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ANOTHER LOOK AT BACKSLIDING
1Kgs. 11:9 “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,” Although the above verse does not use the word “backsliding” it does explain what it means to backslide! To “backslide” is to turn to from the Lord God. Much later the apostle John wrote to the church at Ephesus words that The Lord inspired him to write: Rev. 2:4 “Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” I think that we all understand that by leaving their first love [I.e. leaving the Lord], they were guilty of “backsliding”! I find it strange that we have some in the world today who believe that you can’t “backslide”; they go so far as to say, “Once saved always saved”. We cannot help but wonder how they would explain the following verses: 2Cor. 11:3 “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Gal. 5:7 “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” When Paul was inspired to write, “Ye did run well” does that not mean that they had obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ? If we read the rest of the verse we find that something “hindered them” them that they no longer were obey the truth. Friends this is backsliding! This turning from the Lord God! This is loosing the salvation that you once enjoyed. Do we need to ask if God is pleased with those who turn away from Him? In case someone should ask this question here are a couple verses that we can give in reply: Psa. 78:57 “But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.” Psa. 78:59 “When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:” What would make anyone assume that God has changed His mind today? Even in the New Testament we can find warnings, one such warning may be found in 1Cor. 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Friends, let us be aware that “backsliding” will bring its own reward: Jer. 2:19 “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that [it is] an evil [thing] and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear [is] not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.”
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