How Social Media Influencers Promote Apostasy

How Social Media Influencers Promote Apostasy: Apostasy, or turning away from the truth is not a new word in Biblical lexicon. Writing to the 1^st century church in Thessalonica, Paul the apostle said, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away (apostasy) first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3). In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, he said,

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their eyes from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

These prophetic utterances are finding fulfilment in the church, especially as it concerns core foundational truth of Christianity like water baptism as a path to salvation. In a recent video posted on Tiktok, one of the social media influencers asserted that water baptism was not necessary for salvation. She quoted Romans 10:9 to substantiate her claims.

The Scripture states: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Clearly, people like this influencer love to build a doctrine around particular verses of the Holy Bible that appeal to their warped view of God.

         In the same Holy Bible, Jesus Christ Himself said in Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” In the early church, none of the folks whose conversion was recorded in Scripture skipped water baptism. In Acts 8:26-40 which recorded Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch, we are told in verse 36 that the new convert specifically asked to be baptised after he confessed Jesus Christ as Lord.

Similarly, Cornelius, his family and friends were baptised in water after the Holy Spirit fell on them while Peter was preaching the Gospel (Acts 10:47-48). In the same vein, the jailer and his family were baptized in water after they found Christ, following the miraculous rescue of Paul and Silas from a Philippi jail (Acts 16:33). Even Lydia who received them in the city before their ordeal was baptised along with her family (verse 15).

 In fact, Peter and other apostles believed that water baptism was a prerequisite for someone receiving the Holy Spirit. This was evidenced in what he said to enquiring Jews while preaching to them on the day of Pentecost. He said in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This was the reason he and others who accompanied him to Cornelius’ house were astonished that Jesus poured the Holy Spirit on Gentiles that were not baptized in water (Acts 10:1-48).

 Another Christian foundational truth disparaged on social media is speaking in tongues. This is common among certain “Christians” known as the Cessationists. These people insist that all operations of the Holy Spirit ceased after the church was established in the 1^st century. In essence, they call Jesus Christ and the Father liars. In Joel 2:28, the LORD God of Hosts declared, “And afterward, I will pour out of My Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.  Peter said in Acts 2:16-17, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.”

 Jesus Christ also gave speaking in tongues as one of the miraculous signs that would set His followers apart from other people, as recorded in Mark 16:17, “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues.” This manifested in the early church as recorded in Acts 2:3; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:5-7).

Even Paul endorsed speaking in tongues in the church so long as it was done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). While activities of charlatans in the church have brought the operation of this gift into disrepute, it is silly for anyone to insist that we must discard God’s gift because satan is using his agents to peddle the counterfeit.

 The most damaging activity of the satan-sponsored influencers is their promotion of the Once Saved Always Saved doctrine. In my opinion, it is the silliest notion in the church. No Scripture guarantees anyone living in open sin salvation. 1 John 3:8 declares that “the one who practices sins is of the devil.” If anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord is guaranteed eternal life, who are the ones that would fall away according to 2 Thessalonians 2:3?

Who are the ones that Jesus would say to them, “Depart from Me, for I never knew you?” (Matthew 7:21-23). Who are the ones that risk their names being deleted from the Book of Life except they repented of their sins as the Lord threatened in Revelation 20:15? In fact, the Parable of the Sower alone destroys the once saved always-saved error.

 Lastly, we look at one of the most insidious lies of satan, to keep gullible people tied to his kingdom – It is the argument by some influencers that repentance is not necessary for salvation. This is ridiculous and only goes to show how the devil hates people turning away from their sins. Before Jesus started His ministry, his forerunner, John the Baptist preached repentance (Matthew 3:2). The Lord Himself started His ministry with the same message as recorded in Mark 1:15.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter replied to the enquiry by Jews attentive to his preaching by telling them, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). In Acts 17:30, Paul told the Athenians, “Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.” Another of Peter’s message on repentance is recorded in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.”

         The net result of these satanic interpretation of Scriptures by social media influencers is that their gullible followers reject the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27) and have created for themselves, another god that accepts their wallowing in sin, regardless of their so-called born again status. These folks make up the greatest percentage of churchgoers. This is one of the reasons why members of most institutional churches do not “pursue holiness,” a key prerequisite for having a relationship with God, as recorded in Hebrews 12:14.

When churchgoers settle for demonic doctrines instead of the immutable word of God, how can they withstand the onslaught of the devil and his demons? That is why many of them fall into open sin and refuse to repent because some charlatans assured them that they are guaranteed eternal life, and do not need to turn away from their sins. It is such a shame that these folks choose to use human opinions and ideas to filter God’s eternal word, at their own peril.