Expert: Pastor Don Carpenter - 3/9/2004

Question
Okay,
I am a 19 year old christian girl with what seeeeeeeems to be alot of problems at present. I need alot of help. Please. I live in Australia at a college dorm and it is christian. But there is a mate of mine who is only a first year (Freshman I think americans call them?) and he was brought up in a christian family and now that he is away from home in a dorm, he isn't going to church and I don't know what is happening to him. I am just watching him landslide away from God!!! It is very scary because I saw myself do that... The thing that makes it worse is that today I saw an old friend of mine who was once so full on for God that now has turned to Bahai religion after an acident we were both in a few years ago where some of our friends died. It seems that most of my christian friends are taking MAJOR dives away from God. I hurt so much as if it were me!
What am I to do?
Everybody is landsliding, many who I thought I had built great foundations in God with...
THanks


Answer
Hi Kirsty,

Thanks for your question.

Your question illustrates a hard reality... not everyone that claims to be a born - again Christian is.

Matthew 7:21-22
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Matthew 13:3-8,18-23
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.  22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

Here is a sober reminder of how the world exposes those who have never truely and sincerly believed.  Here is what you can do:

2 Timothy 2:24-26
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,  25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.   

The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

I hope that this helps you.

In Christ,
Pastor Don