The Bible employs phrases such as “fall away,” “falleth away,” and “falling away” to depict the actions of certain defiant Christians[1]. In 1 Peter 1:24, it is stated: “For all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall.”
Being a part of something is a condition for falling away. The bond between Jesus and those who believe in him makes the situation the perfect way to show “apostasy” in Christianity today. The Church is a large body that encompasses both Jesus as well as all of his people. A Christian leaving the body of Christ (or the Church) is like a blossom dying as it falls from the tree.
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Why Are So Many People Falling Away From The Faith?
People are involved in spiritual war every single day. The Bible teaches that God created not only the physical world but also spiritual beings. They are real despite the fact that we typically are unable to perceive them or hear them. These entities include some angels who operate on behalf of God.
The other entities, identified as demons or bad spirits, are led by Satan. He and his minions were both God’s servant angels in the past. However, Satan revolted, and many angels joined him. They now fight for him as their leader, aiming to bring down God’s kingdom.
People frequently restrict their perception to the physical realm. However, it is imperative that we recognize that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). We must know that there’s a spiritual warfare going on.
What Are The Signs Of Falling Away?
Everyone has relatives or friends who have departed from the Christian religion. These are individuals who once publicly expressed their faith in Jesus. They might have attended a church that adheres to the Bible. Some went to seminary and served in the ministry. They might have been lured into a cult, embroiled in worldly ideals, or developed moral issues. Whatever the cause, let’s be sure to watch out for these signs of falling away:
Emotional Signs Of Falling Away
Dwindling Love For God
Their early, intense “first love” for God had vanished. The actions of the people’s dedication to God appeared to be continuing at least in part, but their own hearts had become distant, and as an outcome, they had fallen.
Lack Of Joy
What we adore brings us delight. A clue that our affection for someone has weakened in some way is when we stop enjoying being in their presence. Therefore, a sure sign that our initial love has faded and has fallen away is a loss of delight in our bond with God.
King David’s backsliding due to his passion for Bathsheba caused him to deal with a loss of joy. He expressed his distress at seeing the extent to which he had fallen away from God in Psalm 51. He called out to God, and say a prayer of repentance, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation” (v. 12).
Waiving Faith In God
Some individuals took a similar route before abandoning the Lord. They once showed every sign of possessing true faith, but they eventually chose the path of the backslider, falling further and further into sin. They eventually ceased to believe in even the most fundamental principles of the church and renounced their identity as Christians after losing their love and fear of God.
Behavioral Signs Of Falling Away
Less Prayers
The Bible declares in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, for the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” The failure to truly interact with our living God is the first behavioral indication that we are falling away from him. When we ignore having a one-on-one moment with God in individual devotion, we start to fall away from him.
When we see this initial indicator it’s essential to pause, sit, be quiet, and take some time to pray. For plenty of us, life simply occurs and we catch ourselves getting wrapped up in the daily struggles and challenges of life.
No More Fellowshipping With Other Christians
Galatians 6:2 indicates, “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.” When we start to fall away from God, attending church or taking part in church-related activities bores us. We used to like getting together with other Christians and conversing for hours about the Bible, but these days we would much prefer to stay in and see a movie we like.
When we get involved with other followers of Christ, it allows us to develop our faith because God designed the church to encourage and support one another. Perhaps now is the appropriate moment to get off the sofa, polish our favorite shoes, and make our way to church.
Cognitive Signs Of Falling Away
No Longer As Troubled By Sins As They Once Were
The urge to transgress is constantly present to us in the world we live in. As God’s people, we must develop discipline and self-control in order to always stay on the narrow and straight road. It may not be easy, but it’s possible through the help of the Holy Spirit.
The sin, which was once horrifying to us, unexpectedly doesn’t seem to be that awful anymore when we start to fall away from God. We succumb to seemingly insignificant temptations, and then we gradually fall into the adversary’s deception while rationalizing our actions. The following are also cognitive signs of falling away:
- Concealment of sin
- Denying one’s responsibility
- Justification of sin
- Delayed action in repentance
Can A Christian Fall Away?
Reading the cautionary words in the context of Hebrews’ soteriology discloses that the very essence of the new testament entails—even ensures—that its believers “cannot and will not fall away”. Members of the New Covenant are eternally safe and sound. Meaning, they can’t lose their salvation. By implying otherwise, one runs the risk of removing the very elements that render the new covenant different and therefore superior.
What Is The Consequence For A Believer Who Falls Away?
Paul stresses the obvious that a Christian’s inability to be a servant of Jesus will end in “a judgment of fire” that devours the individual’s history of fruitless actions. Furthermore, Paul wrote that those who follow Jesus are ultimately saved by his faith as his useless deeds are destroyed. There, Paul concurs with the author of Hebrews in suggesting that those who believe could suffer severe punishment for leaving the faith, even if their salvation is secured.
The author of Hebrews cautions that anyone who does not continue to strengthen in their Christian faith runs a chance of falling away to an empty life of sin and fruitless outcomes. When Christians fall in this way, they cannot expect the Lord to give them another chance to repent for their sin and win permission to honor him again.
Rather, the Almighty may opt to let the believer continue in his disobedience so that, when the time comes for judgment, he may display his supreme justice and perfect righteousness by denying them the heavenly gift of great salvation. Serving God with everything in our souls, minds, bodies, and power is the greatest thing we can do in order to earn his blessings.
The scriptures on serving God emphasize that true fulfillment comes not from seeking personal gain, but from humbly serving others in the name of a higher purpose, reflecting the divine love that unites us all.
Strategies On How Not To Fall Away
Ensure That We Uphold The Value Of Truth And Integrity
For us to conceal our sin, we must lie, resulting in the abandonment of truthfulness and honesty. We avoid confronting our life with the Bible to avoid the awareness that comes from the Bible’s revelation of truth. To appease our troubled conscience, we engage in certain behaviors or rituals that make us look spiritual or religious. Satan uses that to make everyone fall away.
Remaining strong to truth and integrity—both the truth of God’s Word and one’s own honesty—is the only way. If we commit a mistake, own it and repent; do not attempt to hide it. Spend time each day in God’s Word and allow it to go through our hearts so that we can deal with sin and move forward in righteousness.
Warn Ourselves To Any Spiritual Peril That May Arise In The Mind
Keep in mind that the devil and his minions are working to deceive us about God and the truth (2 Corinthians 11:3). Satan deliberately plays on our arrogance by encouraging us to believe that obeying laws imposed by humans will make us more acceptable to God.
However, Peter challenges us to submit to God’s hand and warns us to “be on the lookout. The devil, who is your enemy, prowls around looking for someone to eat like a roaring lion. But stand steadfast in your faith and resist him (1 Peter 5:8–9).
Remember That The Lord Desires For Us To Experience Him And His Gifts With Grateful Hearts
Christians alone may fully enjoy life because our faith in Jesus Christ has made us right with the Lord. We have no doubt that God is on our side and is bringing goodness to those who genuinely love and trust him (Romans 8:31). Paul instructs us to display gratitude in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20) and be filled with gratefulness to God for his glorious salvation that was offered to us so freely (Col. 1:12; 2:7).
How To Regain Faith After Falling Away
God has the power to save any son or daughter, no matter how “lost” or “far gone” they may be. His goodness and mercy are abundant. He is bigger than you and I together. The impossible is achievable with God. To people who think they have sunk so low that God cannot possibly save them, let this be an assurance that the Lord can and will rescue anybody who approaches him in faith.
In order to regain faith, Deuteronomy 6:6–9 teaches that we should study, live, and grow ourselves in the good word of God. We ought to be able to leave the house without compromising our faith. We need to be thoroughly prepared to deal with our lost friends so that we can guide them toward the right path. Moreover, we should be able to present some reason behind the hope that exists in us (1 Peter 3:15).
Conclusion
Falling away, commonly referred to as apostasy, typically starts in the mind. “Deceitful” spirits spread principles and ideas that appear to be scriptural but are in fact quite incorrect. They intend to mislead people into believing something. But the children of God “believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:3).
We must constantly cling to God’s truth with grateful hearts in order to keep from falling away. Although it’s often not simple, we need to acknowledge the goodness of God and give him praise for all of his blessings—even when circumstances are rough.