To those of you who skim emails, the heading of this post uses the word “apostate,” not “apostle.”
They aren’t the same. Cough.
An apostate is someone who follows Jesus for a time and then turns their back on Him forever. They are people who renounce the Lord and their faith in Him.
This is different from “backsliding” because a backslider rebels out of weakness or momentary deception, but then returns to the Lord. (Though there are always consequences to rebellion.)
After listening to my YouTube monologue – Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? – a man who thought he may be an apostate wrote me the following email. I thought our discussion may be of help to others, hence why I’m sharing it.
—
Hello Frank,
I’ve just discovered you recently and I’m still learning what you have to teach. I searched through your FAQs and didn’t see my question.
Long story short, I fear that I have thrown away any hope I may have had of salvation. That I am cut off and that I’ve exhausted God’s patience due to an extended period of backsliding (if there is such a thing). I never stopped believing, but my actions at the time would certainly suggest otherwise.
I’ve committed many vile sins, and I don’t know if God can forgive me.
The Scriptures seem to suggest apostasy as irreversible. I’m coming from a Reformed state of mind if that helps at all. I just listened to your audio about if a Christian can lose their salvation. I found it helpful and I’m still working through these things.
Can a backslider return? Can an apostate return and later change their mind? Who IS in a hopeless state?
Thank you.
Joe Scallabeep (name changed to protect his identity).
My response:
Hi Joe,
The difference between an apostate and someone who has backslid is that an apostate would never write an email to me as you have.
Because apostates simply don’t care and have no desire to follow the Lord.
Again, if God wasn’t working in you, if He didn’t still love you, you wouldn’t have reached out to me at all.
My suggestion: Listen to this message: Rethinking the Love of Christ.
Then read Insurgence: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. (It’s also on Audiobook.)
Let me know how things look after you’ve done both.
Note that our God is much more longsuffering and patient that any human mother – and good mothers “put up” with everything.
best,
fv
Why “Read Your Bible and Pray” is Inadequate