Have you left the faith?
Some of you who are reading this article are no longer as faithful to the Lord as you once
were. Your commitment has been shaken, your priorities challenged, and perhaps you have
allowed the cares and distractions of this world to displace our Savior in your life. You may not
even feel like thinking about this subject—not right now. But I hope the following thoughts will
be helpful in finding your way back home.
Consider the commitment you made when you became a Christian. You confessed before
witnesses that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. You saw the church through the
youthful, hopeful eyes of a new Christian. “All was right with the world.” And this was as it should
be, because the gospel to you was fresh and exciting, your opportunities for service were
boundless, and you could envision the possibilities before you.
You were a threat to Satan then, and he knew it. Every new Christian represents a serious
threat to the “powers and principalities of this darkness,” (Eph. 6:10ff). Blessed were your eyes,
because they could see, (Mt. 13:16). You were seeing things clearly then. That’s why Jesus said
the evil one is so quick to “snatch away” that which has been sown in the new Christian’s heart,
(Mt. 13:19). He is careful and diligent to provide tribulation or persecution, and the deceitfulness
of riches which choke out the word, (Mt. 13:21-22).
When you were a faithful Christian, you were a great encouragement to family and true
friends. You made their lives joyous and hopeful because every thought of you strengthened their
faith. Even if you were absent from them, they knew you were together with them in spirit, united
in the cause we love.
When Christians drift away from the faith, they leave the joy of fellowship – joint
participation in the service of Christ. When John tenderly wrote to Christians, he did so that we
might “have Fellowship” with him, and with the Father, and with Jesus Christ, and “that our joy
may be made full,” (1 Jn. 1:3-4). There is no greater joy in this world than knowing that your loved
ones are walking in the truth of God. This is the peace and contentment that passes understanding,
(Phil. 4:7; Jn. 14:27). It gives to life a special meaning and joy the world can never know. Do you
miss it?
If you no longer have Jesus Christ and his church at the top of your priority list, consider
what he said: “But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you,” (Mt. 6:33). This is the thing which puts all of the rest of our lives into proper
perspective. Without Christ and his church at the front and center, the rest becomes skewed,
vacuous, unfulfilling.
Finding your way back to the faith is challenging, but possible. I have known several who
have done it, but I would not minimize how difficult it is to do. Many have tried and failed. Finding
your way home involves hard work, including thinking about and focusing upon your original
commitment to Christ. It involves deep and humble prayer and study of God’s word. God is
speaking to you through the Bible. He is earnestly pleading with you to come back.
Finding your way back means ignoring the hypocrisy of others, some of whom are in the
church. It means remembering that we are serving Christ, and that all of his servants are imperfect.
Getting back to your commitment involves erasing the cares and distractions around you. It means
abandoning all excuses for unfaithfulness (which are many).
If you are wandering, I wish I could help you find your way back. I wish I knew just exactly
the right words to say, the things to do. But Satan is good at concealing and distorting these matters.
He’s good at denying opportunities. Sometimes it’s tough to see the urgency of faithfulness until
it is too late. It’s hard to maintain focus – but it is so critically important.
Some of the reasons you are now giving for your lack of faithfulness appear to be valid on
the surface. They are convincing at first, and you may have convinced yourself to believe them.
But in view of eternity, how do they really stack up? Have you been away long enough to learn
the futility of blaming others for your own course in life? My friend, come home!
– By Robert C. Veil, Jr.
