When one is in apostasy or considered apostate, both terms refer to those who have fallen away from the consistent, daily intake of God’s Word. The falling away from the faith by denying the Divine Inspiration (God-breathed) authority and absoluteness of the Bible. Apostasy has always been a characteristic of the Church because of the inadequate (sub-standard) teaching of the Word. When Pastor’s fail to follow the Pre-designed Plan of God (which is intense disciplined study under the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit), through the Pastor/teacher, the congregation literally starves to spiritual death (Revelations 3:15-18).
The primary reasons for apostasy are five-fold:
1). Failure of Pastor/teachers to apply I.C.E. principles (see “expository teaching”);
2) Ego/arrogance;
3). Laziness;
4). Failure of Seminaries to teach ICE principles to pastoral students due to apostasy at the Seminary level. Today many teachers and professors are not born-again believers, neither are many of the clergy for that matter.
5). Satan has a way of creeping in, subtly, to attack the Plan of God at the University level, which dramatically effects our local Churches and the Body of Christ. But, Jesus Christ controls history!
He has a perfect plan for His chosen people. No matter how apostate the Church becomes, God always calls His gifted leaders to step-up in every generation.