GREAT APOSTASY—Who falls away from the faith, and how may we stand fast?
2 Thes. 3:3-4, 9-12
Many "anti-Christs" have come into existence throughout history, people claiming for themselves honors and titles rightly belonging to Christ alone. Before Christ's return there will appear one final, climactic person—the "man of sin"—who will draw the world to after him. This event will be accompanied by a "great falling away", an apostasy of unprecedented scale, as professing Christians turn to follow this false leader standing in the Church. Multitudes will forsake their association with the pure gospel and will even persecute those who hold fast to the true faith. However, even now people are in grave danger of apostasy.
WHO FALLS AWAY?
Those who fall away are described as lovers of unrighteousness. We discover that behind the apostate's claims of intellectual conviction is an intent to be a god unto himself. People commit doctrinal apostasy so they may ethically apostatize with fewer pangs of conscience. Wishing to live however they please, such persons begin to rationalize away the true faith in order to justify their will to sin. By and by, their professed righteousness in Christ and hunger for right living is exchanged for open "pleasure in unrighteousness."
RESPONDING TO THE DOCTRINE OF APOSTASY
Apostasy does not negate the sure promises of salvation made to believers, but reveals a person's having never believed to begin with. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19) If we would be certain of our true participation in Christ and of our continued loyalty, we must make ourselves familiar with the promises and means of grace and test ourselves that we are in the faith not only with our mouths but with our hearts. We should affirm that Christ is our treasure and His glory our delight. With the Puritans we warn, "indifference to religion is the first step away from religion." Therefore by faith we should seek earnestly to find no pleasure in unrighteousness, but to feel ourselves made loyal to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"None sink so far into hell as those who came nearest to heaven, for they fell from the greatest height." — William Gurnall
2 Thes. 3:3-4, 9-12
"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day [of Christ's return] will not come, unless the rebellion [apostasy] comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."THERE WILL BE A GREAT FALLING AWAY
"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Many "anti-Christs" have come into existence throughout history, people claiming for themselves honors and titles rightly belonging to Christ alone. Before Christ's return there will appear one final, climactic person—the "man of sin"—who will draw the world to after him. This event will be accompanied by a "great falling away", an apostasy of unprecedented scale, as professing Christians turn to follow this false leader standing in the Church. Multitudes will forsake their association with the pure gospel and will even persecute those who hold fast to the true faith. However, even now people are in grave danger of apostasy.
WHO FALLS AWAY?
Those who fall away are described as lovers of unrighteousness. We discover that behind the apostate's claims of intellectual conviction is an intent to be a god unto himself. People commit doctrinal apostasy so they may ethically apostatize with fewer pangs of conscience. Wishing to live however they please, such persons begin to rationalize away the true faith in order to justify their will to sin. By and by, their professed righteousness in Christ and hunger for right living is exchanged for open "pleasure in unrighteousness."
RESPONDING TO THE DOCTRINE OF APOSTASY
Apostasy does not negate the sure promises of salvation made to believers, but reveals a person's having never believed to begin with. "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." (1 John 2:19) If we would be certain of our true participation in Christ and of our continued loyalty, we must make ourselves familiar with the promises and means of grace and test ourselves that we are in the faith not only with our mouths but with our hearts. We should affirm that Christ is our treasure and His glory our delight. With the Puritans we warn, "indifference to religion is the first step away from religion." Therefore by faith we should seek earnestly to find no pleasure in unrighteousness, but to feel ourselves made loyal to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"None sink so far into hell as those who came nearest to heaven, for they fell from the greatest height." — William Gurnall
Was this helpful to you? Please share. Thanks!
© Michael Spotts:. 2011
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By Michael Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
———————
You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this article in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge any fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For printed copies, as well as web posting, please include the following statement:
By Michael Spotts:.
Copyright © The Open Life
www.theopenlife.com
Titus 3:3-8
0 comments:
Post a Comment