De-Converting From Christianity

I ran across a website last week about de-converting from evangelical Christianity.  I guess what caught my attention was the de-converting term.   My Quaker background would refer to this as “backsliding” or "falling from grace" which would no doubt be questioned by those who accept the doctrine of eternal security.  Not to get into a theological discussion on the security of the believer, I wanted to look at the reasons why many are “de-converting” from Christianity.  The de-conversion is an indication that religion does not meet the spiritual needs of man.  The de-converting sites include: former ministers, apologists, missionaries and theologians.  I guess the question should be asked is, why would such people leave Christianity? 

As I begin to examine the why's I was drawn to the how’s of leaving Christianity.  I continue to ask this question, why do good Christians try so desperately to seek the world's favor?  Is it because they still have the nature of the world in their heart?

It is not hard to find those within the church who are not dedicated to the message of Jesus Christ.  In fact, the hypocrisy found in the church is in the discrepancy between our carnal life and total commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Carnal Christians or Progressive Christians are individuals who may  freely confess “Jesus is Lord” but fail to surrender to his authority.  The will of Christ is fine as long as it fits their life style, doesn’t cause emotional pain, doesn’t disrupt their pleasure, doesn’t require them to love those they dislike, doesn’t make them feel guilty, doesn’t mean forgiving as they have been forgiven and doesn’t ask for more than their Sunday offering to missions to show compassion.  They “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” expressing their desire to know Jesus, but the Jesus they want to know is the sanitized, effeminate, touchy-feelly, a Jesus that makes them feel good about who they are in the eyes of the world and not in the eyes of God the Father.

They have changed God’s will to satisfy their carnal desires.   Despite God’s Word to the contrary, they think we can say they love God and yet continue to hate their neighbor, neglect the widow, forget the orphan, and ignore the oppressed, and continue to live in sin.  It’s the sign of dysfunctional love. When they do this, their worship becomes a lie to God.  They had a home in The Kingdom of God but loved their summer house in Sodom and have failed to see their coming spiritual destruction.

There are many reasons why people are de-converting and I am sure you have heard people within the church give these reasons:

"We have become so educated and sophisticated that we have lost our spiritual fire". (This is used by those who have surrendered to Sodom because they have not learned the battle is the Lord’s) 

"The pressures of our modern society are just too great." (These are from those who have surrendered to the attraction of Sodom)

"We are not meeting the total needs of the people; we need more programs, social events and concerts to attract people today" (They base this on what they have learned in Sodom—bright lights and entertainment—they want a Church Club not a House of Prayer)

"We have to go back to the old days and do things like we did then" (These individuals have lost their power of position in the church and long for the days they can again gain control.)

"We need to be more up to date and change our beliefs to keep up with the times."(If they had only studied to show themselves approved of God they would know God’s Word is current with the times.)

Let’s be honest for once and examine the real reason people are de-converting.  We have been admonished to examine our spiritual life and as inhabitants of the Kingdom of God we need to surrender to the authority of Jesus Christ.  But  our heart is set too much on the things of this world, and not enough on the things in the Kingdom of God.   Holiness and righteous living  have been replaced with a religion of convenience and it will never satisfy the soul.

Let me say, I believe those leaving the church were converted.  I believe their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  I believe they experienced the joy of salvation.  However, they failed to surrender or yield to the will of God.   They lost the battle with sin.  

When a Christian  becomes so in love with Sodom that they forget the joy of their salvation they are changing their residence from the Kingdom of God to Sodom.   Sodom with its attraction of bright lights and pleasure has trapped them in the noise, the rush, the glamor, and the enticements of the world.  They lost their allegiance to the Kingdom of God because they failed to live holy and righteous lives which were acceptable to God.  They became distracted by the mayor of Sodom and his lies and forgot the message of the Kingdom of God and its Truth. 

When they become so preoccupied with Sodom that they forgot the cost paid for their position in the Kingdom of God they are on the road to destruction.  They surrendered to the carnal nature; therefore, destroying their relationship with Jesus Christ, they lost their salvation! The Kingdom of God has become a Sunday motel surrounded by the rest of the week in Sodom.  No wonder they are de-converting.  They have compromised with the citizens of Sodom and justified their action by rationalizing their choices---they are soon to become victims of Sodom’s destruction.

As those who have remained faithful we have a responsibility to help those who are on the road to de-convert to reconsider before they experience the destruction that awaits them in Sodom.