Luke 8:13 “But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.”
Another path that will lead believers to committing the sin to death is when they are not taught correctly about the trials and tribulations that form part of the Christian walk. In other words they are taught a watered down version of the gospel. And so when believers are taught incorrectly, i.e. no one tells them about the tribulations to come and how to stand in the faith, they never build strong foundations on the word of God, and so when the trials eventually do come they become offended and fall away from following after Christ. Our Lord Jesus taught us this truth in the above quoted passage of scripture. A better translation of the word “temptation” in this passage is “adversity”, and in both Mark and Matthew’s gospels, when relating this teaching given by our Lord, they speak of tribulation and persecution. And so we see that the Lord Jesus clearly taught that believers, who do not hear the whole counsel of God, are prone to committing the sin to death when they encounter persecution for their faith in Christ.
Acts 14:21-22 “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, (22) strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Paul and the rest of the Lord’s apostles clearly understood, that a very real part of the gospel of Christ is that believers will be exposed to trials and tribulations in this life. And so from the moment that new converts were added to the church, they would be taught this truth and also be taught how to stand firm in the faith. The above quoted passage of scripture is just one example of many that confirms this truth to us, for in this passage we plainly see that the apostle Paul and his team warned all new believers about the many tribulations that all Christians can expect to encounter in this life. In other words Paul and his team taught the whole counsel of God, and not a watered down version of the gospel.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 “Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, (2) and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, (3) that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. (4) For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. (5) For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.”
Even when believers are taught to expect persecution for their faith however, not always is it assured that they will remain true to Christ. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul reveals to us his genuine concern for the church in Thessalonica, for he had heard that that church had encountered persecutions for their faith in Christ. And so he sent Timothy to them to encourage them to stand in the faith. Paul goes on to tell them in his letter that he had warned them right from the start to expect persecutions and afflictions, and that they must not now be surprised because those tribulations had arisen. Nevertheless Paul writes about his concern that Satan may have succeeded in tempting them to turn from following after Christ. And so we see that even though Paul had taught these believers to expect persecution, he was still concerned about their steadfastness in the faith, so how much more vulnerable are those who are never taught to expect persecution for their faith in Christ, because they are taught a superficial gospel.
Hebrews 10:32-39 “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: (33) partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; (34) for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. (35) Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. (36) For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: (37) "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. (38) Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." (39) But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”
The above quoted passage of scripture is another example of believers coming under pressure to draw back from following after Christ. The context of this passage is that the church in Jerusalem had come under tremendous persecution, and was under a lot of pressure to deny Christ and go back into Judaism. In this passage the Holy Spirit warned the saints not to cast away their faith in Christ, but rather to endure. Persecution was not a new phenomenon to the church in Jerusalem, for as this passage declares, they had been exposed to it many times before, and so some had begun to question the worth of it all. And so in response to their wavering, the Holy Spirit goes on to tell them that those who draw back from following Christ draw back to perdition and destruction. In other words they commit the sin to death. In a similar manner many Christians who come into the kingdom of God come under a lot of pressure from their former religions to return to those religions, and to draw back from following Christ. Family members also place a lot of pressure on these believers. But if they succumb to that pressure then they become guilty of trampling the Son of God underfoot, and thus commit the sin to death. And so we have seen clear evidence in this section that believers that are not grounded in the truth of God’s word are vulnerable to becoming offended when they encounter persecution, thus committing the sin to death.
Michael E.B. Maher
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