OUR GREATEST THREAT: THE PERIL OF APOSTASY

OUR GREATEST THREAT: THE PERIL OF APOSTASY

An Exegesis of Hebrews 3:12-15

 By: Daniel McMillin

What is the greatest threat that the Church faces today? It could be a significant number of things. And many preachers may have differing opinions depending on what lesson they may be preaching. But I believe that the most dire issue that the Church is encountering is a problem that has been around since the very beginning. It is the most destructive threat that we have ever encountered, and it almost feels like a losing battle at times. As we engage this topic, I desire that we do so with the utmost severity and sincerity. Because each of us is in danger of this, the purpose of this lesson is to provide an awareness of this reality according to Scripture and how to avoid it and help others along the way. Each one of us runs the risk of falling away into a state of apostasy. It is possible that we can lose the gift of God’s grace due to our apostasy. I know no greater threat that faces us as a Church, and as individuals, than the reality and risk of losing faith and falling away from God’s grace.

I could provide statistics of how many people we are losing in the Church, both young and old, who are not attending worship and are in a state of apostasy. However, I am not convinced by the statistics that could be mentioned, nor do I believe that they would necessarily be reliable. Furthermore, I do not believe it grasps the intensity of our current subject, and I think its relevance is quite evident. The fact of the matter is that the issue of apostasy has been a topic of discussion and of the utmost importance since the 1st century, and it continues into our current era during the 21st century. I could provide a large number of souls that have fallen away from the Lord and shock you by the quantity. But that misses the entire point. To note that even one soul that has fallen away from the Lord is a devastating reality that should make us tremble. You may have a few names that come to mind. Our hearts should long for their return that we may rejoice. This truth should make us uncomfortable. To know that there are souls who know our Lord, who has previously dedicated their lives to the Lord and have since left the Lord should make us sorrowful. What we want to do in this lesson is find out what it means to fall away from faith so we may have an understanding of what that is like and learn from the warning and exhortation of Scripture. Then we want to look to how we can remain faithful that we may enter eternal rest.  

Apostasy: What It Means to Be Falling Away from Faith

It Is Rooted in Unbelief. The heart of apostasy is a life that is guided away from God. It begins with disbelief. It should be noted that unbelief is not a lack of believing but is a refusal of believing. (Lightfoot, Everyone 53) Remember that these Christians had previously obeyed the Gospel, which means that they must have believed in Jesus and His doctrine, and so they once believed. However, now they are now in this state of unbelief. The reason for this is that they lacked confidence in God. They had lost their belief and thus had a lack thereof. The cause of apostasy was unbelief. This unbelief began with a return to sin due to the enticing aroma it personifies.

It Is Due to the Deception of Sin. How are we deceived? By sin. Lightfoot says, "It is deceptive by nature. Attractive externally, it is corrupt within; appearing to be wise, it blinds men to truth; offering promises of gain, it leaders inexorably to ruin." (Lightfoot, Today 90-91) Sin seems to be pleasurable. But it doesn't last. "Sin has the capacity to promise much more than it can deliver." (Pace 124) It disguises itself as harmless, and it stabs us in the back like a poisonous dagger. Once the poison enters our system, we become sick and slowly die. Once sin has piqued our interest, it has us invested, and we become its slaves. When we have had a taste of sin, we desire more and more and more until, eventually, our lives are defined by sin after it has defiled us. "There is nothing more possible than to be deceived." (Calvin 88) We will be tempted, and we will be willing to follow if we allow its lies to draw us away from God.

It Produces an Evil, Hardened Heart. No one wants to be evil. No one wants to admit they have a hardened heart. No one's goal is to have this evil, hardened heart like the author is talking about in reference to Israel. But our heart's desires may lead us to the point of corruption that hardens our inner self like a stone that becomes wicked in all of its ways. It happened to Israel, and it can happen to us. And so we discover that the heart of the issue is the heart itself. An evil heart is one that is turned away from God. It is a heart that desires evil, that is led to live a life of iniquity. It indulges in the depths of wickedness. How can our hearts be hardened? By sin. Our thoughts, intellect, emotions, and feelings are directed by sin. We allow evil to direct our paths, and our lives are led into evil destinations. "Because one wants to do evil, his heart is sick with sin, and unbelief increases." (Pace 123) Why would we choose evil? Because we have allowed ourselves to be in a state of unbelief. But we have obeyed the Gospel of Christ; surely this cannot be possible. Let me ask you. Which is worse: to reject or to neglect the gospel message? (Heb. 2:1-4).

It Leads to Disobedience. What did the people of Israel do? They rebelled. Were they obedient or disobedient? Why were they disobedient? They became so arrogant, complacent, and ignorant of God's provisions that they began to be enticed by other things because they were so involved in their own lives that they missed the beauty of God's glory. "We may grow so complacent in our sins that we do not want to face change." (Pace 138) We must overcome all challenges of complacency that cause us to rebel against God, or we will justly receive the wrath of God due to our outright disobedience. Paul said those that "do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus" are going to "pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power" (2 Thess. 1:7-9). When we forget God, we forget His blessings. When we forget His blessings, we forget our previous position. When we forget our previous position, we forget the destruction that awaited us and returns to that same fate. Calvin said that "Our rebellion against God flows from no other foundation than wilful wickedness, by which we obstruct the entrance of his grace." (Calvin 84) We choose not to obey God. We are no longer ignorant of God's will since we have received His Word. If we are disobedient, it is of our own accord. We have actively rebelled against the living God, and He is not pleased with us.

It Provokes God. When you poke the bear long enough, it's going to fight. When you poke fun at your brother long enough, he might bite. You do not provoke a wild animal. You do not provoke the living God! This is to "incite bitter feelings," "to exasperate," "to provoke in a proud and insulting manner." (Calvin 85) It is to stimulate or incite annoyance that leads to anger. God is patient and kind. But "we will eventually exhaust the Lord's mercy and exasperate our longsuffering God if we depart from His Word and allow our hearts to become hardened." (Pace 137) The Israelites did this by knowing how God had brought them help and then neglected to appreciate the privileges that they had acquired through Him and then replied by scornfully questioning God's power. (Calvin 85) Those that provoke God will get what is coming to them. No one will escape the wrath of God when they are without faith and remain in a state of disbelief.

It Is Away from the Living Source. "As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Ps. 42:1-2). The Psalmist shows how God is the source of life. Without the source of water found in the brooks, the deer would not survive. It would continue to thirst, become dehydrated, and eventually die. The same is true for those whose souls thirst for the living God. Without God, who is the source of eternal life, we will continue to thirst until we have found the Lord. This is a disastrous fate awaits those without the living God. But how much more so for those who have found the location of eternal life and seek other brooks? Imagine for a moment that the legendary fountain of youth existed. If you found the location, would you just walk away, or would you indulge yourself? You would partake in the blessings of the fountain of youth, right? What about the fountain of life? Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in John 4 and told her she would continue to go to this fountain and continue to thirst, but what He offered would be sufficient; she would no longer thirst because Jesus is the giver of eternal life. "To fall away from the living God is the greatest defection possible." (Guthrie 110) To leave the living God is to leave life itself and enter death with open arms. Jeremiah shows a different side of God by saying, "The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation" (Jer. 10:10).

It Results in Being Lost. "Sin leads to a hardened heart, a hardened or stubborn heart to unbelief, and unbelief (refusal to believe) to apostasy." (Lightfoot, Everyone 54) This is a deliberate action. You have intentionally turned away from the living God of heaven. You have fallen away and lost yourself in the process. Now you have deserted the kingdom, revolted against God, you have departed from the faith. How do you think that feels? How did we get here? Neil R. Lightfoot said that "Apostasy is the ultimate consequence of unbelief." (Lightfoot, Everyone 53) We become in peril due to our unbelief, and that is why Christians fall away. They lose their handling of their own faith. They lose sight of what matters. They forget God, salvation, Scripture, the Church, their purpose, and ultimately their own identity. This could happen to any one of us. It can happen to all of us. This is a possibility for everyone who is a Christian. None of us are immune to the effects of sin. There is no exception for apostasy. We can all fall away. But we do not have to!

Holding Fast Our Confession: How to Remain Faithful or Return to the Lord In Faith

Learn from Israel.

"Take care." There is an urgency in this warning. Pay close attention. Take heed. Look at Israel, learn from them, and most importantly: Do not let this happen to you! If we are not careful, we will suffer the same fate. It would be foolish to know what Israel did in the wilderness and repeat history in the 21st century. Yet, we do that all the time. We start pointing the finger at the Israelites and direct our attention to their flaws, and we miss the mark as far as they did! Thank God that He is merciful when we are so foolish and arrogant. My first point, which was the author's first point, is a plea to listen to the echoing voices of God's people in the wilderness. Listen to the negative lessons we learn from Israel: (1) Do not have an evil, hardened, unbelieving heart. (2) Do not be a rebel that provokes God. (3) Do not be complacent and take God for granted. Listen to the positive lessons we can learn from Israel's negative example: (1) Be grateful for God's providence and your salvation. (2) Appreciate God's power to save. (3) Thank God for His love, provision, and care. "Let us be diligent to enter the rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience" (Heb. 4:11).

Live for and Love the Living God

Fall for the living God that you may not fall away from the source of eternal life. What is your purpose of service? Is it self-service or self-sacrificial service? Am I here to gain whatever I can from God, or am I here to give everything I can to God, who has given so much for me? If our purpose is revolved around self, then our faith will not sustain us. We are not self-sufficient; we are lacking. We are in constant need of the living God. Without Him, we are nothing. Christianity is about ministry, not self-sufficiency. The world does not revolve around me. There is more to life than ourselves. Our purpose in life is not to find our own personal deficient meaning. Jesus said it is to give our heart, soul, mind, strength. Our entire person is to be dedicated to the Lord (Mark 12:30). You must renew your mind and let it belong to the Lord that you may no longer have a heart of disbelief. You have to restore your affection for the Lord and rededicate your life to the Lord. The soul that God has given you is to be willingly returned through self-sacrifice.

Seek to please the God of heaven and focus on His will. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb. 11:6). We need to seek the things that God wants us to seek. Paul says that this means we must set our “minds on the things that are above” (Col. 3:2). Paul also informs us that it is through the Word that we may know how to please Him. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). What that requires is that you “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1-2). Once we have faith, seek to know the things that God would have us to know through His Word, and give ourselves to God, we will then be acceptable in His sight.

Grow in your knowledge to learn more about God that you may grow in your love of God. Have you ever tried to pick up a hobby that you learn about, gain interest in, and get invested in? And you get really excited, so you eventually buy all the stuff for it and a year later, you've almost forgotten all about it. Why does that happen? Because it lost its newness didn't it? You stopped learning and getting excited about it, and eventually, you started to drift away from it. That is why we fall away. We lose that new feeling in the newness of life, believe it or not. We have forgotten the joy of salvation, and we run the risk of entering into apostasy. We neglect God's Word and do not learn. But the thing about the Bible is there's always something new for us to learn because we're learning about an infinite, omnipotent Being that has redeemed us and communicated to us through His Word (Heb. 1:1-2). It is only when we stop putting in the effort and study that it becomes stagnant in our lives. God's Word is living and active (Heb. 4:12); the only way it can become dead is if it is not alive in your heart. When we leave "the elementary teaching about the Christ," and we seek to grow in our "maturity" of spiritual matters concerning our God (Heb. 6:1-3). We do not need to remain where we are. It's not good to be stuck. We need to be growing. We must desire to partake in the depths of God's word and not remain in the basics forever. We must dwell in the depths of who God is that as we learn more, we may seek Him more. As we grow in our adoration for, understanding of, and belief in God, we will not be led into unbelief. Our faith will be strengthened by our knowledge of God which will effectively develop a stronger conviction of service to Him. There must be a motivation to move and to grow; otherwise, our faith is going nowhere, and its stagnate. Keep growing to not fall away. Grow in knowledge to grow in love for God.

Encourage Each Other Daily

"Encourage one another day after day." The author has provided the remedy to apostasy. He has given us the solution, and he says, "you can't do this alone…you need others to pick you up when you fall." When you are at your lowest, to be fallen away is the lowest point any Christian could be at, you need your fellow brethren to be there for you. You need your family to help you along the way and come to your assistance. In order to avoid apostasy, we need daily motivation. We can't encourage ourselves. When we read Scripture and are uplifted by the words of inspiration, we need God. When we hear the loving words of a friend, our spirits are lifted by the loving words of a close one. We need others. The author of Hebrews recognized this need and wrote a letter of "exhortation" (Heb. 13:22). Our author provides us with an excellent example of exhortation. He shows us how to encourage our brethren by encouraging the brethren. There is a daily need for encouragement for those who might be drifting or have drifted away. It is helpful to all of us, including me. We should encourage one another. We do this every week when we fellowship in this assembly to worship our God. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Heb. 10:23-25). We are limiting this passage if we only use this verse to say, "you must go to every church service" we are missing the point. Why must it be a habit that we gather together in assembly? Believers are to encourage and strengthen each other, and this especially takes place in the worship assembly (10:24-25). If the original readers were meeting only on the Lord's Day, only once a week, the admonition here is that they are to meet day by day. The passage says, "'Assemble in order to encourage more and more' rather than 'encourage to assemble more and more." (Pace 123) We assemble to strengthen one another, exhort one another, and lift each other's spirits. When we have that in mind, there is a wonderful purpose found in the assembly. We gather to glorify our God and, as a result, edify and encourage one another. What a great blessing that is!

Build relationships with your fellow Christians. If we are not a family, then we are doing Christianity wrong. The Church is to create an aroma of safety, love, and hospitality. The Church is to be a place where everyone feels welcome and at home. It creates an atmosphere where everyone belongs. Everyone is different, and I think that is the beauty of this family we have in Christ. It is for that reason that we should seek to strengthen our relationships with our brethren and build upon the connection that we have through Christ.

Uplift each other to not be deceived by the power of sin. We need fellowship in order to ward off the fallacies of the devil that we may not be deceived and drawn away from our God. Fellowship will sustain a relationship that will strengthen your faith. When we work together, our hearts will be kept from hardening. Unity provides a defense. It becomes our shield in battle. When deception comes our way, it is good to have the numbers on our side. It is easy to deceive an individual but difficult to deceive a multitude. In isolation, we stand alone. But in close communion, we stand together. We need each other that we may not be deceived by the ploys of the devil!

Continually support one another to strengthen one another. The simplest sentence of exhortation can go a long way. Sometimes saying, "Good job,” "it’s ok,” or “I’m here for you.” means a lot. But also showing appreciation for the works that others are doing can really make someone’s day. But at the end of the day, just being there, being present in people’s lives, removes any feeling of isolation. It is difficult to feel alone when you constantly have people that care about you right by your side. Let us show our love to one another by supporting each other daily.

Remember the Union You Have In Christ and the Commitment You Have Made.

You “have become a partaker in Christ;” do not forsake Him. Be true to your word and bear in mind your obligation to Christ. Remember what you said when you confessed Him as Lord. Remember the salvation you have through the Son. Remember the connection you have with your Savior. When you remember everything, He has done, it becomes difficult to want to abandon Him.  

Maintain the Same Confidence You Once Had when You Confessed Christ and Hold Fast to that Same Conviction to the End

“If we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end.” Lightfoot noted that “all Christians must remember the ‘if’ of their final salvation. God is the great God of grace, and we are saved by his grace. But grace must be received and continued in (2 Cor. 6:1) …if we hold the confidence we had when we began our Christian journey. That confidence or assurance must be held ‘firm to the end,’ until Christ comes or until we depart to be with him.” (Lightfoot, Everyone 54) Remember why you became a Christian (conversion). Remember why you fell in love with Christ and wanted to serve Him. Remember how you felt when the burdens of your sins were lifted and your sins had been washed away. Remember what it was like to have the forgiveness of your sins. Hold on to that feeling. Do not be like the Ephesians and leave “your first love” (Rev. 2:4). Value the gift of your salvation. The salvation you have obtained is “so great,” do not “neglect” it! (Heb. 2:3). When you cherish the gift of God’s grace, it is hard to want to walk away from it. Return to the determination you once had. When you have gained that emotion and recognized the priceless nature of your salvation, then do not stop there. Keep going! Go back to where you once were and do not lose sight. Keep the course and maintain your faith. Hold Fast to Your Faith Lest It Slips Away from You.  Faith is to be our foundation. That faith must sustain us to the end because it is to be constant and steadfast. That which we have obtained from the beginning must progress to the end. If it only appears to be a mere imitation of faith rather than an artificial dependence upon God, then that fraudulent faith will not last. Our faith must be genuine and true. It demands that we trust in the sovereignty, the divine power, and control of our God! If we have no faith, then who are we? Because we are not Christians without faith. We have no purpose for our belief. We have no evidence for our belief. We have no source of belief. Or, quite frankly, a reality of belief itself. Let us hold fast to the confession of our faith (Heb. 3:6)! We should “consider” our Lord, Savior, and High Priest Jesus Christ that we may have the confidence required to enter eternal rest (Heb. 3:1).

Listen to God

“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me.” Open your heart. The Word of God can be offensive when our lives do not line up with this living message, but we need to let our guards down. Bear in mind; we need to think, think critically, and be honest with ourselves. Allow our hearts to not be on the defense but for them to be opened that the sword of God may pierce our hearts. Open your ears. You have to listen and be attentive to the message otherwise;, you might miss what God is saying. Hear the voice of God. There is still an open opportunity to hear the voice of God. We have the privilege to hear the living God through His living word. Let us receive it with humility that our lives may be changed. That our morals, ethics, and values may be conformed to the ways of our Lord. As we hear the voice of God, may we be transformed.

Take Action Today through Obedience and Faith

Take heed to the gospel message “Today.” Know the message, apply the message, and act now! Tomorrow is too late when today awaits. Coffman lists seven reasons for taking action today (70): (1) Most have waited long enough already. (2) There may never be a tomorrow. (3) It becomes increasingly difficult with time to repent and obey. (4) God has commanded immediate obedience. (5) One’s impulse to obey will lessen with time. (6) Later obedience may not be as beneficial. (7) There will never be a better time to obey than the present. Why wait? God has extended the opportunity for us in the present time. Why delay for tomorrow? What could be done today? God calls us to respond immediately, without hesitation, “for there is no faith except where there is such a readiness to obey.” (Calvin 89) Have Faith! “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Without an obedient faith that longs to serve God, we will not be pleasing to Him. To have such faith, we must follow the example of the heroes of faith (Heb. 11) and imitate the founder and finisher of faith, Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:1-2).

Entering Eternal Rest with Confidence: A Journey to the Promised Land

Let us hold fast our confession that we may enter the rest! “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession” (Heb. 4:14). Jesus has provided the way of passage; all we have to do is enter in by faith. Let us seek to save those who have gone astray! “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). Send text, a card, make a visit, or a phone call. Whatever is needed. Reach out to those who have fallen away and show them that you love them and that you care about them. Hear the plea of our Lord’s call to return. The Lord wants you to return (Luke 15). He is patiently waiting to show His compassion towards you. The answer remains, "Will you heed His call and listen to His voice?"