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BACKSLIDING

 

             The doctrine of “once saved, always saved is a false doctrine. There are so many examples and rebukes against “backsliding” found in the Bible that I cannot understand how anyone can support this false doctrine. Let’s look to the Bible [God’s inspired Word] to see what God would have us to understand.

             It makes no difference whether you are an educated or an uneducated person you can “backslide. Solomon was a very wise man, yet the Lord was angry with him for “backsliding”: (1 Kgs. 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,". From this can we not understand that anyone can find themselves in a spiritually unhealthy condition?

             Even a group of people, even sadder an entire church can be guilty of “backsliding”. The apostle John was instructed to write to a church in Ephesus regarding our subject [Rev. 2:1]. Here is what John was led to write: (Rev 2:4) “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." Actually in the Greek it is a much stronger rebuke! In the Greek it reads. “But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first love.” When the word “somewhat” is added it lessens the anger of God. When writing to this church John was writing to those who at one time loved the Lord and obeyed His commands of obedience. So we find when they turned from their “first love” they were backsliding, resulting in the Lord being angry. Having God angry at you cannot be a good situation.

             The Jewish Christians [I.e. Jews who had obeyed the gospel] were found to be guilty of backsliding. (Gal 5:4)  "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.". Even though they were once saved by the blood of Jesus Christ they began to try to enforce the Law as given by God through Moses, resulting in losing the effectiveness of Christ’s blood! Indeed they were in a very sad situation having “fallen from grace”. According to Proverbs 14:14 the “backslider” is one who is filled with “his own ways”. This is exactly the position the Christians in Galatia found themselves!

             Is this a hopeless situation? NO! (Jer. 3:14)  "Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD;” If we will only “turn back to the Lord and once again become obedient God will forgive us, if we don’t turn back we remain  lost!