Can a Genuine Believer Fall Away from the Faith?

This is core Christianity. When answering your questions about the Christian life Monday through Friday. Your hosts are author and seminary professor Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor atrial Sanchez call right now with your question.

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The core that's 1-833-843-2673 and now here's atrial Sanchez hello and welcome back to another episode of the entity as we take your questions about the faith I'm here with Prof. Michael Horton, I'm Pastor atrial Sanchez, a Federal Ct. in Canada has denied the self-proclaimed church of atheism. Religious benefits claiming that he couldn't demonstrate the necessary elements of a belief system.

The church responded, quote, we believe that our 10 Commandments of energy are sacred texts because they were created by a wise human being consists of pure invisible energy and is acknowledged energy's existence." The court didn't buy it. Mike there a lot of sacred texts floating around, but none of them is inspired by God, like the Scriptures right at me for something, there's something different about what we have here in the word of God as we study it, yeah. Obviously, if you think that all there is this matter plus energy you're not going to be open to the possibility that this world actually exists because of someone else. Yeah, different from the world.

That's right. Well, let's get into that inspired word today, we have a question here about Hebrews chapter 6� And into Pat's question her crown. Our reply to I bring the Scripture in Hebrews chapter 4 through 19. Yeah, thank you Pat. I'll go ahead and take a stab at it, a drill you can clean up here. The verses spout that you have in mind from Hebrews 6 verses four through six for it is impossible, in the case of those who once been enlightened, who've tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit and of taste of the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. This is a terrifying verse for many people it was for me. I was remember when I read this and said all I must, must be one of these people very fearful. It's one of those texts that cause us to wonder if once the Lord calls us into union with Christ we can lose that salvation. Couple things to note here. First of all the verbs that are used very important once enlightened, enlightened, was early church speak for baptism. They have tasted of the heavenly gift that's the Lord's supper and they have shared in the Holy Spirit. Even the life of faith, the common operation of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ. They've experienced that and they have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come see every time the word is preached, the age to come is breaking in on this present evil age and they've experienced that they maybe we even wept during the sermon the power of this amazing breath of God's generosity and then have fallen away now. You can't use us as a passage to say people lose their salvation because even people who believe you can lose your salvation believe that you can come back if you commit apostasy you can nevertheless repent and be restored. The writer here is saying that that's impossible. So it gets even worse. You can't even come back. What is he talking about here. We have to remember it's part of his wider argument that really began in chapter 4. Don't be like your fathers in the wilderness, who, though they heard the gospel the same gospel we have did not combine the hearing of it with faith right they never entered the promised land physically as a sign of them never really entering the spiritual promised land through faith right just as they didn't enter the physical promised land because they didn't believe so to the people he's talking about here, right on the verge of it and they have not entered into the promised land. How do we know that will because he goes on to say in verse nine. Though we speak.

In this way. Yet, in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things. Things that belong to salvation but he saying there he saying there were speaking really tough love here about people who do not combine the hearing of the gospel with faith but we feel better in your case because you been saved. Things that belong to salvation he's contrasting with things that belong to belonging to the church visibly where you hear the word you're baptized to receive the Lord's supper. In fact, right after he's talking about people falling away. He says for land.

Verse seven for land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.

But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and it in the end it is to be burned though we speak. In this way.

Yet, in your case, beloved, and what I just said so numbers what he saying here is that this is like the wilderness generation.

These are people who have seen the miracles just as the father saw God's hand of deliverance from Egypt. They've been baptized they've been taught the faith they have really been touched by it they have seen the Holy Spirit at work even in their own lives in a kind of general way, but they're not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They don't they haven't received the promise they have embraced the reality that the word, and the sacraments proclaim and so I think the text is clearly saying, especially when he says, I think better of what's going on in your case, things that accompany salvation that he saying you can be baptized, you can receive the Lord's supper. You can be a recipient of the common operations of the Spirit in the church. You can even taste and see that the Lord is good in his word and be touched by the powers of the age to come through that proclamation and yet not embrace it for yourself. Be like that land that no rain falls on it all the time and yet there's no faith there's nothing there.

There is no fruit that's I think what he's he's warning against part of that larger argument of enter into the promised land trust in Jesus Christ because he goes on to say in verse 13 that God has convincingly shown the unchangeable notice of his promise that covenant that he made with Abraham, which ultimately is based on the covenant between the father the son and the Holy Spirit before time began that is the one shake a certainty, the writer says of God's promise to all who believe the promise is absolutely sure to all who believe they will not fall away, but there are lots of people who are in the church and who sometimes seem to be influenced by the ministry of the church. And yet, nevertheless, don't persevere and they never received the promise they never embrace the promise the things that are the belong to salvation and train passengers with the call is for you and for you. Listening right now as you think about this passage of Scripture. It's to embrace the good word of God that we here proclaimed every Sunday that we experience to the signs like baptism and the Lord supper by faith.

There's a difference between being and in the proximity of the blessing of God and actually ingesting it receive you yeah and ever, that we going to a wedding and getting married exactly and that that was the problem with the Hebrews as is their right there on the doorstep of Canaan as you say Mike when they're there compared to the wilderness generation, but earlier evolution. Chapter 4 the author of Hebrews says just like they had all these promises is good news preached to them but it didn't benefit them because it did.

They didn't mix it with faith. That's the problem here is right. If you've got these blessings right here raining down on you. Christ is the promised land enter into it is the same thing. Jesus always have come to me all you who are weary are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you what rest rest. I am the Sabbath. Amen. So really pet when you think of it like that, that it is a warning but there is great news and it just lay hold of it is not a warning to believers a warning to people who go to church and don't believe that you, thank you for your question. But here's an email that we got from Charles. If there is no marriage in heaven. Why is it quote therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast. His wife, and they shall become one flesh. Why got even create two separate genders to be companions. That's a great question Charles. My wife already made me promise that in the new creation will live together.

I told her I wasn't sure that we could and she didn't like it but if marriage is only this side of heaven. What's it all about, well, is meant to be a picture of the relationship between Jesus Christ and his church.

This is a mystery but listen to what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25.

The following husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. He goes on to say.

Therefore, quoting the passages mentioned, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound and I'm saying that it refers to Christ and the church to look at the mystery of marriage.

This side of heaven is supposed to depict the love that exists between Christ and his bride. That why do we need that anymore. Once we die, both because will see the real thing. The marriage supper of the Lamb. The final and ultimate union between Christ and his bride with regard to the second part of your question, why did God even make two genders. I'd say that it was so that together they might glorify God and how they complemented each other. When you get this early in the Genesis account in Genesis chapter 2, Adam has no helper fit for him and the Lord creates Eve and together made in God's image. They were called to reflect the light of their creator and to subdue the creation man and woman working side-by-side in God's kingdom and can I just say that today it's such a wonderful thing when in our marriages were able to do this to co-labor if you will, in the Gospels we teach our kids about Jesus. Pray for each other worship together show hospitality to our neighbors. Christian marriages get to display the light of Jesus in a special way.

One day they won't be needed anymore because will have the ultimate merits the marriage supper of the Lamb. So it marriages for a time. It's now it's it's a part of this world, but one day working to be in the new creation with the heavenly marriage right Mike absolutely hiding it is good to leave the jury out where we don't have Scripture on you know whether were still going to also have natural relationships that we had before.

We certainly are going to know people that would ignore wives. Yeah there to know us in a much better condition, whether that relationship will continue is different from whether there will be marrying and giving in marriage, but I think the jury is out on that one. But you're right.

The main thing here is our ultimate relationship is with God in Jesus Christ. That's what heaven is about not seeing our loved ones in heaven. That's not ultimately what it's about.

Ultimately, when we are raised, and seated around that table, together with our Lord. That's gonna be our family that's gonna be the relationship that really counts with Jesus Christ as the head of his body human dosing of the corridor answering your questions about the faith.

Give us a call with your question at 1-833-843-2673. That's 1833 the course and is an email at questions at court, Christianity.com and speaking about marriage and relationships might we have a special offer that were making today yeah I'm more excited to share brand-new resource on core, Christianity.com and you wrote it, Israel. It's called seven things you need to know about marriage and sex and I have to download that will and is free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter.

We frequently receive questions from people who are struggling in their marriage and this is a great resource, leading us to the foundational teaching of Scripture on marriage. I know it's gonna be very helpful to every married couple and those preparing to have a godly Christian marriage. So head on over to core Christianity.com/offers to download a drills seven things you need to know about marriage and sex-based Mike. You can also call us at 1-833-843-2673 to get hold that resource and people can call you at home right that's right yes 760 yeah, let's not go there, go to the next question now a lot about the antichrist thinking the world leader. I think the antichrist revealed in South you think antichrist is in the Bible silent to understand what to expect banks will, I think we grew up in the same church. Courtney of younger folks will remember this but some of the older folks will a thief in the night, my parents had a camp in Lake Tahoe. They were managers of a Christian camp for troubled kids in the same fiscal Bay Area, and so at the end of each session, the movie thief in the night would be played and it beat so terrifying. I think I got saved probably 40 times, because I watched the movie 40 times, but we also don't want to belittle a view of those who think that the antichrist is a world leader who will come upon the world stage that it may well be the case that all the antichrist of coming the world since Cain you know when he slew Abel that all of the antichrist will find their arch representative in a future figure is entirely possible. The church fathers typically taught that the antichrist was personified in the Roman Caesars, especially Nero, but your member. Nero persecuted the church to the point of dipping Christians in wax and then setting them ablaze as candles in his garden, certainly a candidate for antichrist. Later, during the Middle Ages, everybody started playing pin the tail on the antichrist predicting that this Emperor or that pope was the antichrist. But here's the main thing John tells us in first John four verses one through three that many antichrists have gone out into the world believers. He says do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world by this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already and then Paul says that the man of lawlessness, whom he also calls the man of destruction and second Thessalonians 2 of verses three and four will take his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God and so people of several that could be Emperor Titus, who in 70 A.D. did do that even sacrificed a pig on the altar mocking the holiness of that altar and then proceeded to torch the whole building and not one stone was left upon another salon Christians. They won't Titus was the man of lawlessness, and the man of destruction.

What's clear is that an antichrist or the antichrist is a religious figure, Paul says there is second the Thessalonians 2 that he opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. So in both first John four and second Thessalonians 2.

This figure or figures are representative of a religious entity. You're not looking here for a world leader in the sense of a political figure for a great economic figure. This is not a world government or a banking system, but John and Paul see antichrists as heretics as those even within the church, perhaps, who profess to be believers, but they teach falsely about Jesus Christ.

While those folks are all over the place these days, regardless of whether we think this antichrist has come and gone in the first century.

There are certainly many antichrists afoot in the world still today as in John's day and the main thing I hope we can all agree on is that Christ will soon return to bring these enemies of the faith to justice and make the truth prevail forever.

An article that we have on our website. It might be helpful for you, Courtney, is how to distinguish the spirit of God from the spirit of the antichrist go to core Christianity.com will make sure to put in the show notes Mike, I just wanted to ask you to so family movie night you recommend thief in the night or will I traumatize my kit. You know I had did you ever see that you not.

I have not, but I kinda want to yell yeah you're too young. Again, I don't want to ridicule people who hold that view. Looking forward to, you know, reading the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other trying to identify the antichrist but we've had a lot of false alarms about who the antichrist is since I was a kid. It was Henry Kissinger, Pres. Nixon, Pres. Clinton and so at some point to stop. You don't wheat we really do need to stop doing this. Even if the antichrist is it the figure still in the future we really are going to be able to identify that person until he or she arrives on the scene Mike on Facebook then asked what does it mean to say that Jesus is the Messiah. Is this the same as saying Jesus is King thanks Bennett yeah that and more Messiah simply means anointed one Christ.

So we get in our English translation Christ process as not Jesus personal name Jesus as his personal name Christ as Messiah means Messiah. So Jesus the Messiah. Every time you read Jesus Christ Jesus the Messiah.

Old Testament prophets, priests and kings were all anointed, but no one could hold more than one office.

You are either a priest or a prophet or a king until Jesus the Messiah. He is a prophet, priest and king rolled into one. Certainly he's God that makes them qualitatively different from all of other prophets, priests and kings but he is also as human.

The consummate prophet, priest and king. The greatest of all of them.

They all pointed to him in their own feeble and fallible way.

They pointed to Jesus and drawing on Old Testament prophecies Jewish writings by the rabbis at the time of Jesus expected the Messiah to be another great deliverer, sent by God. Another Moses to lead another Exodus from exile to Sinai or another Joshua to cleanse the land of the Romans and restore God's kingdom on earth. Another ally just to defeat the idolaters a true son of David who would restore the throne and an reign over Israel and the nations from Jerusalem he would basically be a conqueror.

Some even said he would be God himself. Based on Daniel seven with the Son of Man, identified as a divine figure. But what's lacking in any of these rabbinical pictures is the idea of the conquering Messiah King dying, much less being crucified. After all, cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree. Deuteronomy 2123 sonar NL, the Messiah would live forever on God's throne in Jerusalem.

And so when they came to Psalms and prophecies in the Bible that presented the Messiah as suffering or dying for his people.

They said well that can't be the Messiah. It must be someone else. You are listening right now to core Christianity with theologian Dr. Michael Horton were answering the questions you have about the Christian faith.

You can also find us on Facebook and this is a message we recently received. What does Jesus mean when he says that not any odor shall pass away from the law yet. Matthew 518.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an Yoda or we often say, not a dot will pass away from the Law until all is accomplished. There are a lot of people who think Jesus came to free us from laws and rules so that we could just love each other well.

Jesus said that the law, the 10 Commandments is actually a summary of what it means to love God and each other so there's absolutely no opposition between love and law, the 10 Commandments is the summary of what it means to love Jesus didn't come to go around the law, or to abolish the law but to fulfill the law. The law is good. Promise I'm not in the know I need to be saved and the law can't save me so why does Jesus need to fulfill the law because it's not enough for them to bare our sins that would just bring us forgiveness. Forgiveness is great but it doesn't make us righteous before God.

So instead of setting aside the law and just letting bygones be bygones.

Jesus, God incarnate who gave the law and also fulfilled it as a human being. Now credits us with his obedience.

So were not as viewed by God as if we never sinned, but as if we had positively God's law perfectly throughout our life. If Jesus hadn't fulfilled the wall, then he wouldn't have been a spotless lamb and he wouldn't have given us his status is righteous in God's sight. Michael to really talk about. Here's a word we often throw around in the church. The biblical word are justification absolutely. Thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33 core when you contact us.

Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together