Living in an enticing and compromising
world, one of the real dangers in our daily personal walk with
the Lord is backsliding or spiritual declension. It is
a slow process of waning in our love for God, His Word and
His people. It is often caused by a competing love for the
world, the cares and burdens of life and a corresponding loss
of interest in spiritual things. No interest or hunger and
thirst for the Word or fellowship, for prayer or worship and
no resistance against sin are symptoms of a lukewarm heart and
possible backsliding to come. A person can be serving the
Lord in the church and be backsliding at the same time.
Backsliding is a sin warned against
throughout the entire Bible. Prophets like Hosea and
Jeremiah are called of God to admonish and reprove a whole
backsliding nation.
A sad revelation of the condition of the
people was this: "my people are bent to backsliding
from me" (Hos 11:7; 13:9; 4:6; 5:5; 7:8; 9:11). It is
a lamentable fact today that many churches are languishing
today because the members are backsliding in the pews and
slipping into worldliness and sin.
We are constantly bombarded by the
allurements of the world, the attractiveness of riches,
worldly pleasures and enticing temptations parade itself daily
before us in our office and even in the church. The Christian,
if not careful, will slowly be conformed to the world,
backsliding slowly into spiritual indolence, lack of desire
for fellowship, worship, prayer and the Word. A sense of self-centredness
and egoistic ambition that fanned the downslide into spiritual
inactivity and oblivion. Hosea spelt out the cause: "My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hos
4:6). Ignorance of the Word, dullness to spiritual things,
a veneration of worldly things and even ourselves are the
chief cause of backsliding for Christians. What then, if any,
is the remedy of such an urgent spiritual malady? Is there any
spiritual antidote or assistance from the Lord? There are four
things most needful as a panacea for treating the disease of
backsliding. We will enumerate them here briefly.
Firstly, the first step in remedy of
backsliding takes place in the inner closet of secret
private prayer (2 Chr 7:14). It stems from a heart of true
evangelical repentance. It is the prodigal son (Luke
15:18) who must say, "I will . . . go to my
father." It includes, according to Louis Berkhof, a
volitional, intellectual, emotional aspect. In prayer, commit
to the Lord your waywardness and ask Him to forgive you and
restore you to fellowship and communion. JR Beeke said,
"We may distinguish at least five steps in true
repentance: a) searching out sin, b) grieving
for sin, c) confessing sin, d) fleeing from sin,
and e) bowing under sin’s demanded punishment (JR
Beeke, Backsliding Disease and Cure [Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans Publishing Co 1987], 56). True evangelical
repentance involves a conscious turning away and forsaking of
sin towards God (the Greek word here, means to change
one’s mind, BAGD, 511) and a turning to
God in confession and the giving up of past filthy sins in the
strength of the Spirit (Acts 26:20; Ezek 14:6).
Secondly, the believer must avail
himself to all means of grace (Mal 3:16; Heb 10:24–25).
By this, I mean church worship, coming to the Lord’s
Supper, hearing the Word, Bible study and corporate prayer.
There is power in these ordained avenues of Christian
fellowship and worship to stir up our souls to godliness,
faith, righteousness and sanctification and the believer must
not be slack in availing himself to these blessed
opportunities of growing in the faith.
Thirdly, it is a return to daily
Quiet Time and devotion, in Bible reading and prayer. Our
personal devotion to the Lord is a mark of spirituality. Do
you spend quality time with the Lord in prayer, confessing
your sins, interceding for others, praising and worshipping
Him (Ps 3:5; Mark 1:35)? Do you have a systematic Bible
reading programme and do you strive to apply biblical
principles in your daily living? This will keep you from
backsliding or vice versa. We need to be disciplined and
determined to grow in godliness, holiness and Christian
piety. Nothing short of a desire for God and a holy hatred for
sin will keep you away from constant temptations. Cultivate
a healthy fear for God (2 Cor 7:1) and a sense of
accountability to Him (2 Cor 5:10).
Finally, it is faithful and meaningful involvement
in the church in service and ministry (1 Pet 4:10–11).
Involvement breeds commitment. Avail yourselves to the means
of grace and come to the Young Adults Fellowship, Youth
Fellowship, Neighbourhood Bible Class, Sunday School,
Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting, worship and to the church
camp. How can you combat against worldly influence but to be
in good Christian company and fellowship (Mal 3:16).
Make a conscious effort
to be part of
the ministry of the local church to bring the gospel to
others, to intercede for one another, to encourage and
strengthen the faith of other believers. This is a sure check
against personal backsliding if you put the Lord first in your
own life and honour Him with your time, talent and treasure in
the ministry. There is a balm of Gilead for backsliding
sinners in the all-sufficient blood of Christ; for
sin-black creatures, a blood-red satisfaction and a
white-robed righteousness is available (Rom 5:8–11).
How can we check against this spiritual
decline? The following below are some suggested steps towards
this end.
Directions for Checking Backsliding
1. Be well grounded in the
nature and reasons of true religion (know your Bible and why
you believe and obey it).
2. Get every sacred truth
into your heart when the word is preached and pray that all
are digested into daily life and practice. Beware of a
dullness of hearing and a barren familiarity with spiritual
things that breeds contempt.
3. Take heed of the sin of
presumption and take heed lest you fall away slowly and subtly
(Ps 19:9, Josh 23:11).
4. Take heed of the company that you mix
with, that they be godly men and not worldly companions who
will mislead you into sin (1 Cor 15:33).
5. Be watchful against the
sin of pride, especially the pride of the spirit of knowledge
or personal standards of right and wrong and comparing with
others, which can be spiritual pride in disguise (1 Cor
13:1-2, 1 Pet 5:5).
6. Take heed lest the world
or anything steal your heart away from your God (Matt 6:21) no
matter how innocent it can be.
7. Keep a strict discipline
and control of your fleshly appetite and sense (1 John 2:15–16).
8. Keep as far as you can
from temptations and all occasions and opportunities of
sinning (remember Joseph in Gen 39:9).
9. Make not a small matter
of the beginnings of your backsliding (Prov 28:13). Confess
and repent of your sins daily.
10. Pray and search the
Scriptures and ask for strength over daily temptations and
trials (Ps 119:105).
11. Remember the grave
consequences of sin, the loss of fervour and fellowship with
God. It is too high a price to pay (Isa 59:1–2).
12. Remember that the Lord
is always near to forgive us, if we repent and return to Him
sincerely forsaking our evil ways (2 Cor 7:10).
13. When we backslide, we
lose our spiritual influence and effectiveness to witness for
Christ; bless, edify and exhort others. Beware of a spirit of
indifference and lethargy in spiritual things.
14. Be sensitive to the prompting and
leading of the Holy Spirit as He guides us against the
impending sin of backsliding. Obey Him in everything and not
rebel against it.
15. Recall the prodigal son
and how readily he was accepted by his father when he returned
and was willing to renounce his past ways. This is the case
with God, our loving heavenly Father (Luke 15:11-30). Come
back to Him now, He is waiting for us.
16. Beware of the
deceitfulness and allurements of the adversary who promises
pleasure and sin but deliver a lie. We are not ignorant of his
diabolical devices. Put on the full armour of God always (Eph
6:10-18).
17. Be vigilant, alert and
watchful at all times against the wiles of the evil one (1 Pet
5:8).
18. If we have backslided,
we need to repent and heed the prophet’s admonition in Hos
14:4, 7;
"I will heal their backsliding, I will
love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. . .
. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall
revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof
shall be as the wine of Lebanon."
We are
vulnerable to the wiles of the evil one daily. We need to constantly
examine ourselves to check if we are straying from the
Lord and if we are making a conscious effort to repent and
return to the Lord daily.
God is weary of our backsliding. O friend, our need is
urgent and our case is desperate. Fly to God’s throne for
clemency and restoration. If you have backslidden, return
to the Saviour who redeemed you, loves you and who will be a
comfort and balm to you if you forsake your sins (Prov 28:14).
Did not our Saviour says, "I will heal their
backsliding, I will love them freely" (Hos 14:4)?
The Lord commanded the backsliding Ephesian Christians in Rev
2:5, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,
and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent." May the Lord revive our
hearts to greater heights of devotion to Him. Amen.
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