Study Guide Christ will be our final Judge Core Interrelations

Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Statement of the Problem
The thesis concerns apostasy which responds to a major religious
crisis in the life of a believer by a deliberate alienation and
abandonment of faith. This crisis involves a conflict of an intellec￾tual, social, or emotional dimension.
The problem of the thesis may be stated as follows: How can an
understanding of the dynamics of apostasy benefit gospel workers?
To this question the thesis answers in three ways: Biblically
by explaining apostasy as a sinful process, which could degenerate into
sin against the Holy Spirit if it is not stopped and controlled; theo￾logically, by discussing the main issues implicated in an apostatic
process, such as freedom of will, sin, and the sin against the Holy
Spirit; and practically, by exploring the dimensions of Christian
commitment and defection, factors contributing to apostasy, and solutions
suggested as a help in preventing and recovering from apostasy.
Within the Christian Church as a body, apostasy is one of the most
dramatic crises which can occur. Today, while there never seems to
have been a more favorable time for the Church--its sanctuaries full of
worshippers, its projects so ambitious, and its budgets so promising--
the crisis still • exists. It might be visible or not, depending on the
angle from which we choose to scrutinize the Church. For instance, for