HE BADE GOD FAREWELL

Before Billy Graham, there was Charles Templeton. It is even safe to say they ministered in the same era. In the 1940's, Charles Templeton was a popular Canadian Evangelist who ministered powerfully alongside Billy Graham. His ministerial prospect was so promising because he was a crowd puller. In his time, stadiums were full whenever he had his evangelistic meetings. However, Templeton ended up leaving the Christian faith, eventually becoming an atheist. He entered into crisis of belief about God, the bible and the Christian faith in general in 1956 and he finally left the Christian faith in 1957. In 1982, though still an atheist, he said of Billy Graham, “There is no feigning in him: he believes what he believes with an invincible innocence. He is the only mass evangelist I would trust”. Templeton died in 2001 at the age of 86, shortly after he published one of the most heart-breaking books ever published: Farewell to God. In the book, he gave reasons why he became an atheist and abandoned the faith. He had a bad ending. Who knows the number of persons the book must have drawn into atheism. He bade God farewell.

This man backslid to the point of no return, was replaced by God and he died pitiably. If you still have doubts about the issue of God replacing men or a Christian backsliding to a point of no return, Charles Templeton is a recent contemporary example to study from books and internet resources if you're in doubt of Saul's story. The first thing that happens to a man replaced by God is disconnection from the Spirit. A replaced man becomes empty, irrational and useless. He may be an intellectual yet he is foolish. He may know the bible and have sound seminary education yet he may not be different from a philosopher. King Saul had occasional torment by a demon because God's Spirit left him. Benny Hinn and Kathryn Khulman said they valued the Holy Spirit so much to the extent that they are careful not to lose Him. The entrance of the Spirit into a man's life comes with manifestations but His exit is silent but it spells the beginning of misery. The devil is not afraid of your crowd pulling anointing neither is he afraid of the height you've reached in the ministry. He is a resilient enemy seeking whom to deceive and devour: " Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."(1 Peter 5:8 NLT). We need to be careful about backsliding gradually. This thing doesn't happen in one day.

Some believers still hold the view that it is impossible for a believer to backslide and go to hell. Now, I ask, the case of a man who was once on fire for God, pulled crowd in evangelistic meetings and preached the Gospel but delved into atheism, is heaven sure for such a person? To say he is eternally saved even if he cursed God because he was once saved is to be self deluded and untrue to scriptures. Apostle Paul says, "Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons."(1 Timothy 4:1 NLT). Once a man departs from the faith, he cannot partake in the glorious inheritance of the saints and all that is reserved for sons. The writer of Hebrews also told us that it will be hard restoring those who were once enlightened about the faith( referring to those who were once in the faith) and had tasted of the power of the world to come If they fall away ( Hebrews 6:1-6). Another thing you and I need to be careful about is the pursuit of wrong knowledge. Trouble starts when you begin to "investigate" God and bible. You will encounter wrong knowledge and become Godless. We don't try to know God from a philosophical standpoint neither can we "reason" Him out. Subjecting spiritual things to intellectualism will make you a philosophical atheist and you may bid God farewell. God and His word can only be revealed to you by the Spirit. I will not bid God farewell. I don't know about you.