In light of pressures faced by persecuted Christians all over the world, this is an important question that needs to be asked.
Many of us think it is highly unlikely that genuine Christians will deny God except under extremely trying circumstances—like when a gun barrel is pointed at one’s head.
Many of us think it is highly unlikely that genuine Christians will deny God except under extremely trying circumstances—like when a gun barrel is pointed at one’s head.
However,
it is possible for true believers to deny Christ because God gave every man a free will—that
which ultimately determines whether His grace is efficacious for man.
Furthermore,
various push and pull factors can cause even genuine believers to deny Christ whose blood was shed for man's sins.
Push factors
include use of duress, blackmail and threats to one’s family, property,
security or survival. One example is forced denial through gunpoint.
Pull factors
include the lust for power, riches and fleshly pleasures. Initially this ‘pull
category’ merely causes believers to backslide. As the spiritual decline
worsens, the heart may become hardened—and satan has a veritable
foothold in their lives. Evil indulgences and sinful pursuits may then lead to a ‘point
of no return’—where
even genuine believers may deny God.
In the Parable of the Sower, the seed which fell
among thorns represents those who receive God’s message well at first but later
get choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures. The result is
that they fail to mature and bear fruit, unlike the seed which fell on good
soil (Luke 8:14-15).
The
predisposing factor for believers to deny God is their sinful nature. While there is no sin that God’s grace and mercy cannot
avail, we must not swing to the other extreme and underestimate the reality of
our inner nature.
"The human heart is the most deceitful
of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah
17:9).
Referring to the ugliness of our sinful nature,
theologian John R. W. Stott states: “Indeed, an honest and humble acknowledgment of the hopeless evil of our flesh, even after the new birth, is the first step
to holiness. To speak quite plainly, some of us are not leading holy lives for
the simple reason that we have too high an opinion of ourselves.” — Men
Made New (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1966), p. 74.
Denial of one’s faith is
possible
“If we deny him, he also
will deny us” (2
Timothy 2:12b). Paul was certainly addressing a young believer in his letter.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves
swift destruction” (2
Peter 2:1).
‘Bought
by the precious blood of Christ’ (1 Peter 1:19) refers to true believers whose
lives have experienced God’s forgiveness and cleansing.
Peter
spent so much time moving around and living with the Master. He had the enviable
privilege of witnessing His miraculous power and Transfiguration (with James
and John of the inner circle). He confessed that Jesus was the Christ when
others were not sure. We would think he would be the last person to deny Christ.
But we are sadly mistaken.
So
when people tell me that those who deny Christ were never really converted in
the first place, I am truly puzzled. How are we going to reconcile this misguided
stance with the evidence from scriptures, biblical examples and contemporary examples
that show that it is possible for believers to deny God?
Denial of one’s faith
will increase amid end time persecution
“Then you
will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world
because you are my followers. And many will turn away
from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will
deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love
of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be
saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).
In the above Olivet Discourse, Jesus was addressing
his disciples, telling them what to expect during the end
times (or rather the beginning of the end).
A state of apostasy is worse than a state of ignorance
“For if, after
they have escaped the defilements of the world through the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they
are again entangled in them and overcome, the last
state has become worse for them than the first. For it would
have been better for them never to
have known the way of righteousness than
after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Peter 2:20-21).
God can overlook lapses of
faith but denial is more serious
“If we endure, we will also
reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself”
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself”
(2
Timothy 2:12-13).
Impossible to restore
believers who commit apostasy
“For it
is impossible, in the
case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the
heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have
tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have
fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are
crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to
contempt. For land that
has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those
for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it
bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its
end is to be burned” (Hebrews
6: 4-8).
Everyone means all—no exception—Christians or pre-believers
“So
everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my
Father who is in heaven, but whoever
denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).
What is the fate of believers who deny Christ—whose faith does not endure till the end?
“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have
done the will of God you may receive what is
promised. For,
‘Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.’
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.’
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:36-39).
Jesus’ teaching implies that only those who do not
give up their faith amid persecution will be saved
“Then you
will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world
because you are my followers. And many will turn away
from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will
deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love
of many will grow cold. But the one who
endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:9-13).
Humility needed
The
purpose of sharing this post is to warn believers: We mustn’t think that we are
so strong that we will definitely not turn away from God (1 Corinthians 10:12). Instead let's “work out our salvation with fear and trembling”
(Philippians 2:12) so that we may be preserved from this tragic state where we
deny the Master who bought us with His precious blood.
Lest we
say it won’t happen to us, let’s remember what happened to Peter—he denied
the Master three times.
“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed
lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
Let us
emulate the tax collector’s humility. He, who would not even dare
to look up to heaven, beat his breast and
said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner’ (Luke 18:9-14).
Of course, it would not be fair if I fail to allude
to the fact that God who began the good work in us will bring it to completion
one day (Philippians 1:6). Neither should I fail to mention that God gave a reprieve
to Peter even though he denied Him three times.
However, we need to play our part too:
- Build ourselves up in our most holy faith (Jude 1:20).
- Be all the more diligent to confirm our calling and election (2 Peter 1:10).
- Bear fruits that befit repentance (Luke 3:8).
- Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him (2 Peter 3:14).
Lastly, let’s cry out to God that He will enable us to
remain strong and steadfast in these perilous and tumultuous end times. “Preserve
me, O God, for in you I take refuge” (Psalm 16:1).
RELATED POSTS
SHOOTING OURSELVES IN THE FOOT
Five ways believers
could possibly jeopardise their eternal destiny
SAVED AND SECURE?
Is there eternal security for believers if
they deny God or continue living in sin?
REPETITIVE SINNING
What fate awaits those
who sin repeatedly after they have believed?
MOTHER
OF ALL BATTLES
A clear understanding
of the ongoing battle between the “old man” and “new man” is essential before
we can walk in victory.
SAINT
OR SINNER?
Is the believer essentially a saint or sinner? If he is a ‘saint’, why is
he still struggling with sin?
CAN A GENUINE CHRISTIAN COMMIT APOSTASY?
Solid meat. Hard sayings. Many will
rationalise that Hebrews 6: :4-8 does not refer to believers; they were
unregenerate in the first place. Is it so?
SUBTLE ENTANGLEMENTS
We have heard of turtles
getting entangled in fishermen’s nets. As they can no longer roam in search for
food, some may eventually die. Somewhere along the way believers too get
entangled in various pursuits which either impede progress or lead them off the
intended spiritual path.
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