2) DON’T GIVE UP - THE CONSEQUENCES ARE DIRE
Earlier I asked what, if not persecution, might cause Westerners to abandon Christ? There’s a website dedicated to “ex Christians” and quite a lot of testimonies of “Deconversion”.
Here are quotes from different stories:
“I would try to pray in my room at night, but after hearing no response from God, I would feel like maybe he didn't love me, or looked down on me so much because of my sins that he couldn't even talk to me.” “Finally I was able to admit to myself that god had never been there for me, had never showed himself to me or talked to me, and any emotional response I had from praying had been self induced.” “Xtianity is a vile pestilence bent on propagating itself while destroying all forms of unbelief.” “In addition to the ugliness of Christians, I also saw how horrible Christianity is. Too many things didn't add up. The "loving" god increasingly looked to me like an abusive, sadistic, megalomaniacal, and above all, evil creature.” “The Catholic Church has been exposed as a home for pedophile priests. The Protestant Church has more than its share of sexual predators and deviants.” “About 5 years ago I developed a physical problem which caused me tremendous angst and stress. I believed in healing miracles and prayed to Jesus frequently, sometimes 10 times a day. The result: Nothing. Jesus would not heal me in the slightest. After praying for a year with no results I began getting frustrated with God and wondering after all I have done for him these past 20 years why he was ignoring me.” “I realized that the Creation, original sin, crucifixion, salvation chain of events wouldn't work anyway I tried to comprehend it and I saw more and more examples of Christianity proudly standing up for things that were not what I was about.”
This is nothing new. If you read the Psalms, you see similar things. Psalmists asking why God has abandoned them, why the wicked prosper, why God doesn’t just show up and do something! These Psalms are real life.
Does it matter that those people abandoned God? After all, we often chop and change our allegiances these days. Is your insurance, your broadband, utilities, supermarket, too expensive? Switch and save money! Is Christianity making you miserable, guilty, unsure, outraged? Become an atheist and enjoy life!
Do we find this lax attitude in Hebrews? Far from it! Abandoning God is not a light thing. And maybe for those ex-Christians it wasn’t easy. But it was the wrong decision.
Hebrews 3:12 warns: “...be careful that no one among you has a heart so evil and unbelieving as to turn away from the living God.”
Hebrews 6:4-6 is very blunt indeed: “For how can those who abandon their faith be brought back to repent again? They were once in God's light; they tasted heaven's gift and received their share of the Holy Spirit; they knew from experience that God's word is good, and they had felt the powers of the coming age. And then they abandoned their faith! It is impossible to bring them back to repent again, because they are again crucifying the Son of God and exposing him to public shame.”
Hebrews 12:25: “Be careful, then, and do not refuse to hear him who speaks. Those who refused to hear the one who gave the divine message on earth did not escape. How much less shall we escape, then, if we turn away from the one who speaks from heaven!”
See also Hebrews 2:1-3, 4:1
These warnings are strong. Some would say this is manipulation and spiritual abuse. Actually, it is love and concern. He doesn’t want them to fall under judgement. I’m closing this point with Hebrews 10:26-31. “For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the truth has been made known to us. Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce fire which will destroy those who oppose God! Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified them from sin? who insult the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment they will deserve! For we know who said, “I will take revenge, I will repay”; and who also said, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”
These ex-Christians are truly to be pitied. Let’s do all we can to avoid becoming like them.
CONCLUSION
Hebrews contains encouragements and warnings. This good things/bad things approach is totally biblical. Deuteronomy 28 is a list of blessings for obeying God and curses for disobeying Him. Two chapters later, Moses tells the Israelites: “I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life.” God told Adam, “You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day.” Jesus stated, “So then, anyone who hears these words of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, and the wind blew hard against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded over, the wind blew hard against that house, and it fell. And what a terrible fall that was!”
The choice of the Hebrews, the choice of Israel, the choice of Adam - this is our choice. In the words of John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.” Is God a tyrant? No. “He is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” (2 Peter 3:9) “I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God, I do not enjoy seeing sinners die. I would rather see them stop sinning and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)
Hebrews 11 recalls Old Testament men and women of faith to whom God had made great promises. The writer concludes with truly shocking words: “What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised…” Wait! What! God made promises to these people and they didn’t get what He promised them! Maybe the atheists are right? Can you trust this God? Well, the writer continues, “because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.” God delayed fulfilling His promises because of the better, New Covenant plan. We are one people with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and so on. As you and I are brothers and sisters in Christ, so you and Moses and all the other Old Testament believers are brothers and sisters in Christ.
What does God have in store for us all? A Ford Fiesta, or a Porsche (metaphorically speaking)? God made promises of earthly land to Old Testament believers (the Ford Fiesta), all the time intending to give them a heavenly city (the Porsche). It’s not a case of Earth for the Old Testament Jews, Heaven for the Christians. It’s a new Heaven and a new Earth for both. We enter the ultimate promise together, hand in hand, one people in Christ. The Bible gives us glimpses of this new world. Past events will be completely forgotten. It is a place of righteousness. A place of God’s presence, with no more death, grief, crying or pain. We will see Jesus. This is our home. Choose life.
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