It leaves us stunned that some seemingly mature Christian
leaders eventually disown the faith. We wonder, “What did they see or learn
that made them turn away? Will that happen to me as I learn more?”
Christian writer and theologian, Michael Brown, has confronted
this question. He admits that he had been confronted by the same questions and
perplexities as others had, who had disowned the faith. However, these doubts
had led him to seek deeper. As a result, his faith had been strengthened.
However, this leads us to the question, “Why do two similar “believers”
take opposite paths – one away from the Path and the other to a deeper embrace
of the Path?” Brown correctly answered:
·
The Scriptures say repeatedly that God rewards
those who diligently seek Him, who search for Him and His truth more than a
miner searches for gold and silver (see, e.g., Deuteronomy 4:29; Jeremiah
29:13; Proverbs 3:13-18; Luke 18:1-8; Hebrews 11:6). We are to seek Him with
heart and mind, spirit and intellect. https://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2022/01/23/responding-to-the-latest-christian-leader-to-renounce-his-faith-n2602217
However, there must be more to the answer than this. Is it primarily
a matter of our effort and determination that we remain in the Faith? Wouldn’t
this provide grounds for boasting and arrogance? Instead, it seems that our God
is ultimately responsible for keeping us:
·
…According to his great mercy, he has caused us
to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept
in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3–5; Philippians 1:6)
Well, why didn’t our Lord keep others who had ministered the
Gospel? This question is difficult to answer, or perhaps it isn’t difficult. Perhaps
it is very simple, as Jesus had assured us:
·
I give them eternal life, and they will never
perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the
Father’s hand. (John 10:28–29; Romans 8:38-39)
Perhaps instead, we feel uncomfortable with the answer. It
suggests that salvation is a gift of God, and along with this gift, we are also
given the gift to persevere in the Faith.
The Apostle John needed to answer this very question, since
many within the Church had turned their back on the Faith creating shock-waves
among the faithful:
·
They went out from us, but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went
out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:19)
John reassured them that this wouldn’t happen to them as
they grew in their faith:
·
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and
you all have knowledge. (1 John 2:20)
Both sets of churchgoers had the Scriptures, but only those
remained had the “anointing.” They had the Spirit, who illuminated the
Scriptures for them. The other set never had the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:10-18).
But why not? Scripture claims that any who call upon God
will be saved (Romans 10:12-13), right? Had those who departed never called
upon God in truth? This sounds so harsh, even judgmental, but this seems to be
the judgment of the Scriptures, perhaps even of those who had departed. Many of
these had later admitted that they had never believed (or had “believed” in an
unscriptural way). Perhaps we need to take them at their word.
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