Exploring the reasons behind believers abandoning their faith, including the impact of witnessing friends reject Christianity and the rise of prominent evangelist Charles Templeton. It also delves into the concept of apostasy and the risks of abandoning faith, while providing guidance on the security of believers and assurance of salvation.
Apostasy, the abandonment of the faith, has been a recurring issue in the church throughout history.
Believers can have assurance of their salvation by evaluating their desires, love for God, and longing to obey Him as evidence of genuine faith.
Deep dives
Apostasy in the Church
Apostasy, the abandonment of the faith, has been a recurring issue in the church throughout history. John MacArthur shares personal stories of close friends who abandoned their faith, including a prominent evangelist and a former pastor and youth pastor. These experiences raised unsettling questions about the nature of apostasy and led MacArthur to study the topic in depth.
The Definition and Nature of Apostasy
Apostasy is defined as the irreversible abandonment and renunciation of orthodox Christianity by someone who previously claimed to be a Christian. While only God can definitively determine one's salvation, apostasy typically involves a deliberate turning away from faith in Christ and a rejection of biblical truths. The Bible warns strongly against apostasy and emphasizes the severe consequences that await those who fall away from the faith.
Assurance of Salvation
The podcast addresses the question of how believers can have assurance of their salvation. John MacArthur explains that while the security of salvation is guaranteed by God, assurance is the personal confidence one has in their salvation. He encourages believers to evaluate their desires, love for God, and longing to obey Him as evidence of genuine faith. He highlights the biblical truth that once a person is saved, nothing can separate them from God's love.
The Perseverance of the Saints
The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints asserts that true believers, upheld by God's grace, will endure in their faith until the end. MacArthur emphasizes that the assurance of salvation is not based on one's own strength or performance, but on the fact that Christ holds onto and keeps those who are His. He reassures listeners that if they are in Christ and have a genuine love for Him, they can trust in the security of their salvation.
If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, you probably know someone who used to follow Jesus Christ, but now wants nothing to do with him. Why does that happen? What marks the path from faith to apostasy? John MacArthur started exploring those questions in college, when long-time Christian friends stunned him by walking away from God and into atheism and false religion. What he found is that the path to apostasy is well-trod, dating back to Judas, who rejected Jesus after following him for three years. This episode traces what John learned, then taught for decades, about apostasy, what happens when believers stop believing, and how all of us can be sure that once we are truly saved, God will never let us go.
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