FALLING AWAY FROM GOD #2 (A series of lessons about personal apostasy & the reasons for it) b. But they cannot see the words about to the severity of God toward man. A. The Scripture is the richest source of practical information for humankind because it is divine. 1. One person may read it for the poetry, another for the history, & yet another for the doctrine. B. What does the Scripture say about falling away? 1. If a person will read the Scripture through the lens of faith, he will be overwhelmed by the number of passages that speak to that topic. 2. Actually we should read it for all its benefits, & righty divide too (handle it accurately, 2 Tim 2:15), that s what God intended. 2. God is not silent or vague; He offers clear & consistent warnings that explain the reality & the causes of falling away. a. But to many people reading the Bible is like watching an old movie, each person will differ over their favorite part. 3. He does so not only because of the gravity of the subject, but also because He loves humanity & desires a right relationship with us. 3. Many people read the Scripture through one lens (so-to-speak) & it s not the lens of faith. C. As we discuss falling away we need to keep in mind what we re talking about. a. They want to see the words about the love, mercy & grace of God toward man. 1. Falling away from God; apostatizing, going into apostasy. 1
2. Leaving the faith. 3. Turning from the truth of the gospel. 4. Going back into the world lost in sin. 5. Leaving the umbrella of God s grace & mercy. 6. Separating from the love of God that is in C.J. 7. Falling away = being lost (potentially for all eternity) 2. Foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem. Matt 24:9-10 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation & kill you, & you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended [will turn away, niv], will betray one another, & will hate one another. [In this lesson we will discuss the warnings, illustration, & causes of falling away.] a. Shall be offended skandalizo: a trap or a stumbling black causing someone to fall. I. WARNINGS, ADMONITIONS, PLEAS B. The Hebrews writer was quite clear on the matter. A. The teachings of our Lord assume the possibility of falling away, so we are urged to be on guard. 1. The Parable of the Sower & soils. Luke 8:6, 13 Some fell on rock; & as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture 13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; & these have no root, who believe for a while & in time of temptation fall away. a. Fall away aphistme: to desert, forsake, abandon, or defect from. Heb 2:1-3 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, & every transgression & disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, & was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, Heb 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame. 2
C. James weighed in on the subject of falling away. Jas 5:19-20 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, & someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death & cover a multitude of sins. 1. If ean (eh-an'): a conditional particle; often used to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty. a. The word if implies that someone may or may not wander from the truth. b. The conjunction and implies that someone may or may not turn him back. c. One who is not turned back to the truth has fallen away from God; he is like the prodigal son (Lk 15). 2 Pet 3:17 Beloved, since you know this beforehand [the coming day of the Lord & the pervasiveness of teachers], beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;18 but grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. To Him 2 Pet 2:20-21 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them & overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 1 Tim 4:1-2 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. 1 Tim 1:5-7 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. 1 Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1 Tim 6:20-21 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane & idle babblings & contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. 3 D. Peter & Paul gave many references regarding the possibility of personal apostasy. 2 Tim 4:2-4 Preach the word! Be ready in season & out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering & teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 & they will turn their ears away from the truth, & be turned aside to fables.
1. One thing that is evident in these passages, especially if you read the contexts, is that falling away is preventable. II. a. The first thing necessary to prevent falling away is admitting the possibility (most will not). b. But when someone understands the very real possibility of losing his soul when at one time he had been saved then that person is more likely to do what is necessary to prevent it. EXAMPLES OF THE FALLEN A. Throughout the Old & New Testaments, the inspired writers give numerous specific illustrations. 1. In the New, Paul tells us about two men & some young widows who fell away. 1 Tim 1:19-20 having faith & a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus & Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. 1 Tim 5:12-15 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, & not only idle but also gossips & busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 2. In the Old, the subject of falling away breaks down into 2 categories: Israel & Israel s kings. Deut 13:12-15 If you hear someone in one of your cities, which the Lord your God gives you to dwell in, saying, 13 'Corrupt men have gone out from among you & enticed the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go & serve other gods ' which you have not known 14 then you shall inquire, search out, & ask diligently. And if it is indeed true & certain that such an abomination was committed among you, 15 you shall surely strike the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it, all that is in it & its livestock with the edge of the sword. Jud 2:16-17 Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, & bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so. a. Such was the cycle of apostasy throughout the books of Kings & Chron. (2 Chron 14-16). 4
b. Hosea summarized Israel s pattern of apostasy by saying, My people are determined to turn away from Me (NIV). Hosea 11:7 My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt Him. C. Successes & failures in life: 1. The pursuit of money (1 Tim 6:10). 2. The unexpected tragedies (Ecc 5:13-17). D. Shallow faith (most at risk, cf. Matt 13:20-22): III. CAUSES OF FALLING AWAY 1. Soil of stones: overcome by trial & persecution. A. Lack of spiritual leadership: 1. The Jews: iniquity abounded (Matt 24:12-13) 2. The church: savage wolves enter (Acts 20:29-30) 3. The home: when Fathers fail (Eph 5:23; 6:4; Col 3:21) B. Associating with the wrong people: 2. Soil of thorns: by cares, riches, pleasures. 3. Have no shield of faith (Eph 6:16). God s Plan For Our Salvation: Hear the gospel of Christ: Acts 2; 3; 13; Rom 10:17 Believe on Jesus as the Son of God, Savior, Lord, Christ: John 3:16; 8:24; 20:30-31 Repent of sin: Acts 2:38; 17:30; 1 John 3:4; Acts 3:19 Confess faith in Christ: Matt 10:32-33; Acts 8:37; Rom 10:9-10 Baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins: Gal 3:27; Rom 6:3-4; Acts 2:38 Be Obedient to Christ: Titus 2:11-12; Heb 5:9; 2 John 9; Rev 2:10; John 12:48 1. Solomon s wives (1 Kgs 11:1, 4). 2. Evil companions (1 Cor 15:33). 5