Falling away was always a scary topic in WCG. Getting "turned over to Satan" was no small problem for the unbelieving, rebellious towards Church everything, tired of all the scandal, stuck with an authoritarian and incapable of love and mercy type Pastor, unable or unwilling to give til it hurt, and it did or any number of other issues that could play hard on the mind of the member or the minister.
One got "marked" and dis-membered real quick and often publically back in the day. Later, when it was more a flood of fallers away, not so much.
At any rate, the church "wished them no ill, but that they would repent". However, some scriptures indicated that it was too late to repent while others would extend an olive branch of kindness. Most who fell never wanted to return anyway.
I spoke with a former AC student who was accused by the Administration of "being gay." He wasn't but that was that for him. He left when he declared "I am not gay," and the pastor simply told asked him "Do you believe we are God's chosen ministry?" In other words, "if we think you are gay and we discern that you are gay, we are not wrong." So he "fell away".
The scriptures on the topic are pretty tough on the one who questions, get's tired or simply can't take this or that any longer.
They range from "once and done" to "aw, come on back and all is forgiven." Most opt for the second as losing members these days is a problem, and Churches have to keep the numbers up.
Even in the First Century, one had the option of falling away from either the Jewish Christian version of the truth or the Pauline Genitle version. And early in the game, the NT is filled with the charges and countercharges each had for the other illustrating this early problem. Falling away so early in the history of the NT church was pretty common. They came, they saw, the left either following others such as Apollo or Paul or in the case of WCG, Larry, Moe or Curly.
The Author of Hebrews says: Hebrews 6:4-6
For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.
However, James says: James 5:19-20
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
And Even Paul Says: 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
But then the author of "Peter" says: 2 Peter 2:20-22
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
But then Paul Says: Romans 11:19-22
Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
(Note: "kindness" but also "severity" makes no sense to me personally. It's the "Compulsory fear and Compulsory love" problem. You know, as the sign on the Interstate said, "Love Jesus or burn forever in Hell". )
So aside from the concept of "you have had it" to "no, you can be salvaged, the question in our day and age becomes "Fall away from who or what?"
Currently there are over 45,000 differing Christian denominations with all having various twists and turns of belief than the others. All believe they are "the faith once delivered" and NO ONE believes they belong to" the false church" or that their faith is misplaced or their beliefs mistaken.
Many of these differences are not minor. Some are tolerant of others and let them "also be true Christians" but many insist on being "the true Church" and you are not.
So if you fall away from a True Church, big trouble Biblically. If you fall away from "Christianity falsely so called" or "Churchianity" as WCG often portrayed everyone else, no biggy, as long as you come "into the truth" of the WCG. Many others churches feel this way about themselves as well.
How often I heard as a pastor during the crazy times, "I have not fallen away from the Church! The Church has fallen away from me!". How little did those people realize just how much further the Church they knew and originally was drawn to would fall away from everyone.
Huge topic and in the mix of us that read and contribute to Bannedhwa, having shared our common first love of our youth, we now find every combination of human religious affiliation or not common to man, here on Bannedhwa as well.
What say you about all this?
