What Makes Ex-Christians Think They Once Were Christians?

[Stumpmaster]

I've come across a few former professing Christians who have either lost their faith or renounced it.

Real scenario. It happens.

Heb 6:4-6 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.

 

[Keturah]

I've come across a few former professing Christians who have either lost their faith or renounced it.

Real scenario. It happens.

Heb 6:4-6 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.

I have found most have been drawn away by their own lust of the flesh and once it has conceived & acted upon it becomes sin.

In refusing to acknowledge that they have  sinned & need to  REPENT ,turn away from & lean into Jesus, our advocate, they sweep it under the proverbial rug!

 They are most often those who have the mind-set  once a  son, always a  son. This is  ONE of the biggest LIES Satan has told in conjunction with "but did God really say that ?".

Maybe they are those indoctrinated into the false teaching that denies the " fall" from grace IS POSSIBLE, denying that the word says it is so in many places !!

Again they NEVER move from the salvation of the cross unto maturity of the Spirit & into spiritual growth in their discipleship..........still on the milk, infantile christians.

The parable of the sower & the seeds is a growing place to THOSE THAT WILL HEAR!!!!!

 

[Stumpmaster]

I have found most have been drawn away by their own lust of the flesh and once it has conceived & acted upon it becomes sin.

In refusing to acknowledge that they have  sinned & need to  REPENT ,turn away from & lean into Jesus, our advocate, they sweep it under the proverbial rug!

 They are most often those who have the mind-set  once a  son, always a  son. This is  ONE of the biggest LIES Satan has told in conjunction with "but did God really say that ?".

Maybe they are those indoctrinated into the false teaching that denies the " fall" from grace IS POSSIBLE, denying that the word says it is so in many places !!

Again they NEVER move from the salvation of the cross unto maturity of the Spirit & into spiritual growth in their discipleship..........still on the milk, infantile christians.

The parable of the sower & the seeds is a growing place to THOSE THAT WILL HEAR!!!!!

Yes, very clearly and sensibly stated @Keturah

Much of the New Testament, and particularly the book of Hebrews addresses the potential to forfeit salvation.

Heb 10:28-29 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

 

[Nancy]

I've come across a few former professing Christians who have either lost their faith or renounced it.

Real scenario. It happens.

Heb 6:4-6 For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify the Son of God for themselves again, and put him to open shame.

Hey Stumpmaster,
When I read this part: "and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit." What I see here, is that you can be saved and yet get drawn back into the world. If they were not saved to begin with, how could they have been "partakers of the Holy Spirit"?
I was once a believer in OSAS but, not anymore, wish it were truth! To me, it's not.

 

[Triumph1300]

I have found most have been drawn away by their own lust of the flesh and once it has conceived & acted upon it becomes sin.

Not always lust of flesh, etc.
I know some who are very disappointed with the Church.
It's difficult to find a church these days thats not employing false teachers.
Promising all kinds of prosperity and healings, plus preaching false prophesies.
There is no end to it on the internet either....lots of them.
It's difficult to find a good solid church. It's a sign of the end times.

 

[Nancy]

Not always lust of flesh, etc.
I know some who are very disappointed with the Church."christians"
It's difficult to find a church these days thats not employing false teachers.
Promising all kinds of prosperity and healings, plus preaching false prophesies.
There is no end to it on the internet either....lots of them.
It's difficult to find a good solid church. It's a sign of the end times.

Hi Gary,
It seems to me that the great falling away or, "apostacy" and the new global religion, kind of go hand in hand. Those who are falling away from the church's of today ARE the true Christians, refusing to sit under false teachings. For so very long, I assumed (oop's!) that it would be the true Christians who stayed while the false ones left to go back into the world.

Funny how we can flip flop our beliefs over the years.

 

[lforrest]

Those that I've seen leave Christianity are what I would describe as entitled.

Entitlement is like a state of living in the sin of pride. And if Satan fell from heaven due to it, what makes people think God will excuse it in them without correction. Those who will not submit to God's authority do not belong in heaven.

 

[Behold]

I've come across a few former professing Christians who have either lost their faith or renounced it.

Are you ever the "former child" of your mother?

Why is that?

Because of BIRTH.

Did you earn that?
Do you control that?
Can you end being born of your mother, if you decided one day... "i dont want to be born of you, mama, i renounce being born... i reject my faith that i was ever born of my mother".

A.) Ridiculous

So, if you are BORN AGAIN..... = "born"....."again".

You can't end birth... Its already happened.
You can never stop being born of your mother or Born of God.

You can never stop being born again. = "BORN"... again.

 

[Triumph1300]

Those who are falling away from the church's of today ARE the true Christians, refusing to sit under false teachings.

So true.

 

[Triumph1300]

So, if you are BORN AGAIN..... "born"....."again".

You can't end birth... Its already happened.
You can never stop being born of your mother or Born of God.

You can never stop being born again. = "BORN"... again.

Ah, OSAS doctrine.

 

[Behold]

Ah, OSAS doctrine.

False accusation #1.

let me show you something..

If you read Acts 28:28.... you'll find that Paul is dealing with unsaved Hebrews. (Jews)

Then compare this to Hebrews 6 and then of course Hebrews 10:26.

You'll see that its all the SAME..... what happened in Hebrews 6:4 and 10:26, is revealed in Acts 28:28

Those verses are not talking to born again Christians.

And one more thing,
All sin is "willful", "willfully committed".
All of yours.
So, when you try to teach that believers can lose their salvation, you are denying the Redemption that is found in Christ.
Don't do that.

 

[Triumph1300]

Straight from Scripture:

45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

Jesus is speaking to apostles here. They were not false believers.

They were believers. He tells the apostles and through them us to watch out so that they are not deceived.

Then Jesus says that because of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold. Unbelievers do not have love to grow cold. Only believers do.

He further tells believers that they must stand firm to the end to be saved.

 

[Keturah]

Ah, OSAS doctrine.

& Hyper grace sprinkled with a little Calvinism....no thanks!

 

[Behold]

He further tells believers that they must stand firm to the end to be saved.

Lots of verses, misused.

Lets just go with the "endure to the end" that you took from Matthew 24. (and your bible version is not good.).

Jesus is speaking prophetically about the Great Tribulation, in your verse.
Did you know that Jesus was a Prophet on earth, and also The Messiah?
Really.
Prophets speak "prophetically" at times.

Jesus says, """"when you see the "Abomination of Desolation".... and that is a reference to the Anti-Christ proclaiming Himself to be "God".
That occurs, in the 3.5-7 yr part of the Trib, that is the GREAT TRIB.
And Jesus says, in that time, you have to ":endure to the end to be saved".

Why is that not now, Triupmp1300?

Because right now, we are in the "time of the Gentiles", not the Grt-Trib.
Now, we are given Eternal life based on :

"THE GIFT OF SALVATION".

"Faith is counted as righteousness'

"Justification by FAITH" without the deeds of the law or works, or enduring or any other type of SELF EFFORT.

 

[Stumpmaster]

Are you ever the "former child" of your mother?

Why is that?

Because of BIRTH.

Did you earn that?
Do you control that?
Can you end being born of your mother, if you decided one day... "i dont want to be born of you, mama, i renounce being born... i reject my faith that i was ever born of my mother".

A.) Ridiculous

So, if you are BORN AGAIN..... = "born"....."again".

You can't end birth... Its already happened.
You can never stop being born of your mother or Born of God.

You can never stop being born again. = "BORN"... again.

Metaphors have their limits. Going beyond such limits leads to error, and heresy.

Receiving the Spirit and then rejecting it is possible.

Many think because they have been magically "born again" they can never think, say, or do anything that would jeopardise their supposed salavation. The Judaisers persuaded the Galatians to go back to Jewish customs and observation of the law.

Gal 3:1-3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? (2) This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— (3) Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Gal 3:5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

 

[amigo de christo]

Hi Gary,
It seems to me that the great falling away or, "apostacy" and the new global religion, kind of go hand in hand. Those who are falling away from the church's of today ARE the true Christians, refusing to sit under false teachings. For so very long, I assumed (oop's!) that it would be the true Christians who stayed while the false ones left to go back into the world.

Funny how we can flip flop our beliefs over the years.

SPOT ON RIGHT sister . THEY GO HAND IN HAND .

 

[thelord's_pearl]

@1stCenturyLady, what do you say is the problem with this scenario. I was once baptized and believed Jesus could be true but wasn't sure. I, after, fell away and didn't believe in Him anymore because I was not very learned (a Christian who's house was built on a rock, which stands firm, forever and does not fall with a great crash when the wind blows) do you think I will go to hell? God showed himself to me after and it feels like he sealed me in permanently 'cause I can never reject Him ever again based on all that I know now. Thank you lots for your reply.

 

[amigo de christo]

Hi Gary,
It seems to me that the great falling away or, "apostacy" and the new global religion, kind of go hand in hand. Those who are falling away from the church's of today ARE the true Christians, refusing to sit under false teachings. For so very long, I assumed (oop's!) that it would be the true Christians who stayed while the false ones left to go back into the world.

Funny how we can flip flop our beliefs over the years.

Because true lambs follow CHRIST JESUS THE KING . Yep , years ago
many would have thought during the great falling away it would mean empty churches .
Yet under the very falling away more and more are gathering as one right under a deception .
And the more filled churches are now the ones who are preaching n teaching the lie .
That is sad to see . But it is true . BUT lambs are doing exploits , the true lambs are rising up
speaking truth . Some are gathering in small groups . BUT NO MATTER where they are ,
no matter how far and wide they are scattered , ONE THING IS CERTAIN . THE LORD IS WITH ALL LAMBS .
Now let all that has breath both praise and thank the LORD . And let none buy the lies and the lie of the new global religoin .

 

[Triumph1300]

and your bible version is not good

Oh.
I am sorry about that.
We need to make sure we use the right Bible.

.... a way to get around scriptures to prove one's point.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I have found that kids who once had some faith and now years after such reject all such ? but i have found that once the spark has been lit that such a one can come back to that faith truly ? it may take something bad to happen to jolt that position back into reality ? or talking to one who can give real guidance, as we know the Bible says that the weeds of this world grow up and strangle that light that was in one ?

So i have found that if one has time to be convinced otherwise, so they will listen to you ? and no mater how angered or whatever about churches etc etc, one can bring them back, for i am talking about Christ Jesus to them and not any Church denomination ? and this is the problem with all the Churches ! For they do not preach Christ Jesus first and foremost in ones lives.

The only real Church is Christ Jesus Body and he is the Head their of ! that's where it's all at ! Abiding in him and he in you !

The Church never Saved anyone.

Only Christ Jesus Saves ones Soul !

Jesus says that This world is Full of Deceptions and Delusions. But we who are truly Saved are of the Kingdom of God ! for we understand what and why This world is under the power of.
So We have been Vaccinated one could say ? so has anyone who has had any faith in Jesus ? Now such a one may not know that Jesus is the Christ ? but they do have some faith in Jesus ? but when one is truly born again, it is then you know Jesus is the Christ Jesus ! so he is your Lord and Saviour !

Most such people who have walked away, are barking up the wrong tree and i know that they have every right to be not impressed, as i can agree with them, but They have been mislead ! It's not about the Churches ? As i am talking about Christ Jesus ! for this is the issue one must understand.