A Time of Falling Away First: EASTER 2026
Scripture Reference:
We are living in a time that the Bible describes as the last days—a period characterized by a great "falling away first."
The phrase "falling away" comes from the Greek word apostasia, which means defecting, forsaking, or departing from the faith. Before the return of the Master, the Scriptures warn us that we will experience a mass departure from the truth and from the standard of the Christian faith.
Instead of paying attention to sound doctrine, many have turned their ears to fables (; ). We now see formerly vibrant Christian brothers and sisters who have lost sight of the cross and are now "singing the Lord's song in a strange land." Even whole congregations are watering down the Gospel, lowering the standard, and conforming to the world. The world and the church are now acting like two parallel lines that have somehow met ().
God does not want us to be ignorant of the devil's devices or what is happening to the church today. He is warning us to carefully examine our lives and our ways.
Understanding the Decline: Backsliding, Depreciation, and Deviation
To understand the current state of the church, we must understand three key spiritual terms:
- Backsliding: The failure to maintain God's standard of behavior or a return to a former lifestyle of sin. It does not happen overnight; it begins with an imperceptible coldness of heart.
- Depreciation: A reduction in spiritual quality or standard. The standard Christian life, which is imparted by the Spirit of God at the moment of salvation, begins to slowly decrease. Just as the Lord asked in , when comparing the glory of the first temple to the rebuilt one: "Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?" * Deviation: A total shift away from the biblical standard.
We have been commanded to live the standard life of the early apostles who walked with Jesus. tells us to look unto Jesus—not just for help, but to imitate, copy, and learn from Him. A true Christian is an individual who is continually emulating the life of Christ ().
The True Grace of God vs. Empty Profession
Today, many have deviated from this standard life and lost their original conviction. They have entered into a Christianity of pride, worldly conformity, and empty profession. They profess that they know God, but in works, they deny Him ().
Many now believe in a "hyper-grace"—a grace that supposedly excuses and condones sin. But the true grace of God is a killer of sin. It exceeds sin and purifies the believer.
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world." –
The church is meant to be a spiritual refinery. When crude oil goes into a refinery, the toxins are removed, and a refined product comes out. But today, because of this mass deviation, people come into the church crude, and they remain crude.
Symptoms of a Backslidden State
The present-day trend is a direct fulfillment of prophecy: the born-again of yesterday have become the lost-again of today. What does this state look like?
- Living on Past Glory: Like Israel in , their holiness is in the past tense ("Israel was holiness unto the Lord"). They have forsaken the fountain of living waters to hew out broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13, 27). They talk only about the experiences they had years ago, but there is no present evidence of salvation.
- Returning to the Vomit: As described in , some have returned to the very sins God delivered them from. Pornography, masturbation, lust, greed, and covetousness have returned. They have allowed the sinning masses around them to influence them.
- Heart Sickness and Coldness: Because of delayed promises or unanswered prayers, hope deferred has made their hearts sick. They have lost their love and zeal for God.
- Spiritual Blindness: Like Ephraim in , "Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." They have advanced in all manner of sin, their spiritual strength is devoured, yet they still confidently claim to be children of God.
What Must We Do? The Path to Restoration
If you find yourself in a state of spiritual depreciation or backsliding, God is calling you back to the cross. What must you do?
1. Consider the Old Path
Stop and assess your current spiritual condition. Compare your present life with what you used to be. Acknowledge your deviation.
"Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." – Examine yourself to see whether you are still in the faith (). Remember from where you have fallen, repent, and do the first works (Revelation 2:5).
2. Turn to the Lord with Weeping
Do not approach God casually or hypocritically. Come to Him acknowledging the truth of your condition.
"Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments..." –
Like the prodigal son, call a spade a spade. Cry out to the Lord for complete restoration.
3. Follow Him Hard, Not Afar Off
When Jesus was taken to be crucified, Peter "followed him afar off" (). Following Jesus from a distance leads to denial and compromise. Instead, we must resolve to follow Him closely—bumper to bumper.
"My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me." –
Never think the devil has lost sight of you. Seducers and evil men will wax worse and worse, and the enemy is still trying to drag you back to Egypt. You must follow hard after Christ to survive the storms.
4. Remember the Biblical Warnings
- Remember Lot's wife (): She began the journey out of Sodom but looked back and never reached safety.
- Keep your hands on the plow (): "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Conclusion: Your Present Status Matters
God judges your present state. It does not matter how mightily you were used by God 30 years ago if you are living in sin today. When God says the righteous will live, if that man trusts in his past righteousness and commits iniquity, his past righteousness is forgotten.
You cannot go to Heaven in a backslidden state. No backslider will see Him. Let us refuse to be swept away by the evil wind of this age. Anchor your soul in Jesus, refuse depreciation, say no to deviation, and determine to hold out to the very end. Return to the cross today.