As I contemplate this question, I am reminded of my recent conversations with my friends on YouTube. Many of whom feel very uncomfortable with my questions about eternal security. While I do believe that we have eternal security in Christ, I am not so certain that we have eternal security outside of Christ. Jesus did invite all of his followers to abide in him and he himself promised that he would abide in us (John 15:4-9). Furthermore, Jesus warned that if we did not abide in him, we would wither and be gathered for the fire. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). So you see, eternal security is promised to those who abide in Christ. But what of those who fall away?
This question resurfaced in my mind as I was reading about a pastor who has renounced his faith in Christ. In this Christian Post, this story appeared:
“Joshua Harris falling away from faith: ‘I am not a Christian’”
Joshua Harris, the author of the best-selling book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, announced in an Instagram post-Friday that he is no longer a Christian.
The shocking admission comes a week after Harris publicly announced that he and his wife, Shannon, were separating after 20 years of marriage, but would remain “friends” as they continue to raise their three children together.
In the Instagram post, Harris commented on the responses he received about his pending divorce and dropped another shocking announcement by revealing that he is “falling away” from the faith and no longer identifies as a Christian.
Harris also apologized to the “LGBTQ+ community” for not supporting same-sex marriage and affirming their place in the church.
According to Harris: “I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus. The popular phrase for this is “deconstruction,” the biblical phrase is “falling away.” By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now.“
The one term that stood out to me was when he referred to it as “falling away.” This caused me to pause. To fall away means to leave the church and go into apostasy. Could a person still be saved in such a state? Many people might be inclined to say yes since salvation is a free gift that we did not earn. But even so, a gift must be received and cherished. Think of what the writer of Hebrews is saying,
Hebrews 6:4
“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”
Falling Away
Is it possible for born-again believers to fall away from faith in Christ? If so, would this imply that they were like the branches that have broken off from Christ only to be burned? “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6).
I am reminded of 2 Thessalonians 2:3 where the Apostle Paul is telling the church of Thessalonians when to look for the son of perdition. He said: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;”
The immediate question that comes to mind is, does the term, “falling away,” apply to society at large, or just to the church? The answer to this question seems simple enough. Those outside the church – the unredeemed – are already in a fallen state. Technically, they are presently apostates in their belief systems. Their only real moral and ethical restraint comes from the church. Paul is saying that before the Anti-Christ is revealed many believers in Jesus will fall away.
Where will they spend eternity? In heaven or hell. I’m going to leave that answer to you.
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