TMOTCS: DANGERS THAT BELIEVERS FACE!
Christians are constantly in danger of losing not only their salvation but also the rewards of salvation and all the promises of God. Believers can be careless and neglectful and thus fail to make progress into the plan, purpose and provisions of God. Without spiritual maturity, the believer cannot stand but backslide, fall apart and be lost. After all, there is nothing like eternal security! “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1Cor 10:12).
When a believer is careless with his salvation and becomes disobedient and intentionally preoccupies himself with secondary and unprofitable things in the light of eternity, he will fall. The believer who neglects prayer, bible study, meetings, soul-winning, etc; will slip into backsliding. This is not a sin of ignorance but a wilful sin and christians can make the mistake. Though there ‘may’ be forgiveness for wilful sin if ‘genuinely’ repented of, from a contrite heart (1 John 1:9); it may attract godly chastisement as a redress, like in the case of King David’s adultery.
The believer also faces the danger of complacency which breeds contempt and unbelief. A complacent Christian takes the Word of God for granted, not taking Him at His word. This is turning the back upon God; a serious backsliding that leads to hardness of heart through deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13). Backsliding grieves God’s heart and every backslider will be deprived of all blessings. A believer who is careless about his life and cares less of eternity is a castaway. He will loose his salvation and be ashamed before Christ at His coming (1 John 2:28, 1 Cor 9:24-27).
