[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] What is Backsliding?

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] What is Backsliding?
Date: 
Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:18:47 -0400



What is Backsliding?




Before reading this  message, you must realize that in the times before
the Messiah lived died, and rose from the grave, The Holy Spirit did now
indwell believers, He came upon them to empower them for battle and to stay
loyal to the One True God. 

 

Jesus is an example of the Holy Spirit Coming Upon Him: Luke 3:22

An example of  being indwelt with the Holy Spirit is recorded in  John
20:22. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven He gave the Holy Spirit to
indwell Christians. Then he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy
Spirit."
2 Timothy 1:14 "By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good
deposit entrusted to you."
Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption."
When a person who is on the path of salvation "slides back" into their
sins and turns away from God, this is known as backsliding. "But they
refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears,
that they should not hear" (Zechariah 7:11). 
Backsliding can happen to any believer who allows sin and unbelief in
their life, and it is a fearful thing, for "the backslider in heart shall
be filled with his own ways" (Proverbs 14:14).

Backsliding does not mean the loss of salvation, but it will certainly
break a believers close fellowship with God. This is why the Bible warns
believers many times not to compromise their faith in Christ and to repent
when they receive the chastening of the Lord. "You shall also consider in
your heart, that, as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God
disciplines you" (Deuteronomy 8:5; also see (Hebrews 12:5-11). The Lord is
faithful to discipline those He loves, drawing backsliders back to Himself.

In addition to discipline, backslidden believers will also experience
conviction by the Holy Spirit, calling them to restore their fellowship
with the Father through repentance. It is critical to heed these warnings
because sin sears the conscience and ultimately hardens the heart -
eventually to the point where a backslider's heart is so hardened, he will
not repent. Mark 8:16-18 They began to discuss with one another the fact
that they had no bread. 17) And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do
you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or
understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18) Having eyes, do you not see?
And having ears, do you not hear? (Personal Addition) ->And do you not
remember God Almighty feed and provided water to the Israelites as they
wondered in the wilderness for 40 years? "
Those who once knew the way of righteousness but fell away and do not
repent will indeed come under God's rod of discipline and loose their
rewards in heaven. Hebrews 11:6


The Scriptures are clear: you cannot be in fellowship with Christ while
you participate in the world's sins. This is why we are warned not to
quench the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19), resist the Spirit (Acts 7:51), or
grieve the Spirit which God places in every believer: Ephesians 4:30 "And
grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption."  

 

After King David sinned with Bathsheba, he realized how close he had come
to  the Holy Spirit departing him. Most likely, David recalled that the
Spirit of the Lord had departed from King Saul (I Samuel 16:14). David's
heart was broken over his sin, and he cried out to God, "Cast me not away
from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11). If
David had not repented when his sin was brought into the light, he may not
have had another chance to serve God.

Ultimately, the Spirit of God will not continue fill a temple tainted
with sin. "For ye are the temple of the Holy Spirit; as God hath said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing and I will restore thee,
and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith
the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

Thanks be to God that He is merciful and able to heal a person's
backsliding as in the prodigal son story in Luke 15:11-32. He even goes
after His backslidden children saying, "Return, ye backsliding children,
and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art
the LORD our God" (Jeremiah 3:22). Hosea 14:4 says that God "will heal
their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away
from him." And again, we read that those who turn to the Lord with all
their heart "were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls" (I Peter 2:25).

Those of you who have left the straight and narrow path to pursue things
of the world (like the prodigal son), your Heavenly Father draws you back.
Repent, turn from your sins, and get back on track by bringing sin to the
light, heeding the conviction of the Holy Spirit, reading the Word, and
crying out to God. He says, "Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the
LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful,
saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever"  (Jeremiah 3:12). To
those of you who have lost your first love, Jesus Christ. Take to heart the
warnings of these Scriptures so that you will not be ashamed before Jesus
at His coming. "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and
hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on
you as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee"
(Revelation 3:3).

One final word of caution: it is extremely important that Christians
exercise discernment in the Body of Christ. There are backslidden preachers
and teachers who once faithfully loved and served the Lord, but have since
fallen away and grown cold in their fellowship with Him. Yet, these men and
women are still preaching. Guard your heart from these "certain men crept
in unawares" (Jude 1:4), because they are turning the grace of God into a
license to sin in order to justify their own lusts. They preach a
man-centered, prosperity-driven gospel, promising their followers liberty,
but they themselves are servants of corruption (see 2 Peter 2:17-22). You
will know them by their lack of spiritual fruit.

 

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