1 John 2:19 KJV
[19] They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The church is encouraged when people are added to the membership. It always boosts the moral and strengthens the congregation to see new faces sitting in the pews. The absence of membership has the reverse effect on the church. It can be disheartening to see people leave and go to another church or get out altogether.
The people in our verse are not simply backsliders, but apostates, who have left the church due to false teaching. False doctrine has led them away and has revealed who they really are. I understand that anyone can be led astray. But, there are those who join our ranks, sing our songs and learn our lingo, but miss out on the reality of Christianity. Truth is what holds everything together, and whenever someone lacks truth, they will eventually abandon those who hold to it.
We must remember that when someone leaves the church, they are not walking away from us, they are walking away from Christ. They are walking away from the light of God’s Word. John teaches us in this verse that spiritual betrayal affects the individual’s fellowship with the church and reveals the absence of their faith in Christ. Many faces came to my mind when I read this verse. I ask myself, “Are these individuals truly saved?” Only God knows the answer to that question. It makes me appreciate both my fellowship with the church, and my relationship with Christ. By God’s grace, determine to stay in the church you are serving in, and always keep your relationship with the Savior right. ist