroneous doctrine. In other words, they fell shifted from the foundation of Christ (Revelation, chapters 2-3)
· Some have gone as far as accepting homosexuals in the ministry. If that is not a falling away, and a big shift, I don’t know what is. If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them (Leviticus 20:13, Romans, chapter 1).
· In my closure, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8b)? Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3).
Why not repent and walk in God's grace?
~ Betty A. Burnett ~
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