Signs of Apostasy  and Roads to Renewal

The Signs of Apostasy

 In 1959 a simple course on personal evangelism was compiled to help Christians reach others with the Gospel. The requests for it came in quickly. Christians were enthusiastic; many began to apply, and some were reporting how friends and relations were trusting the Lord. In fact, so fast was the enrolment that a waiting list had to be set up and plans made for a team of twenty markers. Some ten years passed and the scene began to change. In more recent years, virtually the same course is being offered, but few seem interested. Is this a sign of apostasy? The original zeal and enthusiasm to see the lost won for Christ seems to be replaced by a lack of concern, laziness and a reluctance to even speak to others about the Saviour.

'There will come a day in England when men will preach the Bible without inspiration. They will talk of hell without fire and of heaven without joy. They will talk of conversion without conviction and forgiveness without repentance. They will talk of salvation without breaking from their past sins.....'

'Look at the church of the present day, the advance school I mean.' [probably having in mind those scholars who were questioning the word of God]. 'We see preachers who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof. They talk of the Lord Jesus but they deny His Godhead, which is His power. [Some were questioning His deity.] They talk of redemption but they deny substitution which is the essence of redemption. They take away the substance and power from all the doctrines of revelation, though they pretend they still believe in them.'

It seems to me that apostasy occurs when the pure word of the Lord is forsaken and we replace it with something else. It is then that eternal realities fade and faith becomes formal. It becomes possible to think we believe, when in fact we don't! Form and ritual begin to take the place of true religion in the soul. Furthermore, this can and does happen to every section of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ - by whatever name we may call it. A scripture which I think portrays this happening is found in Jeremiah 2:13:

'For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.'

'There is an amazing ignorance of Scripture among many, and a consequent want of established, solid religion. In no other way can I account for the ease with which people are, like children, "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine". Ephesians 4:14. There is an Athenian love of novelty abroad, and a morbid distaste for anything old and regular.'
 
'There is an incessant craving after any teaching which is sensational, and exciting, and rousing to the feelings. There is an unhealthy appetite for a sort of spasmodic and hysterical Christianity. Crowds and crying, hot rooms and highflown singing, and the incessant rousing of the emotions are the only things many care for these days. Inability to distinguish differences in doctrine is spreading far and wide. So long as the preacher is "clever" and "earnest" hundreds seem to think he must be all right, and call you narrow and uncharitable if you hint that he may be unsound!

'Never since the days of the Reformation has there been so much profession of religion without practice, so much talking about God, without walking with Him, so much hearing God's words without doing them!

'Never have we had so many empty tubs and tinkling cymbals. Never so much formality and so little reality. The whole tone of men's minds on what constitutes practical Christianity seems to have been lowered. The ancient tenderness of conscience about what a Christian should or should not do is dying away and becoming extinct - like the dodo!

'It is vain to shut our eyes to the fact that there is a vast quantity of so-called Christianity today which you cannot declare positively unsound, but which nevertheless is not full measure, good weight, and sixteen ounces to the pound. [Is he here not defining apostasy?] It is a Christianity in which there is undeniably "something about Christ" and "something about grace" and "something about faith" and "something about repentance" and "something about holiness", but it is not the real thing as it is taught in the Bible.

 'Then there is the tendency in modern thought to reject dogmas, creeds and every kind of standard or truth in religion. It is thought good and wise to condemn no opinion whatsoever, and to pronounce all earnest and clever teachers to be right and trustworthy. Everything is true, nothing is false. Everybody is right and nobody is wrong. Everybody is likely to be saved and nobody will be lost. [Is not this a sign of apostasy!] The atonement and precious substitutional death of Christ, the personality of the devil; the miraculous element in Scripture, the reality and eternity of future punishment: all these mighty foundation-stones are coolly tossed overboard like lumber, in order to lighten the ship of Christianity, and enable it to keep pace with modern science. If you stand up for these great verities of the faith, you are called narrow, old fashioned or a theological fossil.'

'The Lights Are Going Out....
 'To the traveller in our country today, there is ample evidence that the light of the Gospel is burning very low in very large areas. In many villages one can find a building that, by its type and structure, betrays the fact it was once a nonconformist chapel. It may well have been a centre of light and Christian testimony. It may have been the home of a Sunday School, a place where people gathered for Christian worship. It is now a motor garage, a house, a warehouse or even a small factory. In the towns, in areas where working class folk lived early in this century, one often finds such buildings adapted to a variety of uses. In some instances they are now mosques, Hindu or Sikh temples or being used by heretical sects.

'A Famine of Hearing the Word of God

 'The Church of England fares no better. Many parsons have charge of several churches. Some churches and church halls have been closed and pulled down, others in the towns have become museums or art galleries, theatres etc. In the not too distant past a village had its parson, and the parish church had several services on Sunday. There was the Sunday School and youth organisations and several other parish functions. In many areas today there is only one service on a Sunday: a Holy Communion, quite often without any preaching. There is a dearth of the preaching of the Gospel in nonconformity and the established church alike. Sermons are often short with little biblical content and, even if biblical, lacking in definite application to the spiritual needs of our day. They may contain theological theory, without application to life; or even be correct in content, but lacking in their ability to stir the conscience and induce action for righteousness of life and earnest Christian living. There is emphasis on entertainment rather than edification, on furnishing rather than faith, on music, drama and dancing rather than the reverent hearing of the word of God.

 'Many evangelical churches are inward looking. There is little aggressive evangelism, and a lack of effort in taking the Gospel to the folk outside the churches. The whole area is fraught with problems. Often, open air meetings are difficult owing to traffic on roads and restrictions in shopping precincts and other places where people gather. At Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London, the climate has completely changed. In former times, in spite of ribald comment and boisterous humour, there was opportunity for some sensible discussion. This is very much less today, obscenity and noisy interruption by Muslims, Hindus and atheists being the current form of opposition. The marked change in the theological climate has influenced the churches. Those that have been infected with modern theology and have departed from the full authority and inspiration of Scripture or have embraced doctrines that are partial to universalism and the eventual salvation of all men, have lost their vigour and enthusiasm for evangelism.'

In so many of these trends mentioned by Rev. George Ashdown do we not see other further signs of apostasy?

The Roads to Renewal

Personally, I favour the view that there are several roads that one may take, and they involve personal attention, prayer and study. Within the Anglican Church they are known as 'means of grace' - outside, probably more often referred to as the 'means of growth'. There are several, they are all important, and the big question is: are we serious enough to work at them? We can show our worthiness of Christ if we do; the combined operation is called 'discipleship'.

Every generation throughout history has tended to initiate change and walk in new ways. The wise man said:

 'Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.'
Proverbs 22:28.

1. To walk in the way of personal cultivation of a quiet time with the Lord each day, over His holy word. A time when unhurried, unflurried, we read a passage of holy scripture thoughtfully, consider what it says and gather lessons appropriate to our need for that day. A time when we cultivate the practice of personal prayer and quiet waiting upon God in anticipation of the day before us.

2. To walk in the way of positive witness for Christ and outreach programmes for sharing the gospel with others. When each day we actually pray for, and take, such opportunities as the Lord gives us to speak to non-Christians about our Saviour. When at least once a week we spend time with other Christians in taking the gospel in some way to those who are not Christians in our locality - perhaps in street evangelism, tract distribution, visiting or taking suitable literature from house to house.

3. To walk in the way in which Bible study and expository preaching are eagerly sought, and the proper attitude and attention are given to the word of God. When our primary objective is to hear the word of the Lord and be pleased to come under its authority in our lives. If such ministry is not available locally, then we can always listen to it on tapes.

4. To walk in the way where prayer is considered to be the most important exercise of the local church. Where the leader comes fully prepared with helpful suggestions for prayer. With maps of the countries where missionaries are working and recent letters from those missionaries are read aloud. Where there are times of praise for prayers having been answered and faith being encouraged.

5. To walk in the way wherein salvation by grace, through faith in Christ alone is understood, believed and proclaimed by all those in fellowship. Where this precious doctrine is so clearly appreciated that any kind of unity with those who do not hold this truth, and are trusting in works or religious observances, is clearly impossible.

6. To walk in the way in which our commitment to Christ is real to the point of inconvenience and personal sacrifice. In which the marks of a holy, separated life - so different from those who are not Christians - are clearly discernible. The way in which we thoughtfully understand what we should be doing and exercise godly discipline to do it, and continue doing so.

7. To walk in the way in which we never doubt the power or the ability of God, but we accept His wisdom and the will of God in the exercise of His power. The way in which we believe all things, hope all things, but never set ourselves up as 'God' in commanding all things - without reference to His will. In short, we submit to the will of God, rather than exercise our will over that of our Creator.

8. To walk in the way in which the substitutionary death and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is given the most prominent place in our preaching and teaching. Like Paul, we teach first of all: 'that Christ died for our sins ........ that He was buried, and that He rose again.' 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4.

There are many other 'roads to renewal' and the 'avoidance of apostasy'. They need to be known and followed.
 My final exhortation from Bishop J.C. Ryle:

'Arm yourself with the sword of the Spirit - the word of God - let your hand become used to it. I am well aware that there is no royal road to Bible-knowledge. Without diligence no one ever becomes "mighty in the Scriptures". "Justification," said Charles Simeon, with his characteristic quaintness, "is by faith, but knowledge of the Bible comes by works". But of one thing I am certain: there is no labour which will be so richly repaid as laborious, regular, daily reading and weekly study of God's word.'