THE GREAT APOSTASY

THE GREAT APOSTASY

2 Thessalonians 2:3
“ Let no one deceive or beguile you in any way, for that day will not come except the     
   apostasy comes first [unless the predicted great falling away of those who have   
  professed to be Christians has come], and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed,   
 who is the son of doom (of perdition),”AMP

Definition:

Apostasy is from the greek word Apostasia meaning a rejection of the Christianity or professing faith but not practicing it.
The Bible would say unto us also about it in this way:-         

        2 Timothy 3:5

     “For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject   
     and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of   
     their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].” AMP

Biblical Definitions

Other Biblical definitions of this word Apostasy include:-

1.    Leaving or Abandoning the first love. Revelation 2:4 
 (But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].) Amp.

2.    Neither Hot nor Cold. Revelation 3:15-16 (I know your [record of] works and what you are  
     doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!

     So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out o 
     of My mouth!)AMP

3.    Love Growing cold. Matthew 24:10-12 (And then many will be offended and repelled and will begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred.  And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.  And the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity,)AMP

4.    The falling away from the faith. 1 Timothy 4:1 ( BUT THE [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach,) AMP

Apostle Paul gave us some scriptural examinations of the great Apostasy of our time which include:

·         Christians will not endure sound doctrine, they’ll heap up teachers to teach them things that their ears are 
      itching to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

·         In the latter days there’ll be a form of godliness but denying the power of God thereof. 2 Timothy 3:5

·         People will mock the promise of Jesus Christ’s return. 2 Peter 3:3-4

This is so true of our time today, many have notions like the rapture, will never take place, others say He promised to come soon and now its 2000 and some years, He is nowhere to be seen. But the Bible clearly says to us that He’ll come like thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

He will also come like lightening. (Matthew 24:27)

Questions to ask ourselves are who knows when the thief will break in or who knows how and where and when will the lightening take place? This shows us that His coming will be so soon and sudden, so we should be ready at all times to meet Him. Are You Ready If He Came Right Now?

Although many preach, these things are happening in our day today and the Lord warns us that we should watch unto prayer that our faith doesn’t fail us and also be able to escape the coming of the day of the son of Man. Luke 21:36.

 The Church today has so much fallen away, that the Holy Spirit is convicting us to wake up to the reality that Jesus Christ’s soon return is eminent and we should start preparing ourselves for Him as well as go out and win the Lost. We should stop being so concerned with our little dreams in slumber like the Virgins of Matthew 25.

 Hebrews 3:12-14 therefore says (Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.) ESV

 Let’s Look at the some of the Root causes of Apostasy in our times today that the Spirit of God   
 is telling us to look out for and endure:-

   

    THE ROOT OF APOSTASY

    How have we reached this crisis point in the Church today? Many have bought the lies of the   
    enemy that he circulates through knowledge today, thereby getting those who seek    
    knowledge get trapped.

    The Germany school of Higher Criticism of skeptics invaded the world big-time in the 1920’s   
     with the theory (The Scientific Approach of the School of Skeptics) that the    

     Bible is not the revealed word of God, Rather it’s man’s search of God, and therefore it’s
     filled with Myth, Legend and Superstition. Today this view fills the seminaries of

    America. This now introduces us to our first root cause of Apostasy in the Church today:-

1. Taking the Bible out of it’s place in the Church today.

This leads to error and deception in the Church. Many false teachers, christs and prophets (Matthew 24:4, 5, 11, 1 Timothy 4:1-4, 2 Timothy 4:34) will come with many ideas deceiving even the elect if possible. Because believers in the latter times will heap up teachers to teach them what their ears tingle to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

This means that believers will also begin to form their identity based on culture Rather than Christ.

2. Persecutions.

Tribulations come to test our faith, when we are found not rooted in the precious Word of God, our faith weavers and therefore fall away from the truth. Luke 8:11-13

              Let’s not be deceived that we can run away from these trials and tribulations but the     
              Bible calls us to endure them in His name. Matthew 24:13 (But he who endures to   
          the end will be saved.)AMP
           John 16:33 (These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have     
           peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have   
           overcome the World.)KJV

3. Temptations.   

         James 1:2-4

         (Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or     
          encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and    
          understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and   
          steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience    
          have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly   
          and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.) AMP

 This message is a wake up call for us to:-

1. Watch and Pray.   

            Luke 21:36

        (Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to    
        escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son   
        of man.) KJV for no one knows when the Son of Man is coming back.

2. Cleansing ourselves in the Blood of Jesus Christ.   

          Ephesians 5:26-27

          (So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water   
          with the Word, That He might present the church to Himself in glorious       
          splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy   
          and faultless])AMP. For Christ is coming back for a spotless Church.

3. Looking Unto Jesus.   

         Hebrews 12:1-2

         (THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses   
         [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every  
          encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and    
         cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and
         steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set  
         before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the   
         Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] 

         and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of          obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising    
         and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of                  God.)AMP  

   We are called to throw away the sins that so easily beset us that we may look unto Him,    
     the High priest of our souls who will save us from this great and terrible of His coming.

      Conclusion:

    Let’s return to the Truth of Jesus Christ’s Gospel as we await and anticipate His eminent    
    return on the earth as a King of Kings

    An English man called William Booth (1829-1912) founder of Salvation Army, on the eve of   
    the 20^th century when Christendom was caught up in Euphoria about how the Church   
    would soon take the world for Christ, he prophesied that the Gospel would not fare well in
    the new century, specially he prophesied that by the end of the 20^th  
    Century, much of the Church would be preaching:-

·        Christianity without Christ.

·        Forgiveness without Repentance.

·        Salvation without Regeneration.

·        Heaven without Hell.

     This is happening in our time today, Watch Brethren Watch.

     Maranatha.