Reasons why people commit apostasy.

Demas was a close friend and companion of the apostle Paul. Sadly, he turned his back on Jesus.

Notice his downward regression into apostasy.

Our first picture of him is as a fellow worker of Christ. He was on fire for Jesus.

“Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, [are] my fellow workers.” (Philemon 1:24).

The next time we see him he is just Demas. There is no praising appellation. Something is happening, and he is not burning quite as brightly.

“Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings” (Colossians 4:14)

Finally, he took his eyes off Jesus and was attracted on the world.

For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.” (2 Timothy 4:10)

Three simple mentions of Demas in the Scriptures show the apostasy of a man who started fast with Jesus and didn’t make it to the end.

People fall away from Jesus for numerous reasons.

Let me list for you a few: pride; arrogance; sexual involvement; deceit; disappointment or bitterness toward God; being hurt or disappointed in God’s people; turning to God for help and not receiving what was desired; not being able to figure out spiritual things with rational thinking; false teaching; worldly distractions; persecution; betrayal and a rampantly sinful culture—just to name a few.

“Once saved, always saved,” says that even if we sin, we are still saved.

The classic statement of “once saved, always saved” is John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

The operative word here is “eternal.” Once we believe in Christ, we are given eternal life. It’s not eternal if Jesus can take it away.

Once our Heavenly Father gives us eternal life, nothing that we might do in the future will ever surprise Him to the point where he will take back our salvation.

When Jesus gives a future apostate eternal life, He knows everything about his or her coming apostasy—and He accepts him or her anyway. How can this be? Answer: this gift from the loving heart of God is completely undeserved grace.

We are born again (regenerated) when we believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior. At the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit comes into our dead and darkened human spirit and turns on the light.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “you must be born again.” (John 3:3-5)

He saved us, not because of righteous things we’ve done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)

Before we receive Christ, our human spirit is dark and dead. When we receive Christ, the Holy Spirit turns on the light.

For us to lose our salvation means that God would have to un-regenerate us.

In other words, for us to lose our salvation means that God would have to take a sledgehammer and slaughter the human spirit that He once lit up. He would have to turn off the spiritual light that he once turned on.

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