A Said-faith

[Willa]

My former pastor had led the highly respected president of his seminary to the Lord.  

[TheBlade]

"I believe it’s not commonly understood that an “apostate” is one who only professes to be in the faith but in truth has yet to be saved, i.e. reborn." "Apostates, for long periods of time can maintain the “tare” position, even “until the harvest”

As I understand its a believer that now rejects Jesus Christ. The great falling away or departure is those rejecting Christ or they departed as in gone up which ever one believes. The point is its not a believer.. they will tell you they do not believe and they reject Jesus Christ. This is also looking at other sources. Has nothing to do with works. Heb 10:26 was to Hebrews.. Jewish Christians that tried to also live by the law. There is no more sacrifice for sin. They would try to offer a sacrifice for that sin. Those that heard the truth yet reject it and willfully sin. There is nothing else out there other then Christ that can forgive them. So if they do not repent..well reading above verse 26 and below we understand more. 

We tend to look at some moment in time as if that is where God will judge. Were human living in a fallen world. There are so many variables we can not see nor the heart. We do know the heart can be 100% different then what we see aka the flesh right? Again what we see be it day or week or year is still just a moment in time.  Then we judge others based on our own interpretation of Gods word. There was not NT back then so anyone that confess Jesus came in the flesh did on the cross was buried rose the 3rd day..hello bother/sister! In some cases we should in love confront those that lead us maybe we are not seeing something or we have something to help them..just a thought. 

 

 

[WordSword]

12 minutes ago, TheBlade said:

"I believe it’s not commonly understood that an “apostate” is one who only professes to be in the faith but in truth has yet to be saved, i.e. reborn." "Apostates, for long periods of time can maintain the “tare” position, even “until the harvest”

As I understand its a believer that now rejects Jesus Christ.

Hi and thanks for the input! In my understanding they were never a believer in heart, only in word or false profession, because one reborn will only desire to "do His good pleasure" (Phl 2:13).

[PeterR]

G646 - apostasia

Feminine of the same as G647; defection from truth (properly the state), (“apostasy”): - falling away, forsake.
Total KJV occurrences: 2  --  2Th 2:3; Act 21:21

"Hebrews 10:26
For if we sin wilfully; rather, are wilfully continuing in sin. It is a word which needs to be noted. First of all there is no ‘if’ in the passage; it is stated as an actual case, not a supposed one. Then the emphasis is on ‘wilfully ‘and on continuance in sin. In a sense all sin implies the consent of the will for a time; and yet there is a distinction. Paul was a blasphemer and a persecutor; but he did it ignorantly in unbelief. Peter was a true disciple, and nevertheless he denied Christ with curses and oaths; but not wilfully, rather apparently through passing fear (Mat_26:74-75). The expression seems taken from Num_15:30-31, where sinning wilfully is described as doing something presumptuously, with a high hand, and by one who despises the Word of the Lord. The willing sinner is one who will sin. Nor is it a single act that is denounced, but a permanent state (not an aorist, but the present), continuance in a sinful course, and such continuance as implies apostasy. Moreover, it is the state of one who has received the knowledge of the truth, and who knows it to be truth (not as in Paul’s case, and not as in the case of the murderers who crucified Christ ignorantly, and some of whom became obedient to the faith). They were enlightened; they received the word with joy; for a while they believed (Luk_8:13). And this ‘knowledge of the truth,’ it may be added, is found only here in this Epistle, though common in Paul’s writings. Such was their character; and yet they gave up the Gospel, trod under foot the Son of God, counted His blood an unholy, a common, even a profane thing, offered insult to the Spirit of grace. They rejected that one sacrifice which completed and ended the sacrifices of the ancient Law, against their better knowledge, and resolved to return to their former sinful life; and for them there is no longer remaining any sacrifice for sin."  - P. Schaff

 

Luk 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 

G868 - aphistēmi
From G575 and G2476; to remove, that is, (actively) instigate to revolt; usually (reflexively) to desist, desert, etc.: - depart, draw (fall) away, refrain, withdraw self.

 

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. 
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

G3392 - miainō
Perhaps a primary verb; to sully or taint, that is, contaminate (ceremonially or morally): - defile.

G571 - apistos
From G1 (as a negative particle) and G4103; (actively) disbelieving, that is, without Christian faith (specifically a heathen); (passively) untrustworthy (person), or incredible (thing): - that believeth not, faithless, incredible thing, infidel, unbeliever (-ing).

"Titus 1:15
All things are pure for the pure; for their use, that is. (Comp. our Lord, Mat_15:10-20.) ‘Because created good by a good God, and because blessed by Him and sanctified by Christ, and because restored to man for his free use by Him’ (Wordsworth). When the morally defiled are also unbelieving, they abide in their sin (Joh_8:24).
Nothing pure, i.e. to them; it ministers to the impurity of their own nature.
Mind and con-science describe the intellectual and the ethical side of the mind. False asceticism imputes un-cleanness to the mere use of material objects. Christianity teaches that all objects are antecedently and in themselves good; the polluted man makes this or that unclean to himself.
Titus 1:16
It was part of the religious ‘confession’ of these errorists, that the knowledge of God was their own (in an exceptional degree?); practically they denied what in words they confessed. Vice is a denial that we have any true knowledge of God.
Abominable, a strong word not elsewhere in New Testament, implying the disgust with which a pure mind contemplates certain sins.
Disobedient, i.e. to moral law.
Reprobates, or rejected after trial, a word of Paul’s."  
- P.Schaff

 

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 

G4102 - pistis
From G3982; persuasion, that is, credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly constancy in such profession; by extension the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself: - assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.

G2041 - ergon
From ἔργω ergō (a primary but obsolete word; to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act: - deed, doing, labour, work.

"James 2:17
Now follows the application of this illustration. As this love, which merely expends itself in kind words and wishes, is of no value; so neither is the faith of him who professes to believe the Gospel, yet walks not up to his profession. Even so; as charity without works is dead, so faith, if it hath not works, if it be merely a theoretical assent to the truths of revelation, is dead. From this it is evident that by works is not meant merely something which is added to faith, but something which proceeds from it; as life is seen by its actions, so is faith by its works. The works then are those of a living faith, those to which faith gives birth. ‘If,’ observes Neander, ‘James calls the faith which is without works a dead faith, it could not surely be his view that works, which are but the outward manifestation, made faith to be living; but he must have presupposed that true faith has the principle of life within itself, from which works must proceed, and which manifests itself in works.’

being alone. The words in the Greek are not tautological, as they appear in our version, but emphatic. More correctly rendered they are ‘by itself’—denoting that a simple assent is useless, or rather ‘in itself,’ i.e is wholly and completely dead—has no living root which might spring up—‘twice dead, plucked up by the roots,’ as Jude expresses it (Jud_1:12). As has been observed, ‘A tree in winter may not have signs of life, but is not dead in itself; it will put forth shoots and leaves in spring. But faith has no winter; if it has not works, it has no life in it, and ought not to be called faith, for dead faith is no faith’ (Wordsworth). It is, however, to be remembered that James does not deny the existence of a theoretical faith; he distinguishes between faith and faith, between theoretical and practical faith; and to the former, the theoretical faith, he denies that justification can be ascribed. 

James 2:14-26
In this passage James continues to enforce practical religion. He tells his readers that faith destitute of works is of no avail to the saving of the soul, and is as useless as a charity which expends itself in kind words, but is destitute of beneficent actions. As the charity is dead, so also is the faith. Faith can only be manifested by works. A mere theoretical belief in God is of no advantage, and differs little from the belief of evil spirits. Such a faith, unproductive of works, cannot justify. Abraham was justified by an active faith when he offered up Isaac; by works did his faith receive its full realization; thus proving that a man is justified by an active and not by an unproductive faith. So also Rahab was similarly justified when she harboured the spies. Faith destitute of works resembles a body from which the living spirit has departed."
 - P.Schaff

Edited May 20, 2021 by PeterR

[mailmandan]

There are genuine Christians and there are "nominal/pseudo" Christians.

There are genuine believers and there are make believers. 

Edited May 21, 2021 by mailmandan