APOSTASY

The dictionary defines apostasy as forsaking one's religion. In a more strict sense in this lesson, we want to study the subject of apostasy as forsaking true religion, the truth as revealed in the word of God.

"Once in grace, always in grace," has been a common plea of some churches for a long time. This teaching is simply this: Once a person is saved, they cannot be lost. They are eternally saved. Some call it "Eternal security of the believer." This is purely a man-made doctrine and is not based on the word of God at all.

This lesson is aimed at causing you to see that after we have been baptized into Christ, yet there is much to do in keeping faithful unto God; and that any time we fail in doing the will of God we fall from grace, or we so sin that we can be lost. We must live a life of repentance for evils done and also of determination to be more faithful to the Lord as days come and go.

The Bible Teaches That…
1. IF WE TRY TO BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW WE ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE.

In Galatians 3:4, we are told that Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are (or try to be) justified by the law, ye are fallen from grace. Paul is pointing out that Christ had come to fulfill the law, to take it out of the way, and that it is through Christ and not through the Old Testament law that we are justified. If we try to be justified by the law, then we are setting aside the very purpose of the coming of Christ, which was to fulfill the law and establish a new covenant. (Matthew 5:17; Hebrews 10:9).

If a person were eternally saved when they received remission of sins, then there would be no room for growth. The Scriptures teach that we are to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We often make mistakes, and therefore must continue to study, work and pray if we expect to make heaven our home.

The Bible Teaches That…
2. WE MUST GIVE DILIGENCE TO KEEP FROM FALLING.

In 2 Peter 1:10, just after Peter instructs us to add various things to our faith, he said: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." In this passage, Peter states that certain things must be added in order to insure salvation, but if we do not add them, we will fall. Thus, we see that it is possible to fall from grace.

The Bible Teaches That…
3. IT WOULD BE BETTER NOT TO KNOW THE TRUTH THAN TO TURN BACK AFTER WE HAVE LEARNED AND OBEYED.

In 2 Peter 2:20-22, we read, "For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again tangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning.”

"For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

If this passage of Scripture does not teach falling from grace, then it teaches nothing at all. It emphatically states that after they have escaped the pollution of the world, they are again entangled therein. This is another way of saying that they forsake the Lord and turn back to sin. If that isn't falling from grace, then words mean nothing.

The Bible Teaches That…
4. EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL REALIZED THAT HE MIGHT BECOME A CASTAWAY IF HE DID NOT CONTINUE TO BE FAITHFUL.

In 1 Corinthians 9:26-27, we read: "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

The only meaning that seems to be brought out in the statement, "cast-away," is that of being rejected of God, not acceptable unto Him. If this is the case, then Paul realized that after he had preached the gospel, it was yet possible to fall from grace.

Paul certainly was a Christian when he preached to others. We read in Acts chapter 9, how that the Lord appeared to him on the way to Damacus, and told him to go into the city and it would be told him what he must do. After he had gone to Damascus and there tarried three days, Ananias, a disciple, came to him and told him to arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins. When he did this he was saved, and the Scripture says that straightway he preached the gospel in the synagogues.

Certainly no one would question that Paul was a Christian after he had been baptized and had begun to preach the gospel, but he wrote the letter to the Corinthians at a later date and told them that he was careful, lest he be a castaway. Certainly, this teaches us that a person may fall from grace.

Let us not have the false sense of security that once we are saved we can't be lost. This is a dangerous doctrine. It probably will cause men and women to do things that they would otherwise not do.

Section 1 - Choose the correct answer.

Question 1
Apostasy is defined as _____ one's religion. In this lesson we studied of apostasy as forsaking ______ religion, the truth as revealed in the (creed books, Word of God).

Question 2
A common plea of some churches is "_____ in grace, _____ in grace." This is a (man-made, Bible) doctrine.

Question 3
If we try to be justified by the law we are _____. If we fall from grace and do not return and repent we will be (eternally lost, saved anyhow.)

Question 4 "… give diligence to make your _____ and _____ sure: for if ye do these things ye shall _____." If we fail to do these things we shall (not fall anyhow, fall from grace).

Question 5
"But it is happened unto them according to the true _____ the dog is turned to his own _____ again; and the sow that was washed to her _____ in the mire." If we once know and obey and then turn back, the latter condition (never could be as bad as before we leaned, is worse than the beginning).

Section 2 - True or False

Question 1
It is not possible to fall from grace.
TrueFalse

Question 2
Eternal security of the believer is a true doctrine.
TrueFalse

Question 3
If we try to be justified by the law we are fallen from grace.
TrueFalse

Question 4
We must give diligence to keep from falling.
TrueFalse

Question 5
Paul realized that it was possible for him to fall from grace.
TrueFalse

Please Complete The Form Below.

Your Name

Your Email

Your Comments / Questions (if any)