Over the last 27 years of teaching I have spoken on this issue two or three times as a warning to the church.

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When bad things happen or good things do not where a believer was really counting on God for something and it does not happen, it is not uncommon for many to have a crisis of their faith in God to develop.

It puts a man or woman in a very vulnerable position spiritually and eternally because they begin to question God, and some move on to have thoughts of giving up on God, which usually means abandoning faith in the eternal God, Jesus His Son, and the Gospel Truth.

Such issues are useful tools of the devil to chip-away at the saving faith in God from believers in crisis times. They turn away from God and go a different direction that does not include Jesus Christ but some other false religion or to become an agnostic or an atheist.

Let me define these two terms as ones that you must avoid in your own heart and mind if you want to enter the realm of God after this life ends.

Agnostic: One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism. It can also mean apathy towards such religious belief. Atheist: In the broadest sense, it is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, it is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. Still narrower is the position that “There are no deities”.

What one must understand is that whether a follower of a false religion, an agnostic or an atheist, such groups and individuals living in doubt or outright rejecting God are lost in sin and are already condemned to eternal separation.

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† John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Why am I bringing this up today?

The term “crisis of faith” flashed off and on in my mind this last week when I heard parts of a documentary; it was specifically about leaders of Christian churches quitting the faith and their pastoral positions but it also represents the shameful state of so many Christian congregations in the so-called western countries today.

The priests and pastors that were interviewed
had lost faith in God and decided He didn’t exist.

Some of them tried to continue leading congregations until they were terminated by church rulers, others shockingly continued to stand before their congregations and speak weekly with everyone knowing they had rejected God, some went out and found work at secular jobs and abandoned the church, and some started what is now called “Sunday Assemblies”, which are weekly meetings of people (often in churches) that reject all forms of religion while seeking non-religious social involvement—the fellowship of the world with itself.

The Bible informs us that this will happen:

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† 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasia: defection, forsaking of; from to separate, divorce) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

† Ezekiel 33 [It doesn’t how you begin but it does matter how you end before God:] 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

† Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets [literally can be “inspiriting speakers”] shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

This is true of all of us in times in our lives—as we serve the Lord, trouble will come that might confuse any of us spiritually; we ask or even demand to know, “Why, God?”.

Such troubles will usually do one of two things:

Drive us to the Lord by prayer and seeking help from His written Word or if we do not and by believing faith, troubles will begin to erode our faith in Him because we do not trust Him no matter what befalls us.

If we fail to be consistently schooled by the Word of God and we do not talk to Him regularly in the good times, we are setting ourselves up to be spiritually frail and maybe even fail in our faith in God in the hard times. We must know and understand that we will have times of trouble!

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† John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation (Gr. thlipsis: pressure, anguish, trouble): but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

† Acts 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation (thlipsis) enter into the kingdom of God.

† 1 Thessalonians 3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone; 2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: 3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions (thlipsis): for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation (from “to rub against”; being crowded, the way becomes narrow, trouble); even as it came to pass, and ye know. 5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

† 1 Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations (putting to the proof by the experience of evil, adversity): 7 That the trial (testing the trustworthiness) of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. . . 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

How and why does a crisis of faith happen in the lives of those that stand behind pulpits and those who sit in the pews—not just a serious questioning of one’s beliefs but possibly the total collapse of faith in God and His Savior? How can it happen to you? Consider these valid reasons:

How can it happen to you? Consider these valid reasons: 1. Whether Christian leaders or those that listen, there was not a genuine faith in God in the first place; such ones were never born again now more common that you might think. 2. For those coming from seminary training, it is almost inevitable that faith will eventually fail in many since most of those places do not instill trust and faith in the Word of God or the many tenets of our faith—instead they challenge these things vehemently; they produce “professional clergymen” to run church businesses. And about religious leaders, Jesus calls many of them “the blind leading the blind. . .” 3. Those that sit in the seats are not being taught the Word and ways of God and do not know what a believer’s life will consist of and do not learn that the Lord will be there with them (us!) through the really hard times; things the preachers haven’t learned themselves. 4.And my usual sounding of the horn weekly is this: Many Christian preachers and teachers, deacons and church school teachers, and those they speak to do not read their Bibles and they do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. If that does not change, one day they will say “Lord, Lord…” and He will reply, “I do not know you!” Those are in fact called by God into ministry are for these purposes:

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† Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. . .

We must understand this:

If by a crisis of faith that you or I turn our backs to Jesus Christ and go another way, it is no one’s fault but yours or mine that we have backslid. God has given us every provision needed for a born again one to always move forward and never turn away.

It is up to each believer to take advantage of all His provisions and plans to strengthen our spiritual walk in order that we do not fall away and with the possibility of not being able to repent and come back to the Lord.

We hear about this in some very scary Scriptures:

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† Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled (become satisfied) with his own ways (course of life, road). . .

† 2 Peter 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

† Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

I am going to give you the hard facts about how to avoid a crisis of faith, which causes will undoubtedly test each and every one of us in the days ahead. Things will confront you that will at least for a moment of time cause you to fear or wonder or to question what you believe and Who you have believed and trust in, if you are not prepared to face them down by spiritual knowledge and faith.

Two things have strengthened my ability to stand according to † Ephesians 6: My continual reading and trusting in the Word of God and the trials of my faith that God has increasingly put me through in recent years.

One: You must know what God’s Word says to you or you do not know Who He is or how you can trust Him.

Two: Faith is the reliance on God no matter what and that only comes in the situations the Lord allows in your life that grow your faith more daring—but only as you successfully pass the previous lesser test.

It’s not unlike going from being a Kindergartner through the 12 grades of our school system and even into university-level but with lessons on faith and trust in God. These two things give you the ability to weather a crisis that attacks your faith—they become heavy armor; armor that has to be forged in the fires of trials, personal tribulations, and knowledge of God’s Word.

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† James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

† Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Lastly, I want to again remind you what to look-out for as attacks against your faith in God to save you one day happen. Be on-guard against these deceptions and troubles intended to shake you loose from your faith:

Be on-guard against these deceptions and troubles 1. Lesser recognized attacks against you that creep-in as a disappointment(s) that grows into discouragement that begins to chew at the edges of your faith and becomes a deepening depression (by lost hope and questioning God) 2. Negative breathtaking developments that hit in the realm of your health, relationships, finances, employment or other critical part of your life 3. Events that evoke serious fear in your mind and heart; for a Christian, fear is the opponent of faith in God and can drive a person to compromise or to change one’s reliance for needed help to secular resources or false beliefs 4. The abandonment of loved ones or best friends that can lead to betrayal 5. Still a few years out but of close family members take the “mark of the beast”—they must be excised from your life; no one can believe the lie that God will forgive someone taking the “mark” in order to feed their family 6. Events which most Americans say “cannot happen here”: A vicious war comes to our country and multitudes are killed, most everything is destroyed, and loved ones are lost 7. You and or your family members are arrested for your faith in Jesus Christ and will be executed if you do not renounce your beliefs 8. And the big one: Extra-terrestrials arrive and provide a convincing narrative and forms of proof that there is no God, Jesus was a fraud, and that they are the ones that created us

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† Luke 18:6 …And the Lord said, Hear [pay attention to] what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

A crisis of faith that turns you against God is planned for all of us in the months and short years ahead.

How you move through those things is up to you whether it is in fear or with fear under the crushing thumb of your faith in God.

You need to know God’s Word and your faith in Him needs to be exercised having its muscles built-up and able to hold the mighty sword of the Spirit and faith as your shield.

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† Hebrews 10:35 [When those times come:] Cast not away therefore your confidence (assurance, boldness, outspokenness), which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience (endurance, constancy, perseverance), that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

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~ Brother Scott ... With ... The Right Word^© ... For Today~

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