GOD'S MINISTRY
THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH
BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Revs. Mr. and Mrs. H. Dean Daniels
E-mail: gods-ministry@hdd-gods-ministry.com
Web-site: http://www.hdd-gods-ministry.com/
APOSTASY
PREDICTED FOR
THE LAST DAYS - PART I
This
document was originally written by another party on another web-site, whereas,
God’s Ministry has added further comments and is impressed of the Lord to place
it here in our web-site. (1 Cor. 3:5-7
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,
even as the Lord gave to every man? [6] I have planted, Apollos watered; but
God gave the increase. [7] So then neither is he that planteth any thing,
neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.)
The Bible
is very clear that there will be a great falling away from the true Christian
faith in the last days. To quote the Scriptures is all that is necessary to
make this point clear. Note the following passages:
"Take
heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ; and shall deceive many . . . Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my
name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and
shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive
many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold . . .
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the
very elect. Behold, I have told you before" (Matt. 24:4-12, 24-25; Luke
21:8-11).
"Now
we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our
gathering together unto him. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be
troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the
day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, EXCEPT THERE COME A FALLING AWAY FIRST, and that man of sin be
revealed . . . as his coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them
that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they
should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:1-12).
"Now
the Spirit speaketh expressly, that IN THE LATTER TIMES SOME SHALL DEPART FROM
THE FAITH, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking
lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding
to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be
received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every
creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with
thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If thou put
the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of
Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine,
whereunto thou hast attained" (1 Tim. 4:1-8).
"This
know also, that in the last days perilous [hard] times shall come. For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, DESPISERS OF THOSE THAT ARE
GOOD, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;
HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF: FROM SUCH TURN
AWAY.... Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
... men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.... Yea, and all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and
seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim.
3:1-14).
"I
charge thee therefore before God . . . Preach the word; be instant in season,
out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. FOR
THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY SHALL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; BUT AFTER THEIR
OWN LUSTS SHALL THEY HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS, HAVING ITCHING EAR5: AND THEY
SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL BE TURNED INTO
FABLES" (2 Tim. 4:1-5).
Apostasy, Seven Stages of
Hebrews
3:12
Here Paul
again warns brethren-Christians-by the examples of Israel's failures in the
wilderness. They were brought out of
Egypt with the fullest assurance of blessing, prosperity, and eternal rest. By their sin and unbelief they came short of
the promised blessings, fell in the wilderness, and were cut off from God. Paul
states plainly that Christians-born-again or saved men-can also return to an
evil heart of unbelief, depart from the living God, be hardened by
deceitfulness of sin, be cut off by God, and be finally lost (Hebrews 3:12-14).
Seven Stages of Apostasy:
1. Refusal to hear God (Hebrews 3:7)
2. Hardness of heart through refusal to hear
and obey God (Hebrews 3:8, 13, 15)
3. Unbelief a consequence of hardening the
heart against God (Hebrews 3:12)
4. Departure from the living God (Hebrews
3:12)
5. Open rebellion against God to provoke and
tempt Him (Hebrews 3:8-9, 16)
6. Habitual sinning, careless living, and
flagrant violation of God's laws (Hebrews 3:10, 17)
7. Apostasy-all faith in God and His
redemptive work thrown overboard-beyond all hope of repentance because of no
more faith and refusing to obey God (Hebrews 3:11,18-19)
Three Acts of Apostasy
1. Forsaken- which is, apostasy in disposition
2. Provoked- which is, apostasy in words
3. Gone away backward- which is, apostasy in
action
When the apostasy of a person has come to this point, there is no return, according to Hebrews 10:26. When a person has willfully thrown all faith overboard and has done away with the only sacrifice that could renew them unto repentance and they then have a sad and terrible frame of mind. (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, [27] But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. [28] He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: [29] Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?)
Matthew
12:30 He that is not with me is against
me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. [31] Wherefore I say
unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but
the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. [32] And
whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him,
neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Just because you have confessed Jesus Christ as your
Lord and Saviour does NOT mean that you can then blasphemy The Holy Ghost and still
go to Heaven!
Once you
have come to the knowledge of the Truth and have spoken against The Holy Ghost,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for your sins. Simply because, It is the Holy
Ghost that leads, woos and convicts your heart of sin and leads you to Jesus
Christ that you might REPENT of your sins and have forgiveness of your sins
through His (Jesus Christ) Shed Blood that He sacrificed on the Cross for the
remission of our sins.
Up to this point there is always forgiveness to the backslider, unless and with the exception of the possibility God has turned you over to a reprobate mind (1 John 1:9; 1 John 2:1-2; Romans 1:28).
Matthew
7:19 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. [21]
Not every one that saith unto me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of
my Father which is in heaven. [22]
Many will say to
me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? [23]
And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Twenty Stages of World Apostasy!
1. They did not glorify God (Romans 1:21).
2. They became unthankful (Romans 1:21).
3. They were vain in their imaginations (Romans 1:21).
4. They became dark in their hearts (Romans 1:21).
5. They professed to be wise (Romans 1:22).
6. They became fools (Romans 1:22).
7. They changed God's glory (Romans 1:23).
8. They dishonored their bodies (Romans 1:24).
9. They changed the truth to a lie (Romans 1:25).
10. They worshiped creation as God (Romans 1:25).
11. They served creatures, not God (Romans 1:25).
12. They submitted to vile passions (Romans 1:26).
13. Women became lesbians (Romans 1:26).
14. Men went into sodomy (Romans 1:27).
15. They rejected knowledge of God (Romans 1:28).
16. They became reprobate in mind (Romans 1:28).
17. They were completely perverted sexually (Romans 1:28).
18. They were filled with iniquities (Romans 1:29-31).
19. They despised the coming judgment.
20. They gloried in wickedness (Romans 1:32).
Greek: pleroo (NT: 4137), to fill up, complete.
Greek: adikia (NT: 93), every vice contrary to justice and righteousness. See note, Romans 1:18.
Greek: porneia (NT: 4202), unlawful sexual sins of single and married people. See note, Matthew 5:32.
Greek: poneria (NT: 4189), depravity; iniquity; wicked acting of the evil nature; criminal.
Greek: pleonexia (NT: 4124), intense lust for gain. See note, Luke 12:15.
Greek: kakia (NT: 2549), the vicious disposition and desires, rather than their exercise.
Greek: phthonos (NT: 5355), to pine away; the pain felt and malignity conceived at the sight of the blessing of another.
Greek: phonos (NT: 5408), murder (Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21; Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19, 25; Romans 1:29; Galatians 5:21; Rev. 9:21); slaughter (Acts 9:1). Also hating another (1 John 3:15).
Greek: eris (NT: 2054), strife (Romans 13:13; 1 Cor. 3:3; Phil. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:4); contention (1 Cor. 1:11; Titus 3:9); debate (Romans 1:29; 2 Cor. 12:20); and variance (Galatians 5:20). It means to cause strife and discord. It is not the same as disputing for truth as in Acts 9:29; Acts 15:2,7; Acts 17:17; Acts 19:8-9.
Greek: dolos (NT: 1388), lying, falsity. From delo, to take with a bait. Translated "guile" (John 1:47; 2 Cor. 12:16; 1 Thes. 2:3; 1 Peter 2:1, 22; 1 Peter 3:10; Rev. 14:5); "deceit" (Mark 7:22; Romans 1:29); craft (Mark 14:1); and "subtilty" (Matthew 26:4; Acts 13:10).
Greek: kakoetheia (NT: 2550), a disposition producing evil habits. It means malignity of the mind, which leads its victim to put the worst construction on every action; ascribing to the best deeds the worst motives.
Greek: psithuristes (NT: 5588), slanderers; those who pretend secrecy, and carry out accusations against people, whether true or false; blasting their reputation by clandestine gossip.
Come quickly Lord Jesus Amen!
Revs. Mr.
and Mrs. H. Dean Daniels Sui Juris