They Walked No More With Him
Upon one occasion our Lord was teaching a lesson concerning the bread of life, a memorial of such, and made the following statement: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in your selves" (John 6:53.) After some discussion, verse sixty-six tells us, "Upon this many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him." To them this was a hard statement to understand, being carnally minded, and so they literally quit their walk with Christ.
How many in the church today can you count that are quitters...that have gone back and will walk no more with Him? No one likes to be called a quitter, but we seldom seem to be concerned with the attitude manifested by our God toward those in this category. In the tenth chapter of Hebrews, verse twenty-five, is the familiar prohibition against forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as some were apparently doing. Verse twenty-six and twenty-seven reads, "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. The text continues with a comparison of the old law, under which the transgressors were put to death, and the ones who have been washed with the blood of Jesus Christ but have gone back into perdition. "Much sorer punishment" will be given those who are found in this respect. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Verse 31) Verse thirty-eight says, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."
The above two paragraphs contain just a sample of the Scriptures teaching the danger of apostasy. We would do well to familiarize ourselves with such passages as Heb. 3:12,13;I Cor. 9:27; James 5:19,20; and II Peter 2:19-22. According to Peter, judgment must begin first with the church of God. (I Pet. 4:17,18) At the day of judgment Christ will send His holy angles to "gather out of the kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity": They shall be cast into the lake of fire where there "shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (Matt. 13:41,42)
In and around most areas where I've worked there has always been a very large number of baptized members of the church that have literally ceased to walk with the Lord. Even on the "official membership list" of most congregations many have become "weak and sickly" among us. (I Cor. 11:30) Sad, however, is the fact that most of these seem to be "hardened" by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:12,13) and have little desire to be associated with fellow Christians in the church. Unless we can turn them from their present course, their ultimate doom is destruction!
Those of us who recognize these facts, however, must not remain complacent in our attitude toward the lost. "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves." (Rom. 15:1) And again in I Thess. 5:14 Paul tells us, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. In Gal. 6:1 the exhortation reads, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness: considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." But like the Ephesians, perhaps, most of us who are considered "strong" have left our first love! (Rev. 2:4)
Still, we must tread onward! There is comfort to be obtained from the Word if we will but renew our faith and determination to work. "As many as I live, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Rev. 3:19) Our mind should be like Paul when he said, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil. 4:13)
Even so, the truth still remains that many will walk no more with Him. These are among the saddest words we will ever read. Notwithstanding, let us do the best we can to make this number the minority group.
"From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:66-68) Verse 69 following says "And we believe and are sure that thou are the Christ the son of the living God."
When people believe this, why will they go back? It may be that we, like Peter at one time, tend to follow Him afar off. (Matt. 26:58) But what about you and I ... will we too turn back to follow Him no more? God forbid! Rather, let us be like Paul and "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14) May the Lord help us to work toward this end with all deliberate speed!