Slow Fade

Recently you may have seen in the Christian headlines a story about a once famous pastor and author who has now renounced his faith in Jesus Christ and embraced a secular worldview. For a lot of people it has been shocking news and especially for those who were probably impacted by his life and ministry. It is a sobering reality of the fact that the journey of salvation is not something to be taken lightly but that one must take up their cross daily and follow Jesus.

Why would one backslide? Is there such a thing as backsliding or losing your faith? Now I’m not writing this post so that I can argue on the “once saved always saved” argument but rather show how what I believe happens to people who were once legitimately enlightened but end up abandoning their faith in Jesus Christ.

You must remember that Judas Iscariot was legitimately part of the 12 Apostles foreordained to be witnesses of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Remember that Jesus prayed overnight before He chose the 12 apostles out of a number of followers (Luke 6:12-15). Like the other 11 disciples Judas son of Simon cast out demons, healed the sick and preached repentance to the Jews as they had been instructed by their Rabbi, Jesus. The Apostle Peter states in Acts 1:17, “he [Judas] was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.”

Yet we gradually see him changing his stance from complete belief in Jesus (leaving everything to follow Him) and eventually culminating in betraying Him to the Sanhedrin (Jewish religious leaders). What happened to him? Why did he betray Jesus?

Well, there are a number of reasons he did that. One was that he thought Jesus was going to establish an earthly kingdom and overthrow the Roman colonialists and two, the love of money consumed him but as we know from 1 Timothy 6:9-10 it ALWAYS results in destruction and death. Peter’s speech in Acts 1:15-21 confirms that. Knowing that he had betrayed an innocent man he returned to the Pharisees and told them of his guilt and threw the 30 pieces of silver (the amount used purchase a slave – Exodus 21:32) in the temple, went and hanged himself.

What a bad ending. Peter had also denied Jesus three times but instead of giving up on faith, he repented and this was evidenced by his bitter tears. Not just his remorse (Judas was remorseful too, in fact maybe more than Peter and returned the money he had been given) but more importantly his return to the fellowship of brethren and with Jesus after His resurrection. Just think for a moment. Do you think that if Judas would have turned to Jesus that he would have been turned away? After all David murdered an innocent man after sleeping with his wife. Yet Jehovah Himself declares that King David was a man after His Own Heart. Surely repentance for betrayal would have brought him back into the fold. But Judas chose another way and if he like Peter would have asked for forgiveness today we would be talking about Apostle Judas. Sad. What a sad sad ending.

Well Judas is certainly not the first or the last person to deny the faith. In the last century, famously there was Charles Templeton and more recently Jahaziel. The Apostle Paul praised Demas as a good fellow worker (Colossians 4:14; Philemon 1:24) but in his last epistles things change dramatically. Paul urges Timothy to come to him quickly for, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” – 2 Timothy 4:10. Paul tells Timothy in his first epistle to his spiritual son to fight the good fight of faith “having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander” – 1 Timothy 1:18-20. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18 Hymenaeus (again) and Philetus are recorded as having strayed from the truth and by their falling away have even taken some with them!

Consider the following scriptures:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” – 1 Timothy 4:1-2

“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.” – 1 Timothy 6:20-21

The Apostle Peter (2 Peter 2:19-21) describes false teachers as having, escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Hebrews 6:4-6 states that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

How is it then that legitimate Christians and even Christian leaders stray away from the faith? Well the reasons depend and they vary but one thing is certain. It is a gradual descent from truth. IT’S A SLOW FADE. They did not wake up one day and turn away from their Saviour. They had entertained a certain thought for a long time and in not dealing with it that thorn seed grew into a large bush that completely choked the Word of God in their hearts.

That is why we are told in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 that we are to “cast down arguments (imaginations) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” We have to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God and not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2). The end result is that we cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God – 2 Corinthians 7:1.

I once read a chilling account from a book written by Kenneth Erwin Hagin (a man I deeply respect and honour) of how a Pastor’s wife departed from the faith. Here is the excerpt from the book The Origin and Operation of Demons (Satan, Demons, and Demon Possession Series, Volume 1) published in 1983:

“In the vision that night I saw a woman I had met one time. I immediately recognized her because I had heard her sing at a convention. She was the wife of a minister

I knew. I saw her like you would see a picture on television.

Jesus narrated the story that followed. He said this woman was his servant. She’d had a part in the ministry, but then the devil came. I saw an evil spirit. It seemed to sit on her right shoulder and whisper in her ear. She was a Christian and the devil wasn’t on the inside of her; he was on the outside. (But he’ll work from the outside and try to get inside.)

As Jesus narrated this story, he said this demon told the woman she was beautiful, but that she had been cheated in life. He told her she could have had fame, fortune, and popularity in the world. Jesus said the woman knew this was the devil, and told Satan to get behind her. He said the spirit left for a season. I saw it run off and leave her. But after a time it came back again and whispered into her ear that she was a beautiful woman. The devil told her again that in the world she could have had fame, popularity, and wealth.

Jesus said she began to entertain Satan’s suggestion. We can learn something important here. The only way the devil can get into you is through your mind. Your mind is the door to your spirit. One of Satan’s greatest weapons is suggestion.

Didn’t the devil suggest to Eve that the reason God didn’t want her to eat the forbidden fruit was because her eyes would be opened and she would become like God? She followed his suggestion. Jesus told me this woman began to entertain the suggestion that she was beautiful. She liked to think she was beautiful. (The Bible tells us in Ezekiel concerning the fall of Satan that he was lifted up in pride because of his beauty.) She felt she had been cheated in life. She felt she had been robbed. She felt in the world she could have had fame and fortune.

As I said, she was very outstanding. I had heard her sing at church conventions. She had whatever the world calls “it.” If she came in late for a service, men and women alike couldn’t keep from looking at her. She just had that “something” about her.

In the vision, she suddenly became like glass — transparent. And I could see something in her head that looked like a black dot. It was about as big as a half dollar. Jesus, in narrating, said, “She is now obsessed with that kind of thinking. But,” He said, “it isn’t too late — she still could do something about it.”

We’re supposed to think God’s thoughts. That woman was still God’s child. She could have put that thought out of her mind if she had wanted to. She could have refused to think like that. But she desired to think like that, so she continued. Somebody said, “You can’t help who may knock on your front door, but you can help who you invite into the living room and entertain.” Thoughts may come and go, but thoughts that are not put into actions or words will die unborn.

You may say, “I can’t control my thoughts.” Yes, you can unless the devil has taken over your spirit. Jesus told me this woman could have said from her spirit, “I’m not going to think like that. I resist you, Satan. I rebuke you in the Name of Jesus. Leave me!”

You see, if the devil is going to get into your spirit, he’s going to have to come through your mind. I am referring to believers. You can cast devils out of people without teaching them and still do them an injustice. A lot of times they don’t need a spirit cast out. They just need to rise up against it. And, like Jesus said, this woman could have done it.

The Bible tells us to cast down imaginations or reasonings. It tells us to cast down those things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).

Did He tell us to do something we can’t do? No, thank God, He didn’t. Now, quit saying, “I can’t.” As long as you talk unbelief, you’re going to be bound by unbelief.

This woman soon left her husband and the ministry. She went out into the world. I asked the Lord why He was showing me this. He said it was because He didn’t want me to pray for the woman. Also, He wanted me to know how demons and evil spirits get hold of people, even Christians if they will permit them to.

I asked Him if He wanted me to cast the devil out of this woman. She had left her husband and taken up with several different men at once. She wasn’t satisfied with one man. Jesus told me this thing finally got down into her spirit. It got into her heart. I saw the black dot go from her head down into the inside of her. She began to say she didn’t want the Lord Jesus anymore. She turned her back on Him. Before, she hadn’t completely turned her back on Him.

The Lord told me she could have this devil if she wanted it. He told me no one, not even Himself when He was on earth, exercised authority over human spirits. God Himself does not exercise authority over human spirits. Jesus did exercise authority over evil spirits and demons, and any believer in the Church can do that. But if a human spirit wants the condition to remain as it is, there is nothing another believer can do about it.

I asked the Lord if He wanted me to pray for her. But He told me then not to even pray. That came as a real jolt to me. I’d never heard of not praying for people!

I’m one who is a stickler for the Word of God, so I asked the Lord if this was scriptural. He told me to look at First John 5:16, which says, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” I never had heard anyone preach on this before.

He told me the reason I was not to pray for this preacher’s wife was that she had sinned the sin unto death. I told the Lord I still wasn’t satisfied with this. I wouldn’t accept any kind of vision, or experience, even if I saw Jesus 20 times in one day, if what He said couldn’t be proved by the written New Testament. I wouldn’t accept a word of it. I told Him that His Word says, “In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matt. 18:16). I asked Him for more Scripture and He gave me Hebrews 6:4-6.

Jesus said before one could be guilty of the sin unto death, all five things mentioned in that Scripture would have to apply to him.”

This testimony by Kenneth Hagin really shook me up and I realised more than ever that I’ve got to be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:8-11

Salvation is a picture of the journey that the Israelites took from Egypt (the world) to land of promise (Heaven). We are told that their carcasses fell in the desert because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:6-19). This journey is not easy and it’s only by God’s grace and our unwavering faith in Jesus in every circumstance that we shall prevail and partake of our inheritance eternally. I’ll leave you with one last Scripture for encouragement. It’s not hard, really. The solution is to look to Jesus and let not your eyes lose it’s gaze on He who is the Beauty of Holiness (Psalm 27:4, 8; 29:2). He is all that we’ve got. He is all that we need 🙌🏼

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Hebrews 12:1-4

If you are not saved, that is, born-again please read this article here and accept Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Saviour and Love. He loves you too much. Please make this decision today, you will never regret it.