JD: A string of fairly high profile men who have just seemed to walk away from ministry and the faith in recent months.
DJ: Well that's true. Last year John Steingard who was a leading vocalist for Hawk Nelson a Canadian Christian rock band. They announced on social media that he no longer believes in God and saying it didn't just happen over night. I remember back in 2019 Joshua Harris the author of the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. That sent shockwaves through evangelical Christian community after he said he was no longer a Christian. A few years ago high profile Hillsong Pastor in New York City Carl Lentz who famously baptized Justin Bieber. He ended up in serious problems. Jerry Falwell Jr is involved with multi million dollar scandals and of course that's not even to talk about Ravi Zacharias which we haven't touched on but which has really caused trauma for millions of people.
JD: Boy this is very very sad. And David from a Biblical prospective you need to talk with us. What are we to make of someone who walks away from the faith?
DJ: Well Jimmy I've been in ministry for almost 35 years and it never gets any easier as you know. It usually leads to a lot of introspection about what could have been done differently. It leads to questions about whether or not such a person was truly a believer to begin with. And we're always searching for answers to make sure it doesn't happen again and we try to put up barriers in place. It seems like its the one you never see coming that hurts the worst. It's no different then in the family when you have two children and one goes off the rails while the other continues to love the Lord. Jesus had the same situation with Judas he selected 12 and one of them had a devil. Jesus was the one who picked the person who was to be trusted the keeper of the purse. The bottom line is we just can't live a life of suspicion concerning who the next one will be the fall. We responsibly trust people, take them at their word, we love them and give them an opportunity to come back to the Lord. If they fall remember Paul says if someone falls you are a spiritual restore that one in a spirit of neatness and humility.
JD: David James with some details on high profile Christians who say that they have lost the faith.
We report this information because it is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
David's report is very troubling but let me give you several verses of Scripture that will help us to know for sure that we are saved and forever. That's I John 5:11-13. The devil can cause you to doubt but God's word is absolute.