What About Those Who Claim They Have Left the Faith
 

On other Christian sites there seems a steady stream of announcements that celebrity preachers and show business people have left the faith. They claim things like, "I no longer consider myself a Christian."

Are they allowed to do this? Actually, no. God tells us right in Hebrews 6:4-6, It is impossible for those who have been enlightened to fall away because the are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.

News outlets, including the Christian press, should simply never report backsliders. Whether its the New York Times or Fox News we should not know anyone has left the faith. As the Bible says reporting this is embarrassing to Jesus. This cannot happen.


Another high profile Christian walks away. What's going on? - The Christian Post

Re: What About Those Who Claim They Have Left the Faith
 

Everybody knows that people who claim to have been Real® Christians and then decide the Bible isn't true fall into one of two categories.

They really were saved and have now fallen away in deliberate rebellion. God will deal with them by making their lives miserable or take them home early so that they cannot lead others astray. Either way, you can't lose True Salvation© 'cause the Blood of Christ washes out sins--it doesn't wash out itself.


Other people who talk about leaving Christianity were probably deluding themselves about being saved in the first place and are just plain going to Hell. You can't drink from The Living Waters and then stop being thirsty for The Lord. It don't work that way.

Re: What About Those Who Claim They Have Left the Faith
 

Oh, my goodness; yes, this is so very true, dear Sister Handmaiden. My dear Daddy (a Pentecostal evangelist) used to warn the people that the :lord-fancy: will separate the wheat from the chaff, as is written within :his: Holy :kjv1611:; and, we are seeing this in these days:

Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge :his: floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

It appears that the people who fall away have lost their commitment to Almighty :god-fancy: -- if they really had any, at all. So, the phony "believers" shall lose their way, unless they repent of their waywardness, and listen to the exhortations of those of us who sincerely follow :jesus-fancy: in all that we do -- the :true-fancy: believers -- here, at :forum-fancy:.

Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

For some, perfection is not feasible, most likely because their heart is not really committed to serving the :lord-fancy:. However, it is written that this is possible, as we know, at :landover-fancy:. And, to the :lord-fancy: :jesus-fancy: goeth the :glory:

II Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of :christ-fancy: may rest upon me."

Re: What About Those Who Claim They Have Left the Faith
 

Yes, I was disappointed to read that. Not so much because a disbeliever walked away (from claims he did not find credible) but because the publication cherry-picked Scripture in so blatant a manner.

I John 2:19 ESV
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

The whole passage includes significant context which, by its omission, reduces God's message even through the translation they've chosen to an "Oh well, c'est la vie, perhaps they weren't fully convinced after all," level of half-baked noncommitment. Sticking with their ESV for the time being, here is what God actually says regarding this situation.

I John 2:18-20 ESV
Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 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. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

See how important the bits they left out are? "They," a pronoun, does not at all refer to randoms who were unpersuaded by their faith journey and eventually gave it away altogether. Antichrists is the noun God used. Plural. Just like the pronoun. Antichrist is the singular, appropriate for individuals. But God didn't stop there. No ifs or maybes, those anointed by The Holy One have ALL KNOWLEDGE. Not some knowledge, not expertise in certain (but limited) areas. Two very important, I should say critical, elements of God's communication but rejected for this announcement. I have underlined the relevant sections.

There are other aspects of God's instruction ignored by for convenience in so much doctrine touting itself as Christian. Right there on the very next page this idea that Christians perhaps will sin, maybe trip up in their walk, that little mistakes will be made (after all, nobody's perfect) is refuted. For convenience I'm including both passages in reverse order from the KJV.

I John 3:6-9 KJV
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

I John 2:18-20 KJV
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

The Bible is quite explicit concerning sin, the inability to sin, the status of apostates and the degree of knowledge available to Christian leaders. No opinions from me or anyone else are required, it's stated right there in The Bible. Of course not everyone accepts The Bible as a valid source for doctrine. One wonders in that case why they accept any of it? After all, if there are criteria available to distinguish false passages from true passages in Scripture, why not simply apply those criteria to the world more broadly and miss out the intermediate step of rejecting passages one wishes were not there? There is a word to describe such people of course. And of course it did not appear in that article from the so-called Christian Post.