Introduction
     “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Sovereign Yahshua Messiah, and by our gathering together unto Him … that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first … the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (2 Thess. 2:1, 3; 1 Tim. 4:4). (The King James Version used throughout, unless noted.)
nbsp;   It is noteworthy, that during the first century CE when these words were penned, that the peoples of the world were not deluged by the tens of thousands of Christian denominations and the many more of non-denominational entities … very many of them, having devolved from the former: contemporary, relevant and innovative, today’s different by nature, but united in mission denominational or nondenominational churches for today’s people of every stripe: catholic or protestant; mainline or independent; orthodox and conservative, or reformed freewill; evangelical and fundamental; pentecostal or charismaniac – each and every one vying for pewshare and all, professing themselves as having come from One Book, though we wonder how that could be!

The Need for Vigilance (Watching) and Diligence (Praying)
     In Gethsemane’s garden, there He was … on His knees; in an agony; His sweat as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground; and He, praying the more earnestly (Luke 22:44) – straitened regarding the baptism wherewith He was yet to be baptized (Luke 12:50).
    And then, rising from prayer, He came to His disciples whom He had before told in His exposition of the time of the end, to watch and to pray always that they might be able to escape events of the pending apocalypse (Luke 21:36) … only, to find them in slumber and quite, unprepared when the mob, led by one who had once obtained a part of this ministry, was come to arrest Him Whom they had called Master. And here, in the solitude of the Garden, He again admonishes them to watch and pray, lest they should enter into temptation (Matt. 26:41): giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
    A thief, and seducing spirit, but come to steal, kill, and destroy – none would be more subtle and cunning than the devil – Satan, by any other name, which prompted apostles later to warn,
    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, 1 Peter 5:8;
    Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall, 1 Corinthians 10:12.
    And though it should be reserved the providence of Him Who has the power to send to the Lake of Fire those who fall away, the adversary and deceiver is at work, that if it could be possible, even they which are thought among the elect might fall prey to Satan’s enterprise (Mark 13:22) of making that which is forbidden, to appear good, pleasant, and desired (Gen. 3:6). Ever more, therefore, is he positioned to excite and arouse sundry lusts of the flesh and of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) of his prey, to the end that they should renounce what Yahweh had defined and decreed as Good, Acceptable, and Perfect.
    Hence the need, for the believer at all times to be adorned with the whole armor – these seven from head to toe: salvation; righteousness; truth; faith; the Word of Eloha; the preparation of the Evangel of peace; and prayer, watching with all perseverance that is provided him/her with which to stand, and withstand, the wiles of the evil one (Eph. 6:13-18). Little wonder then, that we are admonished by the commandment to give diligence to make our calling and election sure with the accompanying promise, that if we would do these things, not only would we neither be barren, nor unfruitful, but we should also never fall (2 Pet. 1:10).

The Several Administrations of His Word
     All Scripture [is] given by inspiration of Eloha, and the Sovereign Yahshua Messiah, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man (woman) of Eloha may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Add rebuke and exhortation from 2 Timothy 4:2 to the reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness of 3:16, and you have the sum of five administrations of the Word, manifested through preaching (Titus 1:3). (The Hebrew gematria, or meaning, of five is defined as Grace or Yahweh’s Goodness.)
    Notice the progression of order here: reproof; correction; instruction in righteousness; rebuke, exhortation. This is Yahweh’s process and order by which He perfects those things concerning us (Psa. 138:8) and by which also, what is lacking in our faith and obedience is perfected (1 Thess. 3:10). These five administrations of His Word are ordinarily administered through preaching (Titus 1:3) from those whose ability to rightly divide and speak the Word of Truth as an Oracle is come from Above (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 4:11); by them whose senses are exercised by that Same Word to discern good and evil and Truth from error (Heb. 5.14). At times, however, an individual member of an Assembly may need to be recovered and refreshed through one or more of these administrations.
    Indeed, when one is overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1) and errs from the Truth (James 5:19), it is incumbent upon them who are spiritual to seek to restore one in the spirit of meekness and required of the presbyter(y) also, to exercise reproof, correction, and instruction – and rebuke, when necessary – followed by exhortation to the trespasser to resume his/her continuance in good works. And in this latter regard, we cannot overstate this obligation as imperative of the presbyter(y) to discharge this, his/their responsibility under the cover of Yahweh’s authority.
    And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the Word of Yahweh came unto me, saying, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the Word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me. When I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die’; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou has not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul,” Ezekiel 3:16-21.
    James concludes, Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins, James 5:20. And so, we conclude as well, the presbyter(y) who overlooks and neglects this responsibility has but become a partaker in the other’s sins and risks, too, on that great and notable day giving his account before the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of men’s souls with grief and receive assignment with the company of the devil and his angels in the Lake of Fire.

Chaos & Confusion vs. What’s Decent & Orderly & Good to the Use of Edifying
     For Yahweh is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all the Assemblies of the saints, I Corinthians 14:33. If this is true, and it is, then we deduce that the arch deceiver (Satan, and the devil) must be the author of chaos and confusion.
    Pride and a haughty spirit will always proceed to a fall and destruction (Prov. 16:18). Pride and a haughty spirit preclude one from receiving correction and instruction. The presbyter(y) armed with this understanding then will avoid contentions (Titus 3:9) and strivings about words to no profit (2 Tim. 2:14) which decline toward wrath, backbitings, swellings, and tumults (2 Cor. 12:20).

Proper Attitude toward Correction and Rebuke
     Yahweh is “not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Certainly, it could not else be thought that one whose conduct is made subject to the judicious exercise of the rod of reproof has cause to rebut this discipline. Contrarily, given the eternal implications of his/her response – either assignment to an undefiled and incorruptible Kingdom, or sentence to the Lake of Fire in company with the devil and his angels – s/he should be thankful that his/her error was checked before having to stand before the judgment seat of Yahshua (John 5:24).
    And to that end, therefore, s/he will have cause to esteem the presbyter(y) very highly in love for his/their oversight in watching out for his/her soul (1 Thess. 5:13; Heb. 13:17) – oftentimes, a most disagreeable ministry with a grief of mind and sorrow of heart accompanying its wake. On the other hand, a presbyter(y) will have experienced no greater joy, than to both see and hear that every member-in-particular is walking obediently in the Commandments of Yahweh (3 John 1:4). And to that end, the presbyter(y) must assume a disposition of meekness, lest he/they fall into the snare of the devil; exercise him/themselves toward patience and gentleness, that perhaps Yahweh will give the other a repentance to the acknowledgement of their error (2 Tim. 2:24-25); and refrain from speaking many more words than what’s necessary to effect the other’s contrite confession (Prov. 10:19).
    The offending member, on the other hand, in contritely repenting and confessing his/her sin will avenge all disobedience as his/her obedience is fulfilled (2 Cor. 10:6) and will assure, moreover, that s/he will be able to supply the answer of a good conscience void of offence (Acts 24:16) on the day of judgment. For there is no place in the Kingdom of Yahweh for them that are ‘self-willed, free spirits’ who think to themselves that they might at one and the same time, hold the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18), that is, at one and the same time, walking with Yahweh and running with the devil.
    And we should be remiss not mentioning, that the other’s contrite repentance and confession greatly affirms the ministry of the presbyter(y), too, confident he/they should not lose those things which have been wrought the other, that the presbyter(y) might receive a full reward (2 John 1:8).

With Eloha, Are All Things Always Possible?
     Principal among all the strong delusions one might entertain, is that s/he can transgress a Commandment, repent and confess the trespass and that Yahweh is obligated by His Word at all times and with every circumstance, to exercise faithfulness to forgive and to cleanse from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But what the transgressor doesn’t appreciate, is that the presumption of all Scripture and hence the mind of Eloha, is that when one comes into a knowledge of Truth, s/he’ll stop this sinning business. After all, the Scripture does read, “and IF any man sin …” (1 John 2:1), not WHEN “any man sin,” (EMPHASIS, ours).
    Yahweh will forgive any sin that one ceases. Otherwise, His Grace is cheapened if He should permit one liberty to continue in sin (Rom. 6:1). Therefore, Yahweh, by His Word, establishes His own parameters of possibility.
    For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the Heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the Good Word of Eloha, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they impale to themselves the Son of Eloha afresh, and put Him to an open shame, Hebrews 6:6, emphasis ours.
    For if we sin wilfully 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, Hebrews 10:26-27.
    The Scriptures affirm,
    • “For in that He died, He died unto sin once … death hath no more dominion over Him” (Rom. 6:10, 9);
    • “Nor yet that He should offer Himself often… For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world” (Heb. 9:25, 26);
    • “And as it is appointed unto men once to die … So Messiah was once offered to bear the sins of many …” (Heb. 9:27, 28).

If the Unbelieving Depart …
     … let him/her depart. The presbyter(y) is not under bondage in such cases. For how can he/they know, after the administration of the Word (2 Tim. 3:16, 4:2), whether the disaffected can be restored? (1 Cor. 7:15-16).
    In John, chapter six, we read an account in which Master Yahshua provided an exposition of the Secret and Mystery of His identity and purpose. Concluding His discourse, many of His disciples after having given Him audience, foolishly asserted, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it” … and with that, departed company with Him “and walked no more with Him” (John 6:60, 66). We do not get a sense that He chased after them but instead, turned to the twelve and inquired, “Will ye also go away?” (John 6:67).
    While the presbyter(y) might like to say, as He, “… those that Thou gavest Me, I have kept” (John 17:12), the reality is still, many are called; few are chosen; and fewer still, ordained to eternal life.
    Tis sad to acknowledge, but not all will be corrected for reason that the pride of life and one’s exercise of free will often intrude into the workmanship of Yahweh to perfect those deficits in one’s faith-obedience.
    Tis sad to acknowledge, that such who will not be corrected for reason of having yielded him/herself to the subtlety of pride and choosing a free will that is not in accord with Yahweh’s, if permitted by the presbyter(y) to occupy place in the Assembly, will become but spots in the Assembly’s feasts of charity as these will think to feed themselves without fear (Jude 1:12).
    Yes, tis sad that one falling away from Grace, and hence from Mercy – recall that stipulation in Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26-27 – has committed that irreconcilable sin unto death … for which, “I do not say that he shall pray for it” (1 John 5:16). (See also, Jeremiah 7:16).
    Therefore, we reiterate what was said before, the presbyter(y) who overlooks and neglects this responsibility has but become a partaker in the other’s sins and risks, too, on that great and notable day giving account before the Chief Shepherd and Bishop of men’s souls with grief and receive assignment with the company of the devil and his angels in the Lake of Fire.

Conclusion: Our Responsibility
     With all that’s been said, it is imperative that each of us knows him/herself … continually proving, examining, and judging ourselves – lest we should be judged – whether we are obedient in all things (2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Cor. 11:31), that this should not become a witness against us: 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, 1 John 2:19.
    We are laborers together with Yahweh in this enterprise of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). He has ordained, moreover, that we should neither neglect the Gift that is given us (1 Tim. 4:14), nor forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is but instead, exhorting one another and so much the more, as the day of Yahshua’s return approaches (Heb. 10:25). We cannot overstate these things. It is written, that “Two are better than one … For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up … and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:9, 10, 12). And because Yahweh will not assume to Himself that which He has assigned to us, it behooves us then,
    • not to lean to our own understanding, but to trust and acknowledge Yahweh in all our ways (Prov. 3:5) by,
    • reckoning ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (Rom. 6:11);
    • not letting sin therefore reign in us, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof (Rom. 6:12);
    • neither yielding our members – eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet – as instruments of unrighteousness (Rom. 6:13); and accomplished by,
    • pronouncing judgment upon every thought, word, and deed that would exalt itself against the Commandment of Yahweh, before every thought, word, or deed finds expression out of the abundance of the heart (2 Cor. 10:5; Matt. 12:34).
    Negligence in doing these things will give place to becoming distracted, drawn away, tempted, enticed, beset, brought into bondage to, and overcome by, Satan – the seven steps to perdition – with falling away set on the horizon and making sin, therefore, to become a very short word to a very long sentence: D-E-A-T-H!
    And so, the Scriptures are purposed by Yahweh to help us. And They will, too, if we give the more earnest heed to Their didactics and to ourselves. Hence, we have provided us in the Scriptures among many more, these nine-word couplets:
    • “continued steadfastly” (Acts 2:42);
    • “examine yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5);
    • “work out” (Phil. 2:2);
    • “follow after” (Phil. 3:12);
    • “reaching forth” (Phil. 3:13);
    • “press toward” (Phil. 3:14);
    • “hold fast” (2 Tim. 1:13);
    • “give diligence” (2 Pet. 1:10); and,
    • “earnestly contend” (Jude 1:3).
    We conclude, therefore, “if [we] do these things, [we] shall never fall” away (2 Pet. 1:10).