Some are family.  Some are friends.  Some are people in whom we have invested our lives.  And although they were attracted to the Gospel, they quit on Jesus.  Although they sincerely appreciated His claims, they walk away from the faith.

How does that happen?  Why would someone who “tasted of the heavenly gift” (Hebrews 6:4) abandon the perfections of Christ?

When Jesus was on earth, many of the people who followed Him for a time ultimately abandoned Him (John 6:66).  Perhaps His claims were too radical.  Perhaps the road was too difficult.  Perhaps the repentance He required was too severe.  Perhaps the cost was simply too high.

Paul gives us some insight and warning when he wrote to Timothy,

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars, seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron—1 Timothy 4:1-2.

Here’s what we know about people who quit on Jesus:

Quitters are everywhere.

When Paul used the term “in later times” he was using a literary device implying the future is now.  It was then and there is now the threat of apostasy that modern believers should never discount.

Quitters are non-specific.

Paul used the phrase “the faith” to describe what the people were leaving.  Jesus was very clear about who He is and how He provided forgiveness, justification, redemption, and final glorification for those who trust in Him.  He called it a “narrow way.” Any attempt to widen it surely fails (Matthew 7:13-14).

Quitters are open-minded.

The enemy and his demons actively deceive unbelievers, but that does not remove a person’s culpability for “paying attention” to these efforts.  In order to stay open-minded, many people fatally feed their minds and nurture their hearts with misleading influences.

Quitters are deceived.

While people are responsible, the enemy is powerful and persistent.  These deceitful spirits are agents of Satan himself.  They are people whose conscience has been branded with the lies of the enemy, and they are effective in promoting their doctrines.

Paul understood the real threat of his day.  From prison and in his final attempts to disciple his friend, he reminded Timothy the danger of apostasy was imminent and encouraged him to give himself to “sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:6).  And his warning is just as relevant today.

What can we do about quitters?

  • We personally embrace and saturate ourselves with God’s Word.
  • We advance the trustworthiness of the Bible.
  • We nourish others with Bible doctrine.
  • We depend on the light of God’s Word to push back darkness.

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