Some Will Leave Jesus

Some Will Leave Jesus

I just read an article saying that a group of former believers have formed a group. Many of these are former ministers who preached the gospel. They say that they no longer believe and are now atheists. I wondered why this is news. The group boasts a membership of 900. Let's do a little math. If there are around 5.5 million ministers (an unsubstantiated number because no one really knows)  in the world, then 0.016364% of the ministers have become apostates. The number is so small that it supports rather than denies the validity of the gospel. I guess the point was that not everyone stays with their faith.

Naturally, I wonder if all of them had any faith or if they were living off the faith of a relative or just needed something to believe in. For example, I used to be an avid pro football fan. I stopped watching in 1995. I don't know who is in the playoffs anymore. I still like Superbowl parties. I like the food. An argument could be made that I never really believed in pro football. At the time I watched, I would have argued that I did. However, now, I am not so sure. After all, I never really sold my soul to pro football.

What happened? Well, one day I just decided it wasn't worth it. Not one of those players ever even sent me a Christmas card. I followed them, knew their stats and hoped in their success. I missed sleep watching Monday night games into the night and sat through hot and cold conditions at the games when I could attend. I must admit my heart was never really there.

Of course, I know that a believer receives the Holy Spirit when he or she becomes a Christian. That is a whole lot more than being a pro football fan. I also know that God never lets go of those who are His. So, are these new atheists just confused and really His or were they never really believers. Right now I'll be they say that they used to believe but don't anymore. Maybe they were like me and my pro football. I thought I believed in it but now I know better.

Even Jesus had people who no longer believed after He made some hard statements. (John 6:66) The Christian life is full of hard statements. I know there was a time when I tried to get away from it. I just couldn't. I knew the truth. The Holy Spirit kept reminding me.

I can't deny what the new atheists say about their former and present lives. I wasn't there. I know that they must believe that they believed and no longer believe. I know what the Bible says. I know what I have experienced. I know that I can't leave Him.

Some will leave Jesus. I can't. He holds onto those who truly believe.

Ephesians 1:13 (ESV) ¹³  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,