Apostasy via Deconstruction – Part 3 - Passionately Loving Jesus

Table of Contents

Jesus warned of the many signs we would see at the end of this age. The first sign mentioned was deception. I have posted many previous articles on deception and you can read them here and here. In Part 3 we look at “apostasy via “deconstruction.”

After watching Pastor Billy Crone’s teaching on Apostacy in Part 2, I was heavy-hearted as once again I saw why so many of those who profess to be “Christians” think they are but tragically they are not according to the Word of God.

Satan a created being himself is not the one to set the standards of what it means to be a “Christian”. Furthermore, neither do you nor I set them. Only Yahweh, the Creator sets the standard, and without accepting the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son, Jesus the Christ, we will never reach that perfect standard.

However, satan has many believing the lie that they can pick and choose a smorgasbord of beliefs and still be considered “Christian”. Moreover, by examining the fruit of their lives, their lifestyles prove the deceptive lie that Satan has whispered in their ears. You can see posts dealing with surveys that address this situation here, here. and here.

Therefore, even though it appears that many “Christians” are jumping ship as this age draws near to the return of Jesus the Christ (Messiah), it would be prudent to ask “were they really true followers of Jesus?”

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ²not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.³Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”. (emphasis mine)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

As I pointed out in Part 1, the term “falling away” comes from the Greek word “ἀποστασία”, which is translated as apostasia. It is where we get the word Apostasy.

A Definition of Biblical Apostacy

Per Got Questions.org:

Apostasy, from the Greek word apostasia, means “a defiance of an established system or authority; a rebellion; an abandonment or breach of faith.” In the first-century world, apostasy was a technical term for political revolt or defection. Just like in the first century, spiritual apostasy threatens the Body of Christ today.

The Term Deconstruction

Deconstruction is the new go-to word for those that are questioning their faith.

Our Creator, God Most High, welcomes questions. I’m sure most have had valid questions. I did and I still do on occasion. However, what was the outcome I found as I read the various accounts of those who went through a deconstruction of their “faith”?

Most decided to kick their Creator to the curb.

So, What is Deconstruction?

Again Got Questions.org states:

“Deconstruction” is the heading most recently applied to the process of questioning, doubting, and ultimately rejecting aspects of the Christian faith. This is an application of deconstructionism, an approach that claims to disassemble beliefs or ideas while assuming their meanings are inherently subjective.
Both the trend and its title reflect a backlash against the unfortunate habit within some religious circles to downplay deep questions and ignore those who hold them.
To openly investigate the nuances of belief, even changing one’s convictions, is a biblical concept. In practice, though, “deconstruction” almost always acts as a polite cover for “demolition.”
Modern “deconstruction” usually means replacing uncomfortable tenets with culturally or personally popular ideas. “
gotquestions.org- What does it mean when people say they are deconstructing their faith?

A Satanic Psyop

Another type of deception within our churches is the plethora of fake/false shepherds in the pulpits that are leading their unsuspecting flocks into the arms of Satan instead of Jesus the Lord of lords and King of kings.

We see it all around us. Furthermore, Satan, the Father of lies has convinced the masses to take the wide road to destruction (Matthew 7:13). Yes, the Master Deceiver has infiltrated our churches and planted false brothers, teachers, and leaders to keep you from the One who gave His life for you (Matthew 20:28). Our pulpits, seminaries, and pews are filled with satan’s disciples.

Eventually, their true selves will be revealed. However, much damage will be done to the unsuspecting. It is imperative that you always filter everything you see, hear, and read through the lens of God’s Holy Word. Otherwise, you are easy pickings and may be slowly deceived by the satanic influence behind these false shepherds and leaders.

Some leave the church; however, many more unbelieving fake/false shepherds stay in the pulpits.

I encourage you to take a few moments to check out the below links to see for yourself.

5 Religious Leaders Who Gave Up the Faith and Became Outspoken Atheists and Agnostics
“Adam” and “Jack”, Pastors Who No Longer Believe in God
Ryan Bell
Dave Gass, former Megachurch Pastor – Grace Family Fellowship
Joshua Harris. former Megachurch Pastor – Covenant Life Church
5 More Preachers Who Don’t Believe
Seminary President Admits She Doesn’t Believe in Heaven, Miracles, or Christ’s Resurrection

¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Jesus – Matthew 7:15-16 NKJV

Survey Says… Biblical Worldview Of Pastors

Perhaps this is why we see the following stats concerning professing “Christian” pastors in the United States. According to surveys from Dr. George Barna at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University:

Only 37% of Pastors possess a biblical worldview.
However, 62% of Pastors possess a hybrid worldview known as Syncretism.

A further breakdown of the Pastor’s biblical worldview shows:

(41%) of Senior Pastors have a biblical worldview
(13%) of Teaching-Pastors have a biblical worldview
(12%) of Children’s and Youth-Pastors have a biblical worldview
(4%) of Executive Pastors have consistently biblical worldview beliefs and behaviors

Baptist churches, which are widely regarded as among those most likely to embrace the Bible as God’s inerrant word, did not live up to that stereotype.

(48%) of Baptist pastors have a biblical worldview, however,
(78%) of Southern Baptist pastors have a biblical worldview

The Definition of a Biblical Worldview

For the purposes of the above research, a biblical worldview was defined as:

believing that absolute moral truths exist
that such truth is defined by the Bible
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life
God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He still rules it today
salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned
Satan is real
Christians have a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people
the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings

Biblical Worldview by Denominational Family

You can view the full surveys at the below links.

Were They True Followers of Jesus?

We also seem to be flooded with so-called “well-known Christians” who have decided to very publicly declare to their followers that they are no longer “Christians” as if it’s a badge of honor to defect. They proclaim they have been deconstructing their “faith” and at the end… well, here are a few and you can read their conclusions for yourself.

What is Deconstructionism?

Deconstructionism is basically a theory of textual criticism or interpretation that denies there is any single correct meaning or interpretation of a passage or text.

The deconstructionist approach to interpreting the Bible comes out of postmodernism and is therefore simply another denial of the existence of absolute truth, which is one of the most serious logical fallacies anyone can commit.

The denial of absolute truth is a logical fallacy because it is a self-contradictory statement. No one can rationally deny absolute truth because to do so one is forced to state an absolute—which is what he is saying does not exist.

When someone claims that there is no such thing as absolute truth, ask him, “Are you absolutely sure of that?” If he says, “Yes,” then he has made a statement contradictory to his very premise.

The Deconstructionist

Celebrates human autonomy and determines truth by his intellect
Does not study the Bible in order to find out the meaning intended by the writer
Attempts to discern the cultural and social motives behind what was written
Is only limited in his interpretation of a passage by his own imagination.
- To the deconstructionist, there is no right or wrong interpretation, and the meaning of the text becomes whatever the reader wants it to be.

The Problem with Deconstructing

“Deconstruction” carries with it the philosophical baggage of postmodernism, particularly the denial that truth can truly be known. It carries both the assumption of permanent doubt, and our culture’s skepticism of authority.”
The Problem with Deconstructing Faith by John Stonestreet and Timothy D Padgett

That’s why, when applied to the Christian faith, so much deconstruction is about severing the links between:
- the Church and Jesus
- Christianity and Jesus
- moral teaching and Jesus
- and (especially) the Bible and Jesus
as if:
- the Church isn’t His Bride
- Christianity isn’t His worldview
- morality isn’t His teaching
- and the Bible isn’t His Word

“That’s why, when applied to the Christian faith, deconstruction means taking apart the faith, keeping only the palatable (like Jesus’ love and compassion), and discarding the difficult (like sin and penal substitutionary atonement).”
The Problem with Deconstructing Faith by John Stonestreet and Timothy D Padgett

Some Are Genuinely Seeking

However, we see in an article titled “Deconstruction Does Not Mean Christians Are Trying to Leave the Faith” by John Williamson that some are genuinely seeking the Lord for answers. He states:

“Deconstruction is a careful and deliberate examination of one’s beliefs from the inside. It’s about coming to terms with what you believe outside of your inherited beliefs. It’s about growing INTO your faith, not out of it.”

Did They Ever Trust Jesus?

Were, the Apostates mentioned in this post truly followers of Jesus?

As we saw in Part 2 Pastor Billy Crone states they were never saved. Sophia Bricker in her article titled “How Should Christians Respond to the Deconstruction of Faith?” stated:

“While steps can be taken to actively engage the growing movement of deconstruction within Christianity, believers do need to be aware that many who will “fall away” were never true followers of Jesus.”
Sophia Bricker

However, I’m not so sure. We see in Matthew 13:1-9 in the Parable of the Sower where seeds fell on 4 different places:

A path
Rocky places
Among thorns
Good soil

Perhaps, they were never true followers of Christ, to begin with. However, perhaps for a while, they may have “tried” Jesus (another trick of the father of lies himself, Satan). After all, if Eve fell for his deception of “did God really say”…

If some were truly saved, then what happened? Some say they lost their salvation…This will be the subject of my next post.

We must as the true body of believers reach out to those who have sincere questions and help mentor those who are seeking. If you do not have the answer, it’s okay to say so, and work together to find the answer. Perhaps just being willing to listen to a seeker’s questions may be all they are really looking for.

In Closing

Is it possible to win back those who have walked away? We as the true body of Christ must pray that the Holy Spirit places someone in their path (perhaps you or me) to turn them to the truth of the Word of God before their heart is hardened beyond repair.

I encourage you to read this short article. Perhaps you will find it helpful. Six Ways to Support and Challenge Those Who Leave Church.

I also would like to encourage you to be sure to feel free to ask any respectful questions in the comment section below that you may have been concerned about. It would be my pleasure to help you in your journey with Jesus Christ. However, before I close, I must ask you to be sure…

Maranatha! Until next time, I am Passionately Loving Jesus, the Anchor of my Soul.

Maranatha! Until next time, I am Passionately Loving Jesus, the Anchor of my Soul.

Apostasy via Deconstruction – Part 3

A Definition of Biblical Apostacy