Tag: self-examination

Be Reconciled to God: Paul’s Anguished Warning and the Path to Mature Sonship

The church in Corinth was the most spiritually gifted congregation in the New Testament. Paul reminds them:

“You have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge… you do not lack any spiritual gift” (1 Corinthians 1:5–7).

Tongues, prophecy, miracles, bold preaching, deep insight—they had it all. If any church looked alive, thriving, and Spirit-blessed, it was Corinth.

Yet the same apostle who planted this church looked at it with tears in his eyes and terror in his heart. He feared that many of them—perhaps most—were on a fast track to hell.

He begged them as an ambassador of Christ: “Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

He commanded them:

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves… unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Reprobates. Counterfeits. Disqualified.

Paul was staring at a church overflowing with spiritual experiences and saying, in effect: “Some of you may not belong to Jesus at all.”

The Great Exchange—and the Great Danger

Everything hinges on the glorious truth of 2 Corinthians 5:21:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Christ took our sin. We receive His righteousness—the greatest exchange in history.

But notice the little word “might.” That purpose was still hanging in the balance for many Corinthians because their lives were riddled with blatant sexual immorality, factions, pride, drunkenness at the Lord’s Table, and tolerance of false teaching. Gifts abounded. Grace? Paul wasn’t sure.

A Father in Travail

Paul writes as a spiritual father in agony:

“I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy… I am afraid that your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2–3).

“My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

He knew that spiritual gifts, powerful experiences, and even miraculous signs are no proof of salvation. Judas worked miracles. Saul prophesied.

Love, repentance, humility, holiness—these are the evidences that Christ is truly in you.

The Ongoing Call: Restricted Affections

Most often, “Be reconciled to God” is heard as a call to the lost. But Paul is addressing believers—those who have already received salvation. He is pleading with them to live fully in the reconciliation already won, not merely to possess it in theory.

Immediately after this plea, he diagnoses the problem: “You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections… Widen your hearts also” (2 Corinthians 6:12–13).

The tragedy is not lack of teaching or gifting—it is narrowed hearts, misplaced desires, and divided loyalty. Believers can be anointed and orthodox yet closed to the full virtues of God because of unequal yoking with darkness, worldly alliances, and tolerated idols of the heart (2 Corinthians 6:14–16).

Justification is the doorway into new life, not the full inheritance. Reconciliation is believers continually aligning their hearts and affections with God. Without this ongoing participation, even the justified remain stagnant—spiritual babes rather than mature sons.

From Entry to Sonship: Milk to Meat

Like an heir who is still a child and differs nothing from a servant (Galatians 4:1), many Spirit-filled believers remain carnal and divisive (1 Corinthians 3:1–3). Sin’s legal power is broken, but voluntary submission to unrighteousness keeps them servants in practice.

Hebrews 5:12–14 warns that those who partake only of milk are unskilled in the word of righteousness and lack discernment. Solid food belongs to the mature, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

True sonship requires:

– Yielding bodily members to righteousness

– Submitting to Spirit-led holiness

– Partaking in the divine nature

– Walking as children of light (Ephesians 5:8)

– Giving no place to the devil

This is not sinless perfection—it is Spirit-empowered transformation into mature sons who carry authority and experience the fullness of their inheritance.

Paul uses history as a sobering warning: Israel was redeemed, baptized in the sea, fed with manna—yet most fell in the wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:1–12). “These things happened as warnings for us… So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

The Narrow Path and the Faithful Remnant

Yet amidst widespread compromise, Scripture always highlights a faithful remnant—grieved within, aware of their weakness apart from Christ, trusting the Spirit rather than the flesh. These hidden ones watch, pray, and persevere, living close to Jesus even when the broader church is distracted or lukewarm.

They embody the narrow path—unseen, patient, and prepared.

Jesus’ question still pierces: “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

A Trumpet Blast and Merciful Summons Today

We live in a church age intoxicated with gifts, experiences, and success—conferences overflow, worship is electric, testimonies dramatic. Yet many remain gifted but stagnant, forgiven yet indulgent, Spirit-filled yet lukewarm.

Paul’s question echoes across the centuries: “Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you are reprobates?”

Rich in gifts, poor in grace—this was Corinth’s peril. It may be ours.

But the Spirit’s grief is matched by mercy:

“Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

The Lord is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

The summons to reconciliation is still active, still urgent, still merciful. Examination, repentance, widened hearts, and renewed obedience are invitations to restoration and maturity—not condemnation.

Hear the apostle’s heart-wrenching cry.

Examine yourself.

Be reconciled to God.

Widen your heart.

Grow into mature sonship.

Cling to Christ with everything you have.

Because love warns—and mercy calls.

Now is the acceptable time.

Now is the day of salvation.

 

 

If Anyone Does Not Love the Lord Jesus Christ: The Forgotten Anathema of 1 Corinthians 16:22

In the final lines of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul delivers one of the most solemn and unsettling statements in all of Scripture:

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema. Maranatha.”

(1 Corinthians 16:22, KJV)

After teaching on the resurrection of the dead, the collection for the Jerusalem saints, and sending greetings from fellow workers, Paul suddenly pronounces a curse. The Greek word anathema is not a mild disapproval or a gentle warning. It is the strongest term Paul ever uses for spiritual condemnation—something or someone devoted to destruction, set apart under the judgment of God. The Aramaic cry that immediately follows, Maranatha—“Our Lord, come!”—only heightens the intensity. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of those who love Him and the day of terror for those who do not.

This verse is almost never preached today. It is too severe, too uncompromising, too far removed from the tone of modern, seeker-friendly, positive Christianity. Yet it stands in the canon, untouched and unflinching. What does Paul mean when he says someone “does not love the Lord Jesus Christ”? And what does this warning mean for the church in our time?

Jesus Himself Defined What Love for Him Looks Like

Jesus answered the question long before Paul wrote it. In the upper room, on the night He was betrayed, He spoke plainly to His disciples:

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”

(John 14:23–24, ESV)

One of the most sobering realities of Paul’s warning is that he is not addressing unbelievers or atheists. He is writing to the church — to people who already profess faith in Christ, who have been baptized, who partake of the Lord’s Supper, and who call Jesus “Lord.” Yet within that very church, he pronounces this anathema.

Most Christians today instinctively assume, “This can’t be about me — it must be about those who don’t believe.” But Paul does not say, “If anyone does not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.” He says, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ…”

And love, as Jesus defined it, is not mere intellectual assent or a one-time confession. It is obedience, submission, and loyalty to His lordship. The verse is aimed squarely at those who claim to know Him but deny Him by their lives — through persistent sin, lukewarmness, self-seeking, or refusal to submit to His word. The Lord detests lukewarm believers (Revelation 3:15–16), and Paul’s warning makes it clear: even those inside the church are not exempt.

The writer of Hebrews echoes this same sobering reality when he warns of those who have been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and tasted the goodness of the word of God — yet fall away. For such people, he says, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God and holding Him up to contempt (Hebrews 6:4–6). This is not a description of unbelievers who never truly came to Christ — it is a warning to those who have experienced the reality of the gospel but do not persevere in love and obedience. The trajectory is the same as Paul’s: those who do not continue to love the Lord Jesus Christ by keeping His word stand under the most serious judgment.

No wonder Paul himself instructs the Corinthians:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (2 Corinthians 13:5, KJV).

The very apostle who pronounces the anathema commands believers to test the authenticity of their faith and love for Christ — lest they prove to be reprobate.

Paul gives a similar warning to Gentile believers in Romans 11:

“If you have been cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree… Do not be arrogant… if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you if you do not continue in his kindness” (Romans 11:20–22).

The message is unmistakable: even those grafted in by faith can be cut off if they do not persevere in faith and obedience.

In the very same letter to the Corinthians, Paul uses Israel in the wilderness as a stark example:

“Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did… Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:6, 11–12).

The Israelites had been delivered from Egypt, baptized into Moses, ate the manna, drank from the rock (Christ), yet most were destroyed in the wilderness for idolatry, immorality, testing God, and grumbling. Paul’s point is clear: those who have experienced God’s grace can still be destroyed if they do not continue in love and obedience to the Lord.

And earlier in the same discourse:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

(John 14:15)

For Jesus, love for Him is not primarily an emotional experience or a warm feeling. It is obedience, submission, and loyalty to His lordship. Where there is no keeping of His word, there is no genuine love. Paul’s anathema in 1 Corinthians 16:22 is not an addition to Jesus’ teaching — it is the apostolic application of it, delivered with the full weight of his authority.

The Marks of a Life That Does Not Love the Lord

Scripture paints a clear and sobering portrait of what a life that “does not love the Lord Jesus Christ” looks like. These are not occasional failures that believers repent of and turn from. They are persistent patterns that reveal a heart that has not truly submitted to Christ’s lordship.

Persistent, unrepentant sin

“No one who abides in him keeps on sinning,” John writes (1 John 3:6). A life marked by willful, ongoing rebellion against God’s commands shows that the person is not abiding in Christ. When sin becomes a lifestyle rather than a struggle, it is evidence of a heart that does not love the Lord.

This includes maintaining a loving heart toward the brethren — for hatred, backbiting, discord, quarrels, and fights among God’s people are equally clear signs of not remaining in the Lord. “Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and does not know where he is going,” John declares (1 John 2:11). Love is the crux of the Christian life: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Where there is persistent division and lack of love for the brethren, there is no genuine love for Christ.

Taking grace for granted / absence of the fear of the Lord

“Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means!” Paul exclaims (Romans 6:1). Those who presume upon God’s grace, who treat it as a license to sin without reverence or awe before a holy God, show contempt for His holiness. “Our God is a consuming fire,” Hebrews reminds us (Hebrews 12:29), and those who lack the fear of the Lord despise both His mercy and His justice.

Disregarding or disobeying the word of God

“Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar,” John declares (1 John 2:4). To ignore, twist, or disobey Scripture is to reject Christ’s authority as Lord. Those who approach God’s word without trembling, who engage in eisegesis to bend it to their own desires or agendas, lack the fear that is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Isaiah 66:2). “The ignorant and unstable twist [the Scriptures] to their own destruction,” Peter warns (2 Peter 3:16).

Hating the brethren / sowing division and discord

“Whoever hates his brother is in the darkness,” John writes, and “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 2:9; 3:15). Hatred among professing believers, gossip, slander, and the sowing of division prove there is no love for God. “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20).

Self-serving ministry / exploiting the sheep

“They are shepherds who feed only themselves,” Jude laments (Jude 12). Ministers who use the flock for personal gain, reputation, or power—rather than caring for them as Christ the Chief Shepherd—do not love Him. They are hirelings who flee when danger comes (John 10:12–13) and wolves who devour the sheep (Acts 20:29–30).

Friendship with the world / spiritual adultery

“Friendship with the world is enmity with God,” James declares (James 4:4). Those who coalesce with the spirit of this age, who love its values, its entertainment, its philosophies, and its morality, declare themselves enemies of God. “Do not love the world or the things in the world,” John warns (1 John 2:15).

Loving and pursuing mammon

“You cannot serve God and money,” Jesus said plainly (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:11). Greed, the pursuit of wealth, status, or power, is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). When someone’s life is driven by the love of money rather than the love of Christ, they have chosen a different master.

Dragging souls after themselves instead of after Christ

“From among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them,” Paul warned the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:30). Personality cults, manipulation, control, and the building of empires around a human name steal the allegiance that belongs to Jesus alone. True shepherds point people to Christ; false ones draw people to themselves. Men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness – 1 Timothy 6:5; Mark 13:22.

Denying Christ in word or deed

“Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven,” Jesus said (Matthew 10:33). A life that refuses to confess Christ’s lordship in practice—whether through cowardice, compromise, or open rejection—stands condemned.

All of these are not mere imperfections or “struggles” in believers. They are marks of a life that does not love the Lord Jesus Christ in the biblical, covenantal sense. Paul’s warning is not an overstatement. He repeats the same curse in Galatians 1:8–9 against those who preach a false gospel. In both cases, the root issue is the same: rejection of Christ’s lordship. The result is the same—separation from God’s covenant blessings and exposure to final judgment.

The Weight of the Warning and the Cry of Maranatha

Paul does not pronounce this anathema lightly. The immediate follow-up, Maranatha—“Our Lord, come!”—makes the stakes clear. The return of Christ is the blessed hope of those who love Him and the day of terror for those who do not.

That is why Paul writes elsewhere, “knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade others” (2 Corinthians 5:11, KJV). This terror of the Lord is not just the dread of giving an account at the judgment seat — it is the fearful reality of final condemnation for those who do not truly love and obey Christ. It is the very foundation of New Testament ministry and Christian living, driving Paul to warn and plead with urgency.

One of the most terrifying realities of this warning comes from the lips of Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount. On the day of judgment, many will say to Him, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” But He will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21–23). These are people who professed faith, performed religious acts, and even claimed to serve Christ — yet they are cast into eternal fire. Their entire Christian profession was for nothing because they never truly loved Him; they never truly submitted to His lordship. They were never abiding in Him.

A Call to Examine Ourselves

This is not a message to despair over every sin or moment of doubt. Scripture distinguishes between those who stumble but repent (1 John 1:9; 2:1) and those who persist in rebellion with no fruit of genuine faith (Matthew 7:19–23; 1 John 3:9–10). The difference is repentance, humility, and a life that increasingly bears the marks of true love for Christ.

But it is a solemn call to self-examination:

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Do we truly love the Lord Jesus Christ?

Do we keep His word?

Do we fear Him?

Do we love His people?

Do we point others to Him alone?

Conclusion

The church today is filled with noise, platforms, programs, and personalities. Yet Paul’s final word in 1 Corinthians cuts through it all like a sword:

If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ—let him be anathema. Maranatha.

Therefore, let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28–29)

And if you call on the Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your sojourning. (1 Peter 1:17)

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 3:22)

Come, Lord Jesus.

And may He find a people who truly love Him—not with lip service, but with lives surrendered, obedient, humble, and wholly devoted to His name alone.

A Grave’s VERDICT: Loveless FAITH Is DEATH

 Introduction: The Tombstone’s Thunder

Picture a lone tombstone, its words etched in unyielding stone: “The one not loving remains in death.” These aren’t words that whisper—they roar, splitting the sky above every professing Christian. This is no poet’s lament; it’s God’s verdict, burned into 1 John 3:14. What if your faith, polished by pews and prayers, is a fraud? What if your heart, cold with lovelessness, is already a grave? The Apostle John, his pen ablaze with divine fire, hurls this truth like a lightning bolt: love is the heartbeat of true faith. Without it, you’re not stumbling—you’re “dead”. This is no soft nudge; it’s a siren for every soul claiming Christ. Will you heed it, or slumber in the shadows of spiritual death?

 The Thunderbolt of Truth

John’s words in 1 John 3:14 and 2:10 are no mere suggestions—they’re a divine ultimatum. “The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” But “the one not loving remains in death.” Hear that: “death”. Not a distant threat, but your reality “now” if you claim Christ yet live without love. This isn’t about fleeting kindness or occasional charity; it’s the relentless, self-giving love of Christ, who bled on a cross for the unworthy (1 John 3:16). It’s love that reaches the brother you’d curse, the stranger you’d shun, the enemy you’d despise.

This truth should make your soul tremble. God doesn’t care about your Sunday rituals or memorized doctrines if love is absent. Love isn’t an add-on to faith; it’s the proof you’ve crossed from death to life. Without it, your Christianity is a corpse—rotting, hollow, an offense to the God who “is” love (1 John 4:8). “The one not loving remains in death.” Let that burn through your defenses. Dare to ask: “If your faith lacks love’s pulse, is it faith at all?”

Exposing the Counterfeit

Look at the church today—a masquerade of faith. A worship leader, lifts her voice in praise but slanders a rival in the parking lot. Pastors preach love yet ignore the homeless outside their doors. Believers pray fervently while clutching grudges like treasures. This isn’t Christianity—it’s a charade. John unmasks the fraud in 1 John 2:9: “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.” Hate isn’t just murder; it’s the envy you nurse, the gossip you spread, the indifference you wear.

These are the whitewashed tombs of our age—gleaming on the outside, but inside, full of dead bones (Matthew 23:27). You can sing hallelujahs, quote Scripture, and still stumble in darkness if love doesn’t guide you. The world sees this hypocrisy, and God sees it clearer. “The one not loving remains in death.” Stop hiding, professing Christian. “Are you groping in the dark while claiming to walk in light?”

The Jolt of Self-Examination

This is your reckoning. John’s words are a mirror, and they demand you look. Who do you refuse to love? Name them in your heart “right now”. The coworker who betrayed you? The neighbor who grates your nerves? The family you’ve disowned? Don’t flinch—your soul hangs in the balance. If love is absent, you’re not just failing; you’re “remaining in death,” cut off from God’s life. This isn’t about perfection but direction. Does your life bear love’s fruit, or is it a barren mockery of the faith you profess?

The stakes are eternal yet immediate. Lovelessness isn’t a future sentence; it’s your reality “now”. John’s warning thunders: faith without love is a lie. Search your heart. Where does your Christianity ring hollow? Where have you chosen darkness over light? The Holy Spirit waits to convict, but you must face the truth. “The one not loving remains in death.” “Will you step into the light, or cling to a faith already dead?”

 The Call to Resurrected Love

This isn’t a death knell—it’s a call to resurrection. God’s love, poured into us through Christ, empowers us to love as He does (1 John 4:7). This love is costly, courageous, countercultural—forgiving the unforgivable, serving the overlooked, embracing the unlovable. It’s the love that drove Jesus to the cross, and it’s the love He commands you to live. Consider James, who quietly feeds the homeless, his love a sermon louder than any pulpit.

Act now. Reconcile with the one you’ve avoided. Serve the one society scorns. Lay down your pride, your grudges, your comfort. Love isn’t a feeling; it’s the crucible where faith is proven. And here’s the hope: you don’t love alone. God’s Spirit ignites your heart to walk in the light, to live the life love proves. “The one who loves remains in the light.” Step out of lovelessness’s grave into Christ’s radiance. “Will you choose to love and live?”

 Conclusion: The Grave’s Final Verdict

The tombstone looms, its verdict unyielding: “The one not loving remains in death.” Let it pierce your soul. Your faith won’t be judged by words, rituals, or reputation, but by the love flowing from your life. Will your epitaph blaze with God’s love, or mourn a heart that remained in death? The choice is yours, and the hour is now.

“Take this dare”: Before you sleep tonight, love someone—forgive them, serve them, pray for them. Prove your faith is alive. “Or pray”: Father, convict me where my love fails. Ignite my heart to love as Christ does, no matter the cost. Amen. Step into the light. Love boldly, sacrificially, authentically. Let your life thunder with the truth of the God who is love.

Hear My Song Inspired by This Article

I poured my heart into “Grave’s Verdict”, a powerful worship song by VelvetThorn Worship, inspired by the message of “A Grave’s VERDICT: Loveless FAITH Is DEATH.” This soul-stirring anthem from the album “Love and Redemption” reflects on God’s transformative love and grace, calling us to a faith that lives through love. Watch the full song on YouTube and let it inspire your spiritual journey: [Listen to “Grave’s Verdict” Now](https://youtu.be/sXC3RemEsx0).

🕊️ Join me in spreading hope—subscribe to [@VelvetThorn Worship]([https://tinyurl.com/msf69v2b]), share this song with someone who needs it, and comment on the video to share how it moves your faith!

"Grave’s Verdict" – Devotional Song with Hope and Redemption
[Verse 1]
Tombstone stands, words carved in night,
“Love is life,” a grave’s verdict in sight.
Polished faith, but my heart’s a lie,
Spirit, break this stone, make love my cry.

[Chorus]
Love is the fire, love is the sign,
Proof of the life that’s Yours and mine.
Without it, lost in darkness I dwell,
A grave’s verdict cries, “You’re bound for hell.”

[Verse 2]
Whitewashed tombs, our hearts don’t show,
Grace we claim, but in pride we grow.
Forgive the broken, those I’ve scorned,
Call me to love, from death I’m reborn.

[Chorus]
Love is the fire, love is the sign,
Proof of the life that’s Yours and mine.
Without it, lost in darkness I dwell,
A grave’s verdict cries, “You’re bound for hell.”

[Bridge]
Your cross, O Christ, it lights the way,
Ignite my soul to love and obey.
Forgive the broken, serve the lost,
I’ll love like You, no matter the cost.

[Chorus]
Love is the fire, love is the sign,
Proof of the life that’s Yours and mine.
Without it, lost in darkness I dwell,
A grave’s verdict cries, “You’re bound for hell.”

[Outro]
No more the grave, no more the night,
I’ll love with Your love, walk in Your light.
Tombstone fades, Your voice I hear:
“Love and live, for I am near.”

APOSTASY is Betrayal

The word “Betrayal” holds value only when it happens between the best of friends. Otherwise, it cannot be seen as a betrayal. If you testify against your enemy that ain’t betrayal. If Judas was an enemy he should be seen as an opponent, adversary but the gospels bear witness that Judas was faithful UNTIL sin was found in him. Sin in his heart was why Satan entered Judas (Luke 22:3).

An opponent is a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another. But we see that Judas was remorseful of his betrayal – Matt 27:4 – if he was an enemy then he wouldn’t feel the pangs of conscience, would he? A traitor means, one who gives himself or surrender to the enemy – Luke 6:16 – to dissent from his believed ideals.

For EVERY man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death (James 1:14, 15). Do not err, my beloved brethren! (James 1:16) Wherefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12).

The Bible says, He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning (1 John 3:8) – Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother (1 John 3:12) – Judas too consciously partook of the wicked works and had become a fellow conspirator to slew the “Prince of Life”. He had barked up the wrong tree by his love of money and thus erred from faith.

Betrayal can only happen in a close relationship otherwise it ain’t betrayal. Betrayal is the opposite of loyalty. Only a person who was once loyal to a cause, due to persuasions, temptations, threatenings etc…when retracts/fall away from it, we could say that he/she betrayed or deserted/disavowed the person or organization that he/she was once loyal to!

We’ve heard of real life stories of military officers and citizens alike defected from their oppressive regimes. If so, even apostasy is considered a betrayal, isn’t it?

Doesn’t the Bible say that in the last days apostasy shall take place within the christendom? How many Christians have already betrayed the Lord by leading a life opposing to the word of God, in pursuit of saving their own lives, loving themselves, loving this present world, following after money etc…? Isn’t it crucial then to often examine ourselves whether we are in the faith or not, and that we aren’t deceived?