For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Hebrews 10:37-39

I love reading Hebrews 10 and you’ve probably noticed that I refer to it often. The last portion of Hebrews 10 deals with false faith. Apostasy is defined as the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief. John MacArthur defines apostates or those who fall into apostasy as those who move toward Christ, hear and understand His gospel, and are on the verge of saving belief, but then rebel and turn away.

I often refer to Hebrews 10:26 which clearly tells us if we go on deliberately sinning after receiving knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins but a terrifying judgment of a fire that will consume the adversaries.

Apostasy or falling away from God is extremely dangerous. We talk about being backslidden as Christians. I lived that way for many years. I never stopped going to church, but I had become an apostate. I wasn’t living the way God wants us to live. I was living the way I wanted to live and hoped God would get on board with it. But, my friend, it just doesn’t work that way. I had to learn this the hard way, but praise God, He put me on the right path through prayer and Bible study.

In verses 29-31 of Hebrews 10 the author speaks of how God will judge His people. Verse 31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

The author goes on to speak of the trials and tribulations Christians face. It is our confidence in Christ that helps us to endure suffering with faith. Our faith and our confidence in Him will get us through the difficult times.

In our Scripture passage for today, we are warned that we will need endurance. We have to be able to go the distance. This is a marathon, it’s not a sprint. We have to be able to continue on when the going gets tough. I often say Christianity is not for the weak, it’s not for sissies.

My friend if you were once on fire for Jesus and now find that fire has fizzled out and it’s now more about what you want and what you think is right, be very careful. God is not going to honor that. Be careful not to fall into the sin of apostasy and if you find you have fallen, do not fear, simply reach for God. Grab hold of His righteous right hand, and He will pick you up and hold you (Isaiah41:10).

We escape apostasy by faith. Faith is the opposite of apostasy. As Christians we believe in Jesus Christ, and we trust in Him. We have faith in Him. Whatever you do, don’t fall back into destruction.

Our Scripture passage begins by saying in a very short time, He will come without delay. When we are called home to be with Jesus, if we have fallen into apostasy, we will face the destruction set aside for those who will be cast into the lake of fire.

There is hope, however, for those who have become apostates. They can be pulled from the fire of destruction. If you have abandoned your belief or just become careless or lazy with your devotion to Jesus, turn back to Him and be saved from destruction. Persevere through the hard times knowing He is there for you.

Don’t let the devil talk you out of a good, solid relationship with your Lord and Savior. Have faith in Jesus and He will give you the confidence you need to persevere.

Have a great day!