In recent years prominent leaders in the faith from worshipers, to seminary professors and even pastors have fallen away from their faith in God and renounced Jesus entirely. That begs the questions—is the once saved always saved doctrine biblical?
The verse many use to debate either side of the argument is 1 John 2:19 which says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us. But they went out, revealing that none of them were of us.”
The first question Dr. Brown says you have to ask when looking at this verse is, “what is the context?”
The people who are referred to as “they” are people who are filled with the spirit of the age. They once professed a faith in Christ but allowed the influence of culture and society to come into them and distort their view of the gospel.
How does this verse apply to what we are seeing today? Why are so many young people today losing their faith in Jesus?
“Many young people are turned off by faith…some of it is our own doing ” Dr. Brown says.
The world looks at Christians and assume they judge and condemn anyone who does not agree with their beliefs. Often the term “conversion therapy” is used by those who aren’t Christians to explain why followers of Jesus are terrible people. What many don’t realize is that the majority of Christians would speak out against the use of conversion therapy and agree it is abuse.
Dr. Brown says passion for justice is a good thing. Empathy for those struggling with their identity is a good thing, but the message that needs to be preached is one that points to Jesus as the source of any need or struggle we have.
“If you are saved you can fully entrust yourself to God. Nobody can pluck you out of His hand. For decades I have never thought of losing my salvation. I want to serve the Lord. You don’t get unsaved just because you did one wrong thing. If you go and convert to atheism or chose to rebel against God the promise is judgement,” Dr. Brown says.
He encourages Christians to look for a Scripture in the Bible that says it’s impossible to leave the Father’s house.
For a deeper dive into the topic of losing your faith order Dr. Brown’s book ‘Why So Many Christians Have Left the Faith: Responding to the Deconstructionist Movement with Unshakable, Timeless Truth.”
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Shelby Bowen is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
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