When Believers Stop Believing

Phil Johnson: John, we've invited you into the studio this hour because we would like to talk with you about apostasy, falling away from the faith. What does it mean when someone who professes to be a believer and even seems to be a believer turns his back on Christ and falls away completely? This is a theme we see in Scripture and sometimes Scripture even refers to people like that as believers when they start out. At the end of John chapter 2, the Apostle John says, “Many believed on Him when they saw His miracles.” But the very next verse says, “But Jesus didn't commit Himself to them because He knew what was really in their hearts,” implying that that faith wasn't real. And then that becomes a theme in the gospel of John because in chapter 6, “Many of His disciples turned away and walked with Him no more.” They abandoned the faith completely.” It's a big topic, why do we choose it for this?