28 July | Youth
«When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, commits iniquity, and dies in it, it is because of the iniquity which he has done that he dies.» Ezekiel 18:26
No one abandons their faith overnight. When someone gets to the point of leaving the church, they have already been moving away from God for a long time. It is the small concessions to sin that builds the path that leads away from God. All apostasy begins with a simple sin. The small gaps here and there are responsible for filling the boat with water.
When I (Ailton) met Lucas, he had been away from the church for about three years. He said: “I slowly lost interest in church. One fine day I realized that I no longer had any pleasure in spiritual things.” It all started with a lack of discipline in studying the Bible. The next step was to stop participating in church activities. Without daily contact with God, Luke no longer wanted to be in the Father's house or contribute to the preaching of the gospel. The result was complete apostasy.
Contrary to what the doctrine of predestination teaches, a person who has been justified can abandon God's ways and reject divine grace. No one is shielded in faith. The Christian life is made up of continuous choices. If at some point the person's decisions start to go against God's will, they may “fall from grace.” It is true that having your name in the church books is not enough to save anyone. The experience of salvation involves more than that. It is walking with Jesus day by day and doing His will by faith. On the other hand, being a member of the body of Christ highlights our commitment to the Lord, for the full development of faith.
In Hebrews 10:25 we read: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” The apostle warns us against a lack of interest in attending church. He identifies the practice of communion with brothers as an indispensable preparation for the Lord's return.
Before apostasy sets in, the person shows some signs of this problem. The cherished sins open paths in the heart for the abandonment of faith. The lack of interest in participating in church activities and the lack of desire to attend services turn on the red light on the life panel. Pay attention to the signs. Do not abandon Jesus and His church.