The Threat of
Apostasy (No. 8 in Series)
We all know that someone’s behavior is a good indication
of the person’s thinking and where his or her heart is. What someone does or neglects to do says a
lot about the person. When a Christian
does not participate in the life of the church, what does it say about that
person? What does it mean for his or her
state of mind? Is there any connection
between church attendance and salvation?
When reflecting upon the connection of verses 24-25 with
verses 26-28 in Hebrews 10, one author has said bluntly, “Failure to [meet] is
associated with apostasy” (Ellingworth, 528).
What is apostasy? It is when a
Christian turns away from the Lord, when a believer no longer believes.
Now, we do not believe that one is saved by good works,
including church attendance. We do not
believe that one remains a Christian by righteous behavior. We believe that we can never do enough to
save ourselves or keep us in God’s favor.
Yet, being saved by God’s grace in Christ does not mean that we cannot
cooperate with God and obey His Word.
The Lord has instructed us in the way we should
live. Although our bodies may
deteriorate due to aging, illness, and the like, we may be continually renewed
in our spirits. We can grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We can be encouraged, helped, supported, and more so that we do not give
up in the life of faith. We need each
other in order to persevere until the end.
If we try to go at it alone, we may possibly shrink into unbelief.
While attending church gatherings may not save you in the
direct sense, it may be a big help in your salvation in an indirect way. The simple act of going to church will not
make you righteous before God, but the church itself, the people, can spur you
on to a life of faith and not let you give up trusting Christ. As my friend Dave would say, routine
Christian assembling has a way of shoring up our confidence in salvation as
well as helping to inoculate us from apostasy.
Do you want to guard yourself from unbelief? A great way is by attending and involving
yourself in the life of the church!