
What are the
chief causes of backsliding?
- What backsliding is NOT....
- Apostasy
- The true believer is a new creation with a new heart and
spirit. 2 Cor 5:17.
- The OVERALL trend in his life is fruit-bearing, holiness,
perseverance. Gal 5:22
- Some people claim to be believers, & have many of their
characteristics. But they cease to make spiritual progress, draw back, & walk out on
the faith.
- Such people never had change of nature. They are lost.
They are apostates. They are described in Luke 8:5-15, Jn 15:1-8, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Heb
6:4-8 etc.. Examples of apostates are Esau; King Saul; Judas Iscariot.
- They enter into a settled state, and cannot be renewed
again to repentance. The backslider is entirely different - as we shall see.
- Doubt
- The man doubted that God was his God - yet spontaneously
cried to Him, desired Him, longed to glorify Him. He doubted; but his heart was right.
Psalm 88.
- John the Baptist had doubts about the Christ Whom he had
recognised - but you would hardly consider him to be a backslider ! Matt 11:2-15.
- Thomas could not believe Jesus was risen, but still
gathered with the disciples and was soon after worshipping his Lord and God. John
21:24-29.
- Falling.
- No believer is free from sin. Romans 7:21-25. 1 John 1:8.
- This does not alter the fact that the OVERALL trend in his
life is to holiness.
- Every major character in the Bible has at least one sin
recorded in its pages. But to say that most of them were backsliders would be untrue and
unfair.
- Immaturity.
- We enter the spiritual life by the new birth. John 3:3,
5-6, .2 Pet 1:23.
- We are then as babes, who need to grow to maturity. 1 Pet
2:2. Eph 4:14.
- But some born-again people remain babes, and do not grow to
maturity. They display the instabilities, frivolities and characteristics of children. 1
Cor 3:1-4, Eph 4:14-16, Heb 5:11-6:3.
- Such people are a greater grief than backsliders.
- A baby who does not grow up breaks its parents' hearts far
more than a growing child who is ill !!
- What backsliding IS.
- It only happens to believers, not counterfeit believers
- It is a VERY RARE condition. Exceptional. You would be
hard-pressed to find half-a-dozen individual backsliders in the Bible.
- It is where a believer Sins, but does not repent at once.
He ceases to walk with God for some time. His love is cold; his desires for God small; his
obedience failing. He ceases to be what he once was
- It is never a permanent thing. Eventually he is renewed
again to repentance ( unlike the apostate ) and returns to his God.
- Some examples
- Samson. Judges 13-16. He forgot his calling
followed his passions; and forsook his country. "He did not know that the Lord was
departed from him". 16:20. But returned to he Lord before his triumphal death, Judges
16:28.
- David 2 Samuel 11-12 He forgot his calling;
followed his passions by sinning with Bathsheba; murdered Uriah; did not walk with God for
a year; - but returned to the Lord after Nathan's rebuke, and confessing his sin returned
in repentance. Psalm 51.
- Jonah. Jonah 1-2. He tried to turn his back on his
calling, fled from God's presence; was arrested by His strange providence; and repented
and returned to the Lord in the fish's belly'.
- Some things to note.
- backsliding starts when a person ceases to be vitally aware
( deliberately or otherwise) of what God has called them to be.
- The nation of Israel's backslidings are constantly
attributed to its forgetting of its unique relationship with God. Exodus 32:4. Deut 4:7-9.
Deut 8:11-20, Psalm 78:10-11..
- That is why in the New Testament we are first of all called
to REMEMBER what God has done for us, before we are urged to walk in His ways. Romans
12:1-2, Eph 4:1, Col 3:1-10.
- THE MAIN CAUSE OF BACKSLIDING IS FORGETFULNESS OF
GOD'S GRACE.
- the backslider may go very far away from God - into
immorality, murder, deceit, yet in his heart he cannot finally forsake the Lord.
- He is immediately restored on repentance. see 1 John 1:9.
- To prevent backsliding, you must keep what
God has done for you constantly in your mind. The means of grace in Acts 2:41-47 are the
Scriptural way to do this.
- Those who profess (or have professed ) to be believers, but
who are not walking with God tonight, must solemnly realise :-
- if you stay as you are now, you will be lost. Hebrews
12:14. The fact that you could not be renewed again to repentance will demonstrate that
you are apostatising.
- if you return to the Lord, there is unconditional pardon
awaiting you. Isaiah 55: 6-7, Jer 3:12-14. 1 John 1:9.
- The fact that you return will demonstrate that you are
God's child, who was backsliding.
- THERE IS MERCY FOR ALL WHO WILL RETURN. THERE IS NO
MERCY WITHOUT RETURNING.
- Return unto me, and I will return unto you, said the Lord
of hosts " Malachi 3:7.