How Does it Happen?

How does it happen? In my 47 years walking with Jesus I have witnessed it and heard of it and read of it too many times to count. How does someone who had such sweet fellowship with the Lord Jesus up and turn away? Alan – I’ll call him that name – Alan comes to mind because his apostasy is the most recent. He and I had sweet fellowship around the Lord several years ago when Nancy and I lived in Washington State. We attended a Bible study led by a local pastor, a great man of God himself. We often spent time after the study to talk about Jesus, living holy lifestyles that reflect our Savior to others, and the reliability and inerrancy of the Scriptures. We lost contact after my wife and I moved to Georgia. It is only through an online social media site that we got together again. But something not good happened to him in the intervening years. I know not what it was. He now supports those who support killing babies in the womb and selling their body parts. He now supports those who support killing babies who survive so-called ‘botched' abortions. He also supports those who support the perversion and desecration of the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman. And yet he still says he calls Jesus his Lord. I fear for Alan, and I told him so. And I reminded Him of the Lord Jesus’ warning to those who call Him, ‘Lord’ but whose lives and lifestyles make them liars:  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23) I then warned him it is impossible to be a Christian and be pro-abortion and pro-same sex marriage. And yet, stunningly, he responded (and I paraphrase) – “Don't worry about me. When I meet Jesus, He's not going to ask me where I stood on this subject or that subject, but rather He will ask about my faith in the completed work of Christ on the cross to atone for my sins.” I cannot fully understand how anyone who used to follow Christ can fall for such a devilish lie and a demonic twisting of Scripture. It’s like he's been completely beguiled by the Serpent who seduced Eve: “Go ahead. Eat the fruit. Surely, you will not die.” (Genesis 3). What insidious event deforms the souls of people like Alan? What changes those who attend church each week, maybe even receive communion every day, that they become blind to Scripture’s multiple warnings about their apostasy? How do they talk to God with two tongues – one which calls Him Lord and Master, and the other which says, “I’ll do it my way”? Christian: Be careful! Our hearts are deceitful above all else and are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to eternal destruction. There be many more on THAT road, happy in their self-delusions about the Jesus of the Bible, than are on the narrow road toward the small gate that is opened only by the Jesus of the Bible. God is not one to be mocked. Yes, His patience is long. But it is not without limit.