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ANSWER:
Ang Reformed Arminian, ay nagtuturo na ang apostasy ay hindi basta occasional stumble o pagkakaroon ng kahinaan sa faith. Ang apostasy ay deliberate, willful, at permanent turning away from Christ matapos maranasan ang tunay na kaligtasan.
- Hebrews 6:4–6 at Hebrews 10:26–29 ang classic texts dito.
- Hindi ito simpleng backsliding. Ang backslider ay lumalayo saglit pero eventually kinukumbinsi ng Holy Spirit na bumalik (Heb. 12:5–6).
- Ang apostate ay yung nag-desisyon na i-reject si Christ totally, at wala nang balak bumalik.
Paano nagiging apostate ang isang Christian?
Reformed Arminians would explain it this way:
1. Through a hardened will – Habang tumatagal sa sin at unbelief, ang puso ay tumitigas (Heb. 3:12–13). Parang bakal na unti-unting kinakalawang hanggang tuluyang tumigas.
2. By rejecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit – Ang Spirit ang nagbabantay sa atin. Pero kung paulit-ulit nating nire-resist, dumadating ang punto na God lets them go (Rom. 1:24).
3. By fully and knowingly denying Christ – Ito yung sinasabi ng Hebrews 10:26, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.” Hindi ito simpleng kasalanan, kundi conscious rejection ng finished work ni Jesus.
Imagine mo, nasa barko ka papuntang ligtas na isla. Si Jesus yung Captain, at sure na sure na kaya ka Niyang dalhin. Pero may mga tao na, habang nasa biyahe, kusang tatalon sa dagat dahil ayaw na nilang sumama.
Yung nahulog pero kumakapit sa lubid at hinahatak pabalik yan ang backslider.
Pero yung sinadyang tumalon, at nagdesisyon na huwag nang bumalik kahit anong sigaw ng Captain yan ang apostate.
Kaya ang warning texts sa Hebrews ay hindi para takutin ang mga faithful, kundi para paalalahanan tayo:
“Don’t play with sin, don’t harden your heart, stay close to Christ.”
A Reformed Arminian would say: perseverance is both God’s preserving grace and man’s persevering responsibility.
So, sa madaling salita:
Ang isang Christian ay nagiging apostate kapag siya ay nagdesisyon na talikuran si Kristo nang lubusan, matapos maranasan ang Kanyang kaligtasan, at tumanggi sa conviction ng Holy Spirit. Hindi ito aksidente, kundi deliberate act of rebellion.
How to Prevent Apostasy (Hebrews' warnings applied positively):
1. Stay rooted in Christ daily (Heb. 3:14).
Reformed Arminians emphasized that the Christian life is characterized by “conditional security,” which is secured as long as one remains in Christ. Parang branch na nakakabit sa puno (John 15:4–6). The safest way to prevent apostasy is to abide.
Think of your phone. Kahit gano ka-high end, kung di ka nagcha-charge araw-araw, mamamatay siya. A Christian cut off from Christ’s “power source” is in danger of drying up.
2. Take sin seriously (Heb. 10:26–27).
Apostasy doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with tolerating “small sins” until your heart gets numb. Prevention means addressing sin immediately through repentance and accountability.
Halimbawa yung rust sa bakal. Di naman bumigay agad yung metal pero kung pabayaan, tuloy-tuloy hanggang bumigay.
3. Stay in fellowship with God’s people (Heb. 10:24–25).
Isang malaking safeguard laban sa apostasy ay yung community of faith. Lone-ranger Christians are vulnerable. Ang “nag-iisa” ay mas madaling matemp at mawalan ng fire.
Parang uling. Habang nasa bonfire, mainit. Pero pag tinanggal sa apoy, mabilis lumamig.
4. Listen to the Spirit’s conviction (Heb. 3:7–8).
The Spirit constantly softens our hearts and warns us. Ang danger ay yung repeated ignoring. Prevention = humility and responsiveness sa boses ng Diyos.
Halimbawa yung seatbelt alarm sa kotse. Kung sanay ka na i-ignore, eventually hindi ka na maiistorbo kahit delikado ka na.
5. Persevere in faith with endurance (Heb. 12:1–2).
The Christian race is not a sprint but a marathon. A Reformed Arminian says, “Saving faith is a persevering faith.” Prevention means fixing your eyes on Jesus, not on yourself.
Para kang runner na may tubig stations (Word, prayer, fellowship). Kung di ka titigil at uminom sa mga iyon, mauubusan ka ng lakas.
Summary:
Apostasy happens when someone deliberately, knowingly, and permanently rejects Christ. Pero God, in His grace, gave us means of perseverance, staying in Christ, fighting sin, walking with the church, listening to the Spirit, and enduring with eyes fixed on Jesus.
So ang sagot: We prevent apostasy not by fear, but by faithfulness. The warnings in Hebrews are like “guardrails” on a mountain road. Hindi para takutin ka, kundi para gabayan ka safely hanggang dulo.
For more inquiries, contact us:
Email: formeradventist.ph@gmail.com
Website: formeradventistph.blogspot.com
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Phone: 09695143944
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