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Backsliding

By Dennis Pollock

 

When I was younger, the word "backslide" was commonly used by pastors and evangelists. Often, after a fiery sermon, the preacher would invite "sinners and backsliders" to come forward to repent and put their trust in Jesus. Some people almost seemed to be professional backsliders. They would stray from God, return to church, go forward at the "altar call," shed some tears, and soon repeat the cycle.

 

These days the word "backslider" is rarely used by pastors and Bible teachers. Since this word is found only in the Old Testament, many suppose that the concept of backsliding is not relevant for Christians today. And many believe that once you are saved, you are "locked in," and it would not be possible to backslide.

 

While it is true that the word "backslide" is not found in the New Testament, the concept is clearly expressed by Paul and other New Testament writers. Let's look at a few of these Scriptures.

 

In writing to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul warns: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:1). Paul was saying "Be Careful!" And what were these believers supposed to be careful about? Paul says that they should take heed lest they fall, obviously meaning to fall away from Christ, or you might say, "Be careful that you do not backslide." While some people feel Christians can’t backslide or fall away, Paul did not feel that way.

 

Non-existent Danger

 

You never warn people against a danger that does not exist. Suppose I had a son who went outside to play with neighborhood friends, and I warned him, "Be careful if you see little kittens. They could transform into ferocious bears and kill you." That would be a very stupid warning. Little kittens can’t turn into bears and kill anyone. And it is ridiculous to warn someone of a danger that cannot happen. So, when Paul says, "Take heed lest you fall," he is strongly implying that this is a distinct possibility. He is not saying you will fall or that you will fall; he is saying you could fall; therefore, \be careful. Or to put it another way, beware that you do not backslide.

 

Let's look at the most colorful of all the New Testament warnings about backsliding, falling away, turning from Christ, however, you want to say it. Peter writes:

 

For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:20-22)

 

It Could Happen!

 

Regardless of your theological position, there is no doubt that Peter is suggesting that once a Christian has escaped the pull of the world through knowing Jesus, he could, if he or she is not careful, end up right back in the clutches of the world, living like the ungodly, speaking like the ungodly, and reveling in sin just as the ungodly do. And if this should happen, Peter declares that you are like a dog that has just vomited and soon returns to lick up his own vomit. Not a very pretty picture, for sure, but one that is hard to forget. Peter uses a second illustration to make this point, that of a pig who has just had a bath and immediately heads back to the mud and rolls around in it until he is covered with the same mud from which was recently washed. Again, this is a warning for believers. There would be no point in Peter saying this if it were not even remotely possible. And Peter even declares that for such a person, it would have been better for them not to have ever heard or known about salvation in Jesus Christ, than for them to hear of Jesus, turn away from sin, and then turn their backs on Jesus and go back to their sinful ways.

 

At this point, I need to say that there is a big difference between the Christian who is struggling with sins, bad habits, or addictions and the Christian who has walked away from Christ. Christians do have struggles. They may feel guilty about a particular habit, and they repent and cry and ask God's forgiveness. Sometimes they walk in victory for a while and then relapse and fall into their former ways. I heard the testimony of a famous Christian singer who struggled with alcoholism for many years, all while he was singing in Christian concerts and winning many awards. He had come from a very rough experience in childhood, being told that he would never amount to anything, and seeing his dad preach Jesus passionately while in public and then drink himself drunk while at home. And now this amazing Christian vocalist was doing the same thing.

 

He went through many failures and relapses, repented many times, and experienced temporary victories. After long years, he finally got the help he needed through AA, intensive therapy, a compassionate wife, and of course, the grace of Christ. Today he has been sober for around 20 years, and the victory is permanent. God bears patiently with us when we struggle and fail and repent and fail and repent again, and if we keep on seeking Him and calling on Jesus, the day will come when the struggles cease, and the victory will be made perfect.

 

But what God cannot accept is when we turn our backs on Him entirely and stop struggling, stop repenting, and no longer feel guilty. We start to enjoy our sins and lose all desire for anything different. Jesus said, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6). The branch that permanently detaches itself from the vine receives no mercy. It is fit only to be gathered with other similar disjointed branches and cast into the fire.

 

Sinning Willfully

 

In Hebrews, we read:

 

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:26-29)

 

This sounds a lot like backsliding to me. And notice it says that such a person has at one point "received the knowledge of the truth," and was "sanctified." He is talking about people who were once believers. But now they are "sinning willfully," in other words, knowing full well that the life they are living is wicked and fully opposed to the will of God, they do it anyway. The Scriptures tell us that living in such a way after knowing Jesus, is trampling Jesus under their feet and insulting the Holy Spirit. And if there is one Person you do not want to insult it is the Holy Spirit.

 

In another place in Hebrews, we are told that professing Christians who fall away permanently have crucified Jesus afresh and put Him to an open shame. By their sensual, wicked lifestyles they crucify Jesus all over again and disgrace Him. I could hardly think of any more powerful words than these. When those named by the name of Christ fall back into flagrant sin, they trample upon Jesus, crucifying Him all over again, and they bring shame and disgrace upon the Savior. And the Bible says when it reaches this point, they cannot be renewed again to repentance.

 

This does not have to be your case. By abiding in Jesus, living in fellowship with Him, and in complete dependence on Him, He will keep your feet from stumbling, or if you do stumble, He will quickly restore you to paths of righteousness. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes: "(God) will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Amen! May it be so for all who make it the rule of their lives to be continually "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." (Hebrews 12:2)


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