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I remember hearing a sermon in the mid-1980's. It was a good sermon with one minor error. I'll cover that in a few minutes. The speaker told everyone to look at the person on their left side. Next he told everyone to look at the person on their right side. He then went on to claim that in five years one of those people will have fallen away from the Lord Jesus.
That claim turned out to be very true with one little error. The five years was not quite enough time. It actually took 10-15 years for the fall away to fully complete. During that time I saw many professing Christians reject sound Biblical doctrine and go their own way. The church where the sermon was given has now fallen away as well. In this church they have accepted rock and roll, both secular and religious are acceptable for their youth. They just do not care. This church has cancelled all Sunday morning Sunday school programs and thinks very highly of Roman Catholicism. Promise Keepers was a big thing in this church as well. For Christmas and various plays they are able to put on a show with very little mention of the Lord Jesus. Yet, many professing Christians simply do not care. Divorce and remarriage is rampant in this church. We even know of a professing Christian lady who was married and divorced three times. She is now ready for number four! Elizabeth Taylor... watch out!
I have seen many professing Christians fall away. This is really sad as I do not like to see these things. Are these people saved? I really do not know for sure, but it is doubtful. They have no Godly fruit and they certainly love the things of the devil far more than the things of God. The Lord Jesus said:
Matt 7
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a
corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn
down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Here are some examples of very bad fruit from professing believers:
One person allows her daughter to do as she pleases. She has a VCR in her room and rents all kinds of movies not appropriate for a 8-9 year old. This girl will be going to a secular rock and roll concert soon with another 8-9 year old. The tickets have already been purchased. Her mother has read the Satanic Harry Potter books and thinks they are great. She is trying to get her daughter to read them as well. Here is the interesting part. The daughter is nervous about Harry Potter as she knows witchcraft, spells, and the occult is wrong. Will the 'Christian' mother win and influence her daughter to read the demonic books? Who knows? Are these people saved? Well the fruit is not looking too good even though they profess to be Christians. They seem to love the things of the devil and want nothing to do with the things of God.
Another situation involves a family that really loves the things of the devil. The mother is involved in the occult. She praises occult practices like accupunture and reflexology. She even performs reflexology on people. Both accupunture and reflexology involve the psychic forces of yin and yang. By doing these occult practices the yin and yang are balanced resulting in healing power in the body, supposedly claim the occultists. It's very dangerous stuff as people can be demonized by such occult practices. Their child goes to a secular school and fits in with the lost really well. She is addicted to secular rock and roll just like her buddies at school. However, this girl (9-10 years) gets upset if anyone tells her that rock and roll is wrong for a Christian. When mommie hears this she gets upset too and will confront the 'trouble' makers for saying something against what her daughter loves. This family goes to a church that has fallen away and become apostate. The church is heavy into rock and roll and considers Roman Catholicism another Christian denomination. For entertainment the child has grown up on children's videos with many having witches, spellcasting, and the occult. Both parents think this sort of thing is a good influence on their child. Also this child is very rebellious. In her teenage years her rebellion will reach its fullness. At that time the parents will reap the Satanic fruit of what they have sowed in their child. Are these people saved? Well the fruit is not looking too good even though they profess to be Christians. They seem to love the things of the devil and reject the things of God. Do they have a heart that loves, obeys, and draws close to God? I would say no.
Other people get on the word-of-faith bandwagon and follow slick talking wolves like Benny Hinn, Copeland etc. To them these men can do no wrong. Doctrine is not an issue as experience is what decides and not the Word of God. As a result, many have been led astray accepting heresies and doctrines of devils. As the wolves twist and misquote Scripture, their followers soak it all up like a dry sponge. However, speak a word against these word of faith wolves and many followers get angry. They scream something about being cursed for touching "God's anointed". When they are told we are not dealing with God's anointed but rather the Devil's anointed, these followers get even madder. Are these followers saved? Well the fruit is not looking too good! Here is a good verse that describes these 'professing Christians' pretty well.
Titus 1
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work
reprobate.
Doctrine is just not important to many professing Christians that I have seen fall away. At one time a person may have been strong and stood up for what is right. But over time decay and falling away sets in. Rather than 'rock the boat' evil and wrong teaching is now tolerated. It is better to be quiet and accept evil teachings rather than to speak up and say 'that is wrong'. Besides, some people will get upset and call you a 'legalist' or 'unloving' or 'narrow minded' or something equally terrible. Therefore, it is better to just go with the flow and be silent. I've seen many people like this. Many go to spiritually dead churches or follow spiritually dead wolf-preachers and just do not care. Again, their fruit is lacking and they don't really care.
The people who are disliked by professing Christians and the lost are the people who stand up for the Bible and sound doctrine. In these days doctrine is not important. Instead, tolerance is the name of the game. The only thing not to be tolerated by the 'tolerant' is those who stand up for the things of God. Christians are considered intolerant bigots by the world because we believe the Lord Jesus when He said He was the only way to heaven.
John 14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
The above verse makes the clear statement that Jesus is the only way to God and heaven. This means all other so-called paths to God will actually lead a person to hell. This is very distasteful to the lost masses of people who wish to have a God on their terms. The narrowness of Jesus is very intolerant to the lost.
The same applies among many professing Christians. They claim to be 'Christian' and 'loving' etc. However, when they see someone standing against the apostasy of the day, these professing Christians become very angry and intolerant. Actually these people are nothing more than tares in the wheatfield. They support and defend evil and heresy while attacking those who stand against such things.
Jude 1
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before
of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the
grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord
God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
So where do you stand. Have you, reader, fallen away over the years? Are you walking with God and drawing close to Him? Or, have you accepted the apostasy of these last days and fallen far from God?
Josh 24
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you
this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but
as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.