DANGER, DON'T TURN BACK!

THE DANGER OF APOSTASY

Few of us, as Christians, ever give a thought to the danger of our slipping from the faith, but Satan would rather steal a sheep from the fold of the Lord than have a dozen not of the Church. Those are his anyway.

1. Hebrews 10:38-39 "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back into perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

A. If the just live by faith, what happens if that faith is not fed with the word?

B. What is the Lord’s attitude toward one who slips back to his old ways?

C. What does the verse say leads to the saving of the soul?

2. I Corinthians 9:27. "But I keep under my body, and bring it unto subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway."

A. What does Paul mean about his own body by saying, "bring it into subjection:"

B. Can a Christian Evangelist become lost again?

C. Remember that Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked for him.

D. Judas had been a trusted apostle. He carried the money of them all.

3. Luke 12:10 "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."

A. Can speaking against Christ be forgiven?

B. What sin can not be forgiven?

C. Verse 11 speaks of a time of persecution to come upon the disciples. How were they to prepare for that time? (Verse 12)

D. This may also come upon all Christians in the last days. How can we also prepare?

4. II Peter 2:20,22 "For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning."

A. How does the Scripture say that we can escape the sins of the world? (Pollution)

B. Why is the latter end worse than in the beginning?

C. What two examples does Peter give of this truth? (The dog & the pig)

D. Will the dog or the pig either one change their habits on their own?

5. Hebrews 6:4-6 "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame"

A. Is it easy to turn one back to faith he has once abandoned?

B. Why is it so difficult?

C. What two things have they done to Christ in turning away from? How?

6. Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery i ndignation, which shall devour the adversaries."

A. What is the difference between a "wilful sin" and one that was not planned?

B. What was the one and only sacrifice for our sins? Can it be repeated?

C. What must the backslider await? (The judgement)

7. I Corinthians 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

A. Can we say that we were tempted greater than we could resist?

B. Is it possible for us to have temptations that others do not have?

C. Do temptations come of God? (No) (Who was responsible for Job’s temptations?)

D. What does God do in the case of any temptation that can come to us?

E. So, why can we not blame God for our sin?

8. Matthew 12:45 "Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of the man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."

A. What does this parable tell us? We can not have a vacuum in our lives.

B. This is why Peter said, "and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

9. I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

A. To whom was John writing in this letter? (Verses 6,7)

B. To whom can we confess our sins? (He who is faithful to forgive, God.)

C. Because He is faithful, whom must we blame if we do not ask?

D. What can He forgive? (All unrighteousness.)

10. I Corinthians 10:12 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."

A. To whom was this letter written?

B. What sin is addressed by the words, "thinketh he standeth".(Pride)

C. Will a person who is proud ask forgiveness for his sins?

D. Yet, we know that all have sinned, even the proud!

E. Can the unrepentant person be forgiven?

Conclusion: Even Christians need to pray for forgiveness of sins that they may not be aware of, and need to repent of those they do know of asking the Lord to forgive them.