31 SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE APOSTATE (Check your spiritual pulse.)

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Jan 27, 2015
2,690
367
83
#21
31 SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE APOSTATE
(Think about these before reacting.)



1. You've been saved for years and all you have to say about God is that He saved you.
(...)


2.
The things of God are not your primary interest and concern.



3. You know more about business and pop-culture than you do about your God and His Word.





4. You are the sun in your solar system and Jesus Christ is Pluto.



5.
You're an entertainment junkie.




6.
You're rich.


7. You prefer traditions over truth.



8. You're popular with Christians.
(?!)



9. You're popular with non-Christians.




10.
You attend "E
NTERTAINMENT & FLUFF R US" church; and even there you're playing with your phone...



11.
You're more "zealous" for your favorite sports team than you are for Jesus Christ.





12.
Your vehicle, home, and person are covered in Christian "FLAIR"...but Christ in you is like a pen-light with a low battery.





13. You're a "conviction-phobe".




14. You can't even swallow spiritual MILK without chocolate or strawberry and a swirly straw.




15. You'd rather have someone else dispense the Word of God to you and interpret it for you than read it for yourself.




16. The fruits of the Spirit aren't INCREASING in you.




17. Jesus is everything to you except MASTER.




18. You can recite what David wrote---but you don't truly empathize.


19. The only time you feel "spiritual" is when you listen to
Christian music.





20. O-B-E-Y is a "four-letter-word" to you.





21.
You can't tell a
FALSE prophet from a true one.




22. Your life is a "Christianized" version of your unsaved neighbors'.




23. You judge yourself by comparing yourself to your unsaved neighbors and other Christians rather than to Christ and by the standard of the New Testament.




24. You want to do all sorts of things "For Jesus"---except what He actually wants you to do...



25. You think God exists to serve you.





26. You think that the only reason God saved you was so that you wouldn't go to the lake of fire.




27. You don't think you owe Him EVERYTHING (or anything) for saving you.




28. The commandments of the New Testament "interfere" with your life rather than directing it.




29. You want to get as CLOSE to sin as possible without being indicted or punished, rather than desiring and trying to stay AS FAR AWAY FROM IT as possible.


30. You love the praise of man more than the praise of God.




31. YOU THINK CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY IS "A-OKAY"!


* * * * * * *


(If this list describes you---and it doesn't bother you---it's probably too late for you.


If this list describes you and it DOES bother you, do something about it TODAY .)


May the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
and the mercy of God,
be with you.
Why 31? You couldn't narrow this down to like, 5? :p
 

Ezekiel8

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2017
403
8
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#22
That is a pretty good list! Though personally I think it more or less details heresy and backsliding more than apostasy (which is to just straight up renounce your religion), but still, the point remains and is pretty good!
 
Dec 11, 2017
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#23
If you were an apostate you wouldn't give two hoots and wouldn't be reading this thread. A list of 31 yet not one of them says identifies what apostasy is.

If a genuine believer can commit apostasy then that is to totally reject Jesus as the son of God who died and rose again.
Once again if you did that then you would not be on this site.
APOSTASY - The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.

There are degrees of apostasy. One does not need to reject all of the teachings or commandments of the New Testament, or deny Jesus Christ with one's mouth, to be in a state of apostasy.

The five churches in the Revelation that the Lord rebuked were in varying degrees of apostasy. Jesus recognized the things they were doing right, but He also rebuked them for the things they were doing wrong and warned them of what the consequences would be if they did not repent.

Christians can fall away from the Lord completely (in which case they are no longer Christians), but those that do do not realize that they are twice-dead. They continue to do and say some Christian things (even serve as pastors). But they are dead. (See the church in Sardis for an example. They still had a reputation of being alive.)

It's not the words of our mouths only which justify us but our actions also; and God judges our actions and the secrets of our hearts and responds to us accordingly. We can deny Jesus and push Him away by our works, while clinging to Him with our lips.

Christians who persist in willful sin and don't repent can potentially forfeit their salvation.

(It's a lie that true Christians can't/don't ever disobey God, or that they can't rebel against Him, or that they will always repent when they sin. They won't always and they don't always.

The Christians in the churches in the Revelation that Jesus rebuked weren't listening to Him, so the Lord sent warning to them by a prophetic message. God sends prophets to His people when they are not listening to Him. Just because we have the Holy Spirit living in us, doesn't mean we will always choose to listen to Him.

To those who shut out His whispers, the Lord sends the trumpet, in the hopes of turning them around before it's too late.

The sad truth is that by the time God starts sending the trumpets, it's already too late for the majority. They will not repent. If they've been shutting out His whispers, ignoring/defying His written Word, and spurning His chastening, they won't listen to the trumpet either. They'll either scoff or get angry, but they won't repent.)

How much sin of this kind---willful sin---is too much?

What fool would find out? That's God's judgment to make.

The church at Ephesus is one example of partial apostasy: Those Christians were still doing some of the things they had been taught and knew to do. The problem was, they weren't doing everything they had been commanded and knew to do. And that was what Jesus rebuked them for. Partial obedience to what we know is just disobedience. (See King Saul for an example.)

Yes, many Christians have abandoned many of the teachings of the New Testament, and are not keeping in step with the Spirit, even though they still have the Holy Spirit living in them. They're simply choosing not to live according to God's commands (which they know, or could and should know) as they ought to be. They keep some and ignore/twist/reject/defy others. This is a form of apostasy.

If partial obedience to what they knew they had been commanded wasn't acceptable for the church at Ephesus, it's not acceptable for any of the rest of us either.

And that's not the same as being perfect and never sinning: We all sin sometimes. We should repent when we do and keep going forward. Sinning from time to time because we have the sinful nature and are not perfect is not the same thing as knowing a command of the Lord and stubbornly refusing to keep it, or living in some known sin and refusing to repent of it.

(And a known sin is to other sins like a magnet to iron filings or staticky fabric to lint; the longer one persists in it, more sins will accumulate in one's life.)

Contentious and insincere people like to try to muddy the waters about this, accusing people who preach obedience to Christ of preaching sinless perfection, or of being 'legalistic' or 'Pharisees'. I think they know exactly what they're doing. People with a bad conscience toward God will always find fault; but their problem is a spiritual one that only God can fix. I don't have time for that.

If you profess to love the Lord, keep His commandments. If you don't love Him, your actions are proving it to Him, regardless of what you say with your mouth.

Push Him away long enough, and He just might give you what you really want.


 

Ezekiel8

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2017
403
8
0
#24
APOSTASY - The abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief.

There are degrees of apostasy. One does not need to reject all of the teachings or commandments of the New Testament, or deny Jesus Christ with one's mouth, to be in a state of apostasy.

The five churches in the Revelation that the Lord rebuked were in varying degrees of apostasy. Jesus recognized the things they were doing right, but He also rebuked them for the things they were doing wrong and warned them of what the consequences would be if they did not repent.

Christians can fall away from the Lord completely (in which case they are no longer Christians), but those that do do not realize that they are twice-dead. They continue to do and say some Christian things (even serve as pastors). But they are dead. (See the church in Sardis for an example. They still had a reputation of being alive.)

It's not the words of our mouths only which justify us but our actions also; and God judges our actions and the secrets of our hearts and responds to us accordingly. We can deny Jesus and push Him away by our works, while clinging to Him with our lips.

Christians who persist in willful sin and don't repent can potentially forfeit their salvation.

(It's a lie that true Christians can't/don't ever disobey God, or that they can't rebel against Him, or that they will always repent when they sin. They won't always and they don't always.

The Christians in the churches in the Revelation that Jesus rebuked weren't listening to Him, so the Lord sent warning to them by a prophetic message. God sends prophets to His people when they are not listening to Him. Just because we have the Holy Spirit living in us, doesn't mean we will always choose to listen to Him.

To those who shut out His whispers, the Lord sends the trumpet, in the hopes of turning them around before it's too late.

The sad truth is that by the time God starts sending the trumpets, it's already too late for the majority. They will not repent. If they've been shutting out His whispers, ignoring/defying His written Word, and spurning His chastening, they won't listen to the trumpet either. They'll either scoff or get angry, but they won't repent.)

How much sin of this kind---willful sin---is too much?

What fool would find out? That's God's judgment to make.

The church at Ephesus is one example of partial apostasy: Those Christians were still doing some of the things they had been taught and knew to do. The problem was, they weren't doing everything they had been commanded and knew to do. And that was what Jesus rebuked them for. Partial obedience to what we know is just disobedience. (See King Saul for an example.)

Yes, many Christians have abandoned many of the teachings of the New Testament, and are not keeping in step with the Spirit, even though they still have the Holy Spirit living in them. They're simply choosing not to live according to God's commands (which they know, or could and should know) as they ought to be. They keep some and ignore/twist/reject/defy others. This is a form of apostasy.

If partial obedience to what they knew they had been commanded wasn't acceptable for the church at Ephesus, it's not acceptable for any of the rest of us either.

And that's not the same as being perfect and never sinning: We all sin sometimes. We should repent when we do and keep going forward. Sinning from time to time because we have the sinful nature and are not perfect is not the same thing as knowing a command of the Lord and stubbornly refusing to keep it, or living in some known sin and refusing to repent of it.

(And a known sin is to other sins like a magnet to iron filings or staticky fabric to lint; the longer one persists in it, more sins will accumulate in one's life.)

Contentious and insincere people like to try to muddy the waters about this, accusing people who preach obedience to Christ of preaching sinless perfection, or of being 'legalistic' or 'Pharisees'. I think they know exactly what they're doing. People with a bad conscience toward God will always find fault; but their problem is a spiritual one that only God can fix. I don't have time for that.

If you profess to love the Lord, keep His commandments. If you don't love Him, your actions are proving it to Him, regardless of what you say with your mouth.

Push Him away long enough, and He just might give you what you really want.


Ah I see what you are meaning here then, as what he said is somewhat similar to what I said, then I will take that as a correction to my reply.

In that case, wow that's a pretty good list!
 

Solemateleft

Honor, Courage, Commitment
Jun 25, 2017
11,998
3,585
113
#25
LightShinesintheDarkness - thanks for sharing and the friendly reminders... I look forward to using it as an opportunistic means to stimulate a friendly discussion with my kids/family...
 
Dec 11, 2017
192
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#26
"I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin."

-Romans 7:21-25

Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
(Romans 6:13,14)


For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:15,16)


Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
 

preacher4truth

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2016
9,171
2,718
113
#28
31 SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE APOSTATE
(Think about these before reacting.)
1. You've been saved for years and all you have to say about God is that He saved you. (...)
I've never met such a person that had only that to say about God. Even true apostates have more to say about God.
2. The things of God are not your primary interest and concern.
Then all believers fluctuate between apostasy and genuine conversion.
3. You know more about business and pop-culture than you do about your God and His Word.
Then all new converts are really just apostates. :eek:

4. You are the sun in your solar system and Jesus Christ is Pluto.
Sounds more like WoF than apostasy, which, quite honestly is a false gospel.

5. You're an entertainment junkie.
Not sure what that means. Does this include playing too much with a smart phone?
6. You're rich.
I am? YAY!!!!!!!!! I receive your Word of Faith! Thanks! ;) :p
7. You prefer traditions over truth.
Sounds like the unconverted, not apostates, i.e. Pharisees.
8. You're popular with Christians.
I called all the people at church and told them to stop loving me into becoming an apostate. The phone calls all had this awkward silence, but I think I ended my being popular and escaped apostatizing. :D
9. You're popular with non-Christians.
I'm stuck between worrying about all men speaking well of me, Luke 6:26 (which I am in no danger of) and when my ways please the LORD even my enemies will be at peace with me; Proverbs 16:7.
10. You attend "ENTERTAINMENT & FLUFF R US" church; and even there you're playing with your phone...
Well, the sermon was horrible, and I was only visiting.
11. You're more "zealous" for your favorite sports team than you are for Jesus Christ.
Naw, my teams suck. Good thing, or I'd be an apostate. Pats fans are screwed!
12. Your vehicle, home, and person are covered in Christian "FLAIR"...but Christ in you is like a pen-light with a low battery.
My truck is covered in dirt and mud. Phew. I'm safe!
13. You're a "conviction-phobe".
I'm scared of something now.
14. You can't even swallow spiritual MILK without chocolate or strawberry and a swirly straw.
Hey! Don't make fun of Nestlè Quick!
15. You'd rather have someone else dispense the Word of God to you and interpret it for you than read it for yourself.
I just hid my audio Bible apps. I'm good.
16. The fruits of the Spirit aren't INCREASING in you.
Fruits? There is only one.
17. Jesus is everything to you except MASTER.
Now you're getting somewhere.
18. You can recite what David wrote---but you don't truly empathize.
Hmmmm.
19. The only time you feel "spiritual" is when you listen to Christian music.
So, we should feel spiritual? Verse?
20. O-B-E-Y is a "four-letter-word" to you.
Oh, that's a trick question! O=1, B=2, E=3, Y=4.
21. You can't tell a FALSE prophet from a true one.
I got this one nailed down!
22. Your life is a "Christianized" version of your unsaved neighbors'.
That would be troublesome, yes.
23. You judge yourself by comparing yourself to your unsaved neighbors and other Christians rather than to Christ and by the standard of the New Testament.
Well, that wouldn't exactly make a person an apostate. By the way, what is an apostate to you?
24. You want to do all sorts of things "For Jesus"---except what He actually wants you to do...
So obeying Jesus, but not perfectly = apostasy. Hmmmm.
25. You think God exists to serve you.
That would be apostate Prosperity Gospel stuff.
26. You think that the only reason God saved you was so that you wouldn't go to the lake of fire.
How about that, and that he saved me from my sins too? Is that OK? Or, does that make me half apostate?
27. You don't think you owe Him EVERYTHING (or anything) for saving you.
He that is forgiven much, loves much.
28. The commandments of the New Testament "interfere" with your life rather than directing it.
Sounds to me like if they interfere and bother a person then that is conviction, not apostasy.
29. You want to get as CLOSE to sin as possible without being indicted or punished, rather than desiring and trying to stay AS FAR AWAY FROM IT as possible.
Sounds like a struggle with the flesh.
30. You love the praise of man more than the praise of God.
I'm in no danger of receiving praise from man, believe me!
31. YOU THINK CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY IS "A-OKAY"!
Wait! We're ALL contemporary Christians!

(If this list describes you---and it doesn't bother you---it's probably too late for you.


If this list describes you and it DOES bother you, do something about it TODAY .)


May the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
and the mercy of God,
be with you.
So, an apostate can unapostatize? Wow!
 
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tourist

Senior Member
Mar 13, 2014
41,243
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Tennessee
#29
Great another check list of do's or don'ts just what I wanted to start the new year.
Do's and don'ts?
You must really hate the New Testament then. It's full of them.
(For our good, by the way.)
A list of do's and don'ts will prove to be spiritually debilitating to those who attempt to diligently to follow them, leading to anger, guilt and frustration. I have personally found it to be much better to focus on the love of God and to do your best to humbly serve him rather than keeping to a strict and endless lists of do's and don'ts.

Regardless of the size of the list and how we follow it we all fall short but thankfully we love and serve a compassionate and merciful God who is quick to forgive us and always willing to encourage us in our struggles.

By the way, my wife loves the New Testament. She loves the Old Testament also. Above all else, she loves God.




 

Cee

Senior Member
May 14, 2010
2,169
473
83
#30
Actually this list is 31 signs you might be religious and not really saved.

Here's how you can tell there is no mention of love, kindness, gentleness, or any of the attributes of what a saved person looks like. There is plenty of condemnation though. No mention of loving orphans, widows, the poor. No mention of love at all.
 

Cee

Senior Member
May 14, 2010
2,169
473
83
#31
True. But it might go a little deeper when I was bound by a religious mindset I used to feel like I wasn't doing my job if I didn't get others in fear and people bound to the same law.

Paul explains this when he discusses judaizers who were jealous of the freedom of Christians:

Galatians 2:4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—

A Pharisee would care a LOT about other christians' condition. Mostly they check other people to make sure the outside of the cup is clean.

Then why do we need this list?

Ooooh, I know! So we can make sure the people we know are all real christians! We can use this list to check all the people around us who SAY they are christians, and make sure they are REAL christians. Cool! I'm gonna go do an inventory of all my friends now. Don't want to be surrounded by fake christians. ;)
 
K

kaylagrl

Guest
#32
​ Yeah,Im stuck on number 6. Whats wrong with being rich?
 

Ezekiel8

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2017
403
8
0
#34
​ Yeah,Im stuck on number 6. Whats wrong with being rich?
Camels and needles of course. Of course it's not totally impossible, just very hard, for a rich man to enter in for nothing is impossible with the Lord.
 

preacher4truth

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2016
9,171
2,718
113
#35
Camels and needles of course. Of course it's not totally impossible, just very hard, for a rich man to enter in for nothing is impossible with the Lord.
Actually it is impossible for a rich man to enter. "with man this is impossible..." Matthew 19:26. The "very hard" statement (verse 23) isn't speaking of a person having ability to enter heaven through effort at all.
 

Ezekiel8

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2017
403
8
0
#36
Actually it is impossible for a rich man to enter. "with man this is impossible..." Matthew 19:26. The "very hard" statement (verse 23) isn't speaking of a person having ability to enter heaven through effort at all.
Well of course, of themselves they have no ability to do such either rich or poor. It is only possible with God, for nothing is impossible for God.

It's a good section of the Bible to consider though. I suppose I cannot fault anyone for being astounded for this teaching, for it is written indeed, even the disciples were amazed when they heard it, and wondered who then can be saved.

Matthew 19:23-26

[SUP]23 [/SUP]Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
[SUP]26 [/SUP]But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

(Edits on spelling errors and grammar)
 
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Cee

Senior Member
May 14, 2010
2,169
473
83
#37
Consider this:

They believed people were rich because of the favor of God. This was a very popular OT belief.

SO - If RICH people couldn't be saved then WHO CAN?

With men being saved is impossible, for ALL men, not just rich men.

But with God it is possible because Christ made it possible.

Well of course, of themselves they have no ability to do such either rich or poor. It is only possible with God, for nothing is impossible for God.

It's a good section of the Bible to consider though. I suppose I cannot fault anyone for being astounded for this teaching, for it is written indeed, even the disciples were amazed when they heard it, and wondered who then can be saved.

Matthew 19:23-26

[SUP]23 [/SUP]Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
[SUP]26 [/SUP]But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

(Edits on spelling errors and grammar)
 

Ezekiel8

Senior Member
Oct 26, 2017
403
8
0
#38
Consider this:

They believed rich people because of favor of God. SO - If RICH people couldn't be saved then WHO CAN?

With men being saved is impossible, for ALL men, not just rich men.

But with God it is possible because Christ made it possible.
Well not a bad point I suppose. God indeed does bestow riches and can take them away also. The Lord gives as he pleases and takes it away as well, all for his glory. Indeed where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.

Very interesting stuff to think about, but I don't want to hijack this topic. Perhaps on the matter of riches and poverty as it pertains to salvation and blessings and curses this be a decent topic by itself for one to make, investigate, and study.
 

breno785au

Senior Member
Jul 23, 2013
6,002
764
113
39
Australia
#39
​ Yeah,Im stuck on number 6. Whats wrong with being rich?
Because some people carry on with the vow of poverty tradition in their thinking.

Camels and needles of course. Of course it's not totally impossible, just very hard, for a rich man to enter in for nothing is impossible with the Lord.
Let's also not forget Deuteronomy 8:18 that the Lord gives the ability to create wealth.
 
F

FenceMan

Guest
#40
So what happens if a Christian is poor at first and then becomes rich later on? Have they lost their faith?