Apostasy

What a weird word huh? What does it mean? Well, in a sense it means to turn away. In the use the bible employs, it is that strange thing that some do when they turn their backs on the faith.

It is a tough one to wrestle through. We need to have a good understanding of grace, repentance, reconciliation, and restoration... the neglect of these things leads us towards apostasy. The other option is a frustration leading to abandonment. We all sin and the closer to glory we get the more we see our sin as pervasive and dominating every area of our lives. What do we do with sin? We must learn to appropriate God's grace through repentance. If you never learn that elementary Christian practice then you are flirting with disaster. You either have to be unrealistic and pretend your sin doesn't exist, or you just blatantly sin in the face of God. Both, of those will eventually lead you down a path you do not want to see the end of.

Let me recommend a couple resources:

"All of Life is Repentance" by Timothy Keller

This is a beautiful article on the picture of the Christian's life of repentance. Every Christ follower needs to recognize the necessity of repentance... daily.

"Jesus is Better: Don't Apostatize" by D.A. Carson

This is a sermon/lecture from the phenomenally difficult passages in Hebrews 5 and 6. It is a call to be faithful to Jesus and to persevere.