It's called, backsliding.
And yes, because they give up on Christ doesn't mean Christ gave up on them. The scriptures are clear on this JLB.
Actually the scriptures are clear and is not called backsliding.
- It's the willful act of renouncing, departing or disconnecting from Christ because of persecution.
13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation
fall away. Luke 8:13
Fall away - Strong's G868 - aphistēmi
- to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove
- to excite to revolt
- to stand off, to stand aloof
- to go away, to depart from anyone
- to desert, withdraw from one
- to fall away, become faithless
- to shun, flee from
- to cease to vex one
- to withdraw one's self from, to fall away
- to keep one's self from, absent one's self from
20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he
stumbles. Matthew 13:20-21
Stumbles -
Strong's G4624 - skandalizō
to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall, metaph. to offend
- to entice to sin
- to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
- to cause to fall away
- to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority
- to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another
- since one who stumbles or whose foot gets entangled feels annoyed
- to cause one displeasure at a thing
- to make indignant
- to be displeased, indignant
This is the context of the book of Hebrews, in which the context for Hebrews 6 & 10 find their origins in chapter three.
The unbelieving Jews would persecute believers in order to cause them to renounce Christ as a false prophet, to get them to turn away from Him. No longer following Him. In many cases persuading these believers to turn back to Judaism, in which they no longer had a sacrifice for sin, having put Jesus to an open shame, after having received the Holy Spirit.
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, Hebrews 3:12-14
- in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from [Strong's G868] the living God;
Same greek word and same context as Luke 8:13
Fall away - Strong's G868 - aphistēmi
- to make stand off, cause to withdraw, to remove
- to excite to revolt
- to stand off, to stand aloof
- to go away, to depart from anyone
- to desert, withdraw from one
- to fall away, become faithless
- to shun, flee from
- to cease to vex one
- to withdraw one's self from, to fall away
- to keep one's self from, absent one's self from
JPT