some will depart

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared…

1 Timothy 4:1-2

Here is a warning of what it expect when people desert the Christian faith. A couple of questions are answered here and in the immediate context. First question: Exactly what is “the faith” from which people depart? Immediately before this Spirit given prophetic warning Paul quotes an ancient creedal hymn in 1 Timothy 3:16 - the mystery of godliness: 

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.”

There are six characteristics of this orthodox declaration of the gospel:

1) Jesus came in the flesh.

2) The Holy Spirit vindicated Jesus.

3) Angels were part of His ministry… it was spiritual.

4) His gospel is to be proclaimed to the world.

5) Jesus must be believed on in the world for the world to be saved.

6) Jesus is now ascended into heaven.

Denial of these essentials is what it would mean to “depart from the faith” to what is false.

A second question from this text: To what do those who “depart the faith” wind up committing? There are four characteristics to consider:

1) They do still believe/“devote themselves” to another belief system. There is no such thing as “no faith”. Even atheism is a commitment and a statement of belief.

2) They are deceived. And that deception is demonic. So all alternate choices away from Christianity also have a “spiritual” origin.The spirit is Satanic.

3) They are indoctrinated. It takes false teaching to “deconvert”. It does not happen in a vacuum. Someone else’s teaching is being imbibed.

4) They are led by insincere liars. False teachers KNOW they are deliberately lying. They don’t care.

So when we see someone popularly “deconstruct” their Christian beliefs, know this: The apostles warned this would happen and it is called apostasy. Satan is behind it. It is tragic. And it should call us all the more to proclaim, hold fast, and love the gospel as the mystery of godliness is greater than the heinous heresy of apostasy.