Recent announcements have sent shock waves through the Christian community. High profile Christian personalities have publicly renounced their “faith”. For some reason, these announcements have shocked people. In case you have not heard, let me quickly catch you up to speed.
Joshua Harris, the bestselling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, has apparently kissed his wife of 21 years goodbye, as well as his “faith”. Steve Jordahl of Onenewsnow.com released an article on July 31, 2019, detailing Joshua Harris’ “deconversion”, that’s what they are calling apostacy these days. In the article, Steve Jordahl quoted a portion of Josh Harris’ Instagram post in which he announced to the world that he was leaving his wife and his faith. He said in part, “… I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus… By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian. Many people tell me that there is a different way to practice faith and I want to remain open to this, but I’m not there now”
Marty Sampson, who is a major singer/songwriter for Hillsong Worship and Hillsong United, also posted on Instagram just a few weeks ago that he was “genuinely losing his faith”. In the same post, he stated, “All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point”. The post has since been deleted.
There is nothing new about people leaving the faith. And there is nothing new about “high-profile people” leaving the faith either. In the 1940s a young evangelist was filling up auditoriums across America. His name was Chuck Templeton. Time Magazine wrote an article that called Chuck Templeton the “Babe Ruth” of evangelism. In 1950, Chuck Templeton shocked the world by announcing he was leaving the ministry and was going to pursue a career in radio because he no longer believed that Jesus was the Son of God.
People making announcements that they are leaving the Christian faith are not new. I could go on and on with examples of such announcements. So, why are so many people shocked by these announcements? I know they are sad, but shocking?
These type of announcements should not shock us. They should not shake our faith in Christ or His Word. In fact, they should do the exact opposite! Such announcements should solidify our faith in Christ and His Word. Why? Because such announcements prove the Bible is true!
The Apostle John said, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:19 ESV)
Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV).
Paul said, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.” (1 Timothy 4:1 ESV).
So, it is clear that there will always be false prophets, teachers, and believers among us. Furthermore, there will always be a market for these false teachers to deceive as well. Again, the Bible makes this clear. Paul said, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
The Word of God is crystal clear. There has been, and will always be, false teachers among us. There has been, and always will be, false believers among us. These things should not shock us. People, no matter how visible or high-profile they might be, announcing to the world that they are leaving the faith that they never really had, to begin with, should not shock us. It only proves the Bible is true!