Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org

He who changes from opinion to opinion, and from one sect or party
to another, is never to be depended on; there is much reason to believe
that such a person is either mentally weak, or has never been rationally
and divinely convinced of the truth.
The apostle shows here five degrees of apostacy: 1. Consenting to sin;
being deceived by its solicitations. 2. Hardness of heart through giving
way to sin. 3. Unbelief in consequence of this hardness, which leads them
to call even the truth of the gospel in question. 4. This unbelief causing
them to speak evil of the gospel, and the provision God has made for the
salvation of their souls. 5. Apostacy itself, or falling off from the living
God, and thus extinguishing all the light that was in them, and finally
grieving the Spirit of God, so that he takes his flight, and leaves them to
a seared conscience and reprobate mind. He who begins to give the least
way to sin is in danger of final apostacy: the best remedy against this is,
to get the evil heart removed; as one murderer in the house is more to be
dreaded than ten without.
Every believer in Christ is in danger of apostacy while any remains of
the evil heart of unbelief are found in him. God has promised to purify
the heart, and the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. It is, therefore, the
highest wisdom of genuine Christians to look to God for the complete
purification of their souls; this they cannot have too soon, and for this
they cannot be too much in earnest.
Who can adequately describe the misery and wretchedness of that soul
which has lost its union with the Fountain of all good, and, in losing this,
has lost the possibility of happiness till the simple eye be once more
given, and the straight line once more drawn?
How strange is it that there should be found any backslider! that one
who once felt the power of Christ should ever turn aside! But it is still
stranger that any one who has felt it, and given, in his life and
conversation, full proof that he has felt it, should not only let it slip, but