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Apostasy on the increase!


One of the greatest mysteries in life is how anyone could come to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and then depart from Him. Judas is the classic example of an apostate - one who abandons the faith he once held. Judas walked and lived with the Son of God for over three years, a royal privilege granted to only 11 other men. Yet after witnessing the Messiah's sinless life, seeing His miracles, experiencing His divine power and hearing His profound wisdom, Judas betrayed Him. It was during the celebration of the Passover meal that Judas deliberately defected from the faith of the apostles and sealed his eternal destiny in the lake of fire (Mat. 26:24-25). Two Streams of Christianity Many others have departed from the faith since that fateful night. The apostle John wrote about apostates who "went out from us" because "they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us" (1 John 2:18). Most apostates never reject the Christian faith completely, they fall away to a counterfeit form of Christianity. It is for this reason we have seen two streams of Christianity operating side-by-side for 2000 years. The Apostolic Church One stream is the apostolic church, founded by the Lord Jesus who is the Master Builder. It includes only the few who have entered through the narrow gate (Mat. 7:13). They have been sanctified by the truth and born of the Spirit. This Spirit of Promise seals and indwells each member, thus guaranteeing their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14). This church will be persecuted, hated and despised, but will continue holding to apostolic faith until Jesus returns to take it to heaven as His bride. The gates of hell shall not prevail against this church (Mat. 16:18). The Apostate Church The other stream is an apostate church made up of those who profess Christ but are spiritually dead. They believe a distorted Gospel, follow another spirit and reject the faith of the apostles (1 Tim. 4:1). This church is being built by men who ignore the Master Builder's blueprint and instead follow their own methods and movements. Maligning the way of truth, they seduce many with their sensuality (2 Pet. 2:2). Apostates will increase in number and grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived, until the Day of our Lord (2 Tim. 3:3). These "professing" Christians will not endure sound doctrine. Instead, they will turn away from the truth and turn to teachers who tickle their ears with messages of self-esteem (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Paul called these teachers "grievous wolves" who enter the church speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them (Acts 20:29-30). It is important to note that all apostates are unbelievers but not all unbelievers are apostates. The Primary Cause of Apostasy The major cause of apostasy can be traced to various spiritual influences that include demonic deceptions and divine judgments.


Demonic Deception The "father of lies" has been seducing the visible church into an ecumenical spirituality in an attempt to unite the religions of the world. Driven by his desire to be worshiped as god, he will continue to attack God's Word with an unrestrained determination. Post- modern philosophy is currently his most effective tool. Church leaders who are caught up in this movement are saying we cannot know absolute truth. And since we cannot know absolute truth, we cannot be dogmatic about doctrine or moral standards. They say dogmatic preaching must give way to dialogue between people of all faiths in order to seek unity for common goals. (my comment - Blatant lies straight from the pit of Hell!) Divine judgment is also a cause for apostasy. Those who refuse to love and believe the truth for salvation will be sent a deluding influence so they might believe what is false and be judged (2 Thes. 2:9-12). A divine judgment in the form of moral apostasy is also given to those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. By refusing to acknowledge God any longer, He gives them over to depraved minds and degrading passions for people of the same sex (Rom. 1:18-32). What Are Believers to Do? 1) Pray that we will be strong in the Lord as we put on the full armour of God. Recognize we are in an intense battle for truth against the schemes of the devil and the wicked forces of darkness (Ephesians 6:10-12). 2) Earnestly contend for the faith. When anyone in our circle of influence is deceiving or being deceived, we must lovingly confront and correct them using Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16).


3) We must abide in God's word to discern truth from error (John 8:31-32). Do not be swept away by every wind of doctrine. Every few years a new fad hits the church. These movements divert people away from the sure word of God. We must guard against the craftiness and trickery of men (Ephesians 4:14).


4) Pray for your church leaders and hold them accountable to the Word of God. We must be like the Bereans who examined the Scriptures daily to test the veracity of the Apostle Paul's teaching (Acts 17:11).


5) Identify and avoid false teachers so others will not be deceived (Rom. 16:17-18).


May our love for Jesus Christ compel us to be His light in an ever-darkening world. Be encouraged! Jesus said these things must take place before He comes for His church.

Keep looking up, our redemption is very near !!


Extracts from an article written by Evangelist Mike Gendron from Proclaiming the Gospel Ministries https://www.proclaimingthegospel.org/


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