CENTRAL THOUGHT
Restoration of the backslidden is a challenge that demands love, patience and wisdom.
HYMN: RESCUE THE PERISHING
Text:
Reading Text: Jeremiah 2:1-13
Text: Jeremiah: chapters 1, 2 & 3
INTRODUCTION:
To backslide is to inconsistently, unfaithfully, erringly, and selfishly follow the Lord who hath delivered us from darkness and brought us into His marvelous light, Galatians 1:6; Colossians 1:13. The backslider is thus one who desists or draws back in his/her commitment to the Lord. It could involve denying the person of knowledge of God and His Christ. It could be for a moment or for years in which the backslidden loses relationship or fellowship with the Triune God. It is primarily a condition of the heart.
It must be stated here that there is no Christian who is automatically backslide-proof. So, the belief by some Christians that they cannot backslide and thereby trusting in their own ability to continue in the race is false and dangerous. They have most often, to their dismay, found themselves erring and deviating from the truth. So, the Word of God warns thus, “wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall”, 1 Corinthians 10:12.
The Bible records many characters and people who were mightily used of God but who backslid in their respective ways. For instance, King Saul, King David, Samson, Judas Iscariot, Peter and Lot’s wife are a few of many who lived for God at a time and backslid. While some where restored back to God, others really backslid to the damnation of their souls as they refused to come back to God.
Since it is possible for a Christian to backslide and be wearied in the course of our spiritual warfare against the prince of darkness and his cohorts; hence it is in the duty of those Christians who remain steadfast in the Lord to restore the backslidden and help them find their way back to God, and of course, to Heaven, Galatians 6:1, Ezekiel 33:7-9.
We must restore them prayerfully and with all concern as we know that a backslider is more difficult to be won than one who had never known the Lord.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this study are:
- To know what it means to backslide
- To appreciate the need to restore the backslider.
- To know how to restore the backslider.
- To know how to guide against backsliding.
Q1. WHAT IS BACKSLIDING?
To backslide is to revert to a bad habit or sin or wrongdoing. This implies that the individual was doing right or living righteously in the fear of God. To backslide is to drawback or desist from following the Lord Jesus Christ. It could also involve a denial of the knowledge of God and His Christ or the efficacy of the work of Christ on the Cross. Backsliding is a process which begins with loss of interest or lukewarmness to spiritual things and attaching less importance or significance to them. When one starts to diminish in his/her commitment to God: for example, when a Sunday School Teacher who used to enjoy teaching every Sunday no longer does so on a regular basis, he or she has begun a process of backsliding. Thus, one may still be in church or fellowship but the heart is cold, critical of and uncommitted to God. Any reduction in output or zeal is backsliding. The act of committing sin is just a final proof of backsliding.
Backsliding could be gradual or rapid and it starts from the heart. It could be for a moment or for a long time, taking years when that person has no meaningful fellowship with God and His people.
Q2. HOW DOES A CHRISTIAN BACKSLIDE?
It is possible for one who has been faithfully following and serving the Lord to gradually and steadily deviate from following Him. This easily happens when that individual becomes lukewarm to the things of God; that is, he does not enjoy fellowship, study of the word, is prayerless, uncommitted, lack of witnessing, etc. In times like this, the individual is susceptible to attacks by the devil, who then can lure him from following the Lord. This he does by engaging the Christian in filthy thoughts, words and conducts. When these filthy attitudes are developed, it forms filthy habits and when it grows further in time it manifests in filthy character: and if such a situation is not helped, the result is death.
The process of backsliding or what might be called yielding to temptation is well expressed in James 1:13-16. Note that God does not tempt any man with evil, but the Devil with his enticing spirits take opportunity of a believer’s unguided moments to bring him down to lust. When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: sin when it is finished brings forth death. “Do not err (backslide) my beloved brethren”, James 1:16.
A lot of Christians do not know that most often the process or stages of backsliding is slow, gradual and is never sudden. It always starts in the heart (the battle field) until shortly or after a long time it is manifested physically. Note that when Israel backslid from serving the Almighty God, they went into idolatry, (worshipping other gods rather than Jehovah, the Lord God). Jeremiah 2:11 reads, “Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet not gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit”. Israel by seeing and lusting after the idolatrous practices of other heathen nations had erred and committed great sin against God. God was not pleased with them neither is He pleased today with Christians who draw back (backslide), Hebrews 10:38.
Q3. WHY RESTORE THE BACKSLIDER?
Ezekiel 3:17-21
A steadfast Christian is like a watchman who is expected to plead with the backslider to come back to God. Ezekiel 3:17 reads, “Son of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel. Therefore, hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me”. Also Ezekiel 3:20-21 reads again, “when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity (that is backsliding), and I lay stumbling block before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered, but his blood will I require at thine hand”. In verse 17 of the above referenced scripture, we heard a call to warn/plead with the backslider. For it is not God’s desire that the backslider would perish, 2 Peter 3:9. If we fail to restore the backslider, certainly he will perish but God will require his blood at the hand of the watchman. If we plead with the backslider and he refuses to turn back from their errors, he shall perish and his blood shall be upon himself (the backslider). God never desires that a backslider perishes, he pleads and will plead again and again for the backslider to come back to Him. Jeremiah 2:9 reads, “wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord and with your children’s children will I plead”. God will always do this pleading using His watchmen.
Q4. HOW DO WE RESTORE THE BACKSLIDER?
Restoring the backslider can be done in light of scriptures and in the following these steps:
a. Identifying with the backslider in intercessory prayers:
Most often when a fellow Christian backslides, we who claim to be steadfast in the Lord, do neglect and mock the fallen Christian and pride ourselves in how spiritual and of great standing we are. This ought not be. Daniel taught us the example of what a steadfast Christian (the watchman) ought to do in such a situation. The scriptures show how Daniel fasted and interceded for himself and for backslidden Israel, the Lord heard him and visited Israel. Another example is shown by Samuel who wept for days before the Lord for King Saul’s backslidden condition.
King David Could not rejoice over the death of a backslidden brother, Saul (who died in his backslidden state); but said, “how are the mighty fallen, tell it not in Gath”. We will not be different from the enemies of God when we rejoice in anyway in the fall of a Christian fellow.
Our Lord also showed us an example when he perceived that the devil had determined to sift Peter like wheat. The Lord said to Peter, “the devil (the enemy) hath determined to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you”, Luke 22:31-32.
b. Help him to realize the folly of self-righteousness:
Proverbs 30:12 reads, “There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet is not washed from their filthiness”. Most often the backslider does not see his error but rather will want to justify him/her self in defense of his/her backslidden condition. He may quote scriptures to support his/her wrong acts or ways.
We have a very good example in King Saul, 1 Samuel 15:10-26. Saul was commanded by God to utterly destroy all that was in the city of the Amalekites burning everything with fire. Unfortunately, he did not carry out this command in full but brought back to Israel the spoils of war. He tried to justify his actions by saying that they were meant for sacrifice unto God. Offering of sacrifices to God is expected of God’s people, but it is only acceptable when offered in righteousness. Thank God, Samuel rebuked Saul and condemned his action.
Another example was Peter who boasted in his ability to follow to the end. Not too long after, he denied Christ trice in a short space of time. When corrected he repented and returned to following the Lord.
c. Pointing out the backslider’s errors:
In order for the watchman to point out the backslider’s errors to him/her the watchman is expected to show much love and do this in all wisdom. It should be noted that outright condemnation of the backslider may send him deeper into their errors. Even God understood and respected this truth, Jeremiah 2:30 and Isaiah 1:5. Hence love and wisdom are necessary to helping and restoring a backslidden Christian.
In 2 Samuel 12:1-7; the wisdom and love manifested by Nathan in pointing David’s errors to him is marvelous and something to emulate. It even exposed David to judge himself unconsciously and thus when he was told by Nathan that he (David) is that man; he repented easily and returned back to God.
d. Full restoration:
After the sin-veil is removed, the backslider must come back in full realization of his fallen state before God and would cry out in repentance for forgiveness, hence full restoration.
King David wept bitterly in ashes and dust and repented of his great error. Peter also wept bitterly, immediately after the cock crowed and he had denied the Lord thrice. The Lord looked at him in confirmation of what he was earlier told, Luke 22:60-62.
Q5. HOW DOES A CHRISTIAN GUIDE AGAINST BACKSLIDING? The following are relevant biblical facts to understand in guiding against backsliding:
a. Desire the Word and Prayer.
When a Christian is equipped with the word of God dwelling in his heart, and has also cultivated a good attitude of praying; the devil finds it very difficult, if not impossible, in drawing such a person away from God. The Psalmist says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee”, Psalm 119:11. Also Psalm 119:105 reads, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Furthermore, Ephesians 6:17-18 reads, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints”.
These scriptures indicate clearly how important it is to read the word of God and pray always to fight against backsliding. Thus, it is difficult if not impossible, for one who feeds on the word to backslide. This also holds for one who stays close to God in prayers.
b. Keep your heart:
Since the heart is the battle ground between the forces of good and evil, the Bible (God’s word) exhorts all men to guide the heart with all diligence. For whichever force (i.e., either the forces of good or evil) wins the heart and determines to a great extent the issues in the life of such individual. Proverbs 4:23 reads, “keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life”.
c. Be in fellowship.
It is important that a Christian meet with other Christians in fellowship on a regular basis. Hebrews 10:25 reads, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much as ye see the day approaching”.
There is grave danger in standing alone. Those who stand alone are most likely to backslide as they form easy prey for the devil.
d. Share your burdens/cares.
Christians who stand alone cannot share their burdens with others. Instead, they seek solutions for themselves and most often in the wrong way. If we abide in fellowship and in the Lord: we can share our burdens and our cares with fellow brethren and with the Lord, Galatians 6:1-2; 1 Peter 5:7. When we share our feelings, cares and burdens with others; brethren can pray with us and for us and such burden will be lifted. If we do not, the devil can put us in a tight corner and before anyone knows it, we are beaten down,
e. Be occupied for God:
The believer should be actively involved in the things of God such as being active in fellowship/church and in activity groups such as evangelism, Sunday School and Bible teaching, singing, ushering, and so on.
Another way of avoiding backsliding is to have our hearts full of love for God. Thus we must love God with all our heart, soul and body. Our service to God should not be as a result of anticipated reward but out of devotion and love. Our faith in God must be so strong and real that no matter how unpleasant the circumstances are we remain strong in our commitment to God.
Daily Living Application:
Jeremiah 2:9 reads thus, “Wherefore I will plead with you saith the Lord and with your children’s children will I plead”, God has been doing this and will continue to do it (plead with the backslider) as He promised in His word. But God will always use men (watchmen), steadfast Christians who can plead with God’s people or with any nation when they are backslidden from following the Lord.
So, if you are a steadfast and strong Christian: it is your duty to uphold those who are weak in prayers and restore them back to faith in love whenever they err. It must be noted again that treating the backslider in condemnation outrightly does not usually help the situation. Hence love and wisdom must be shown and used in helping the backslider come back to God.
Memory Verse:
Hebrews 10:38
“Now the just shall live by faith: But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him”.
Daily Devotional Guide:
Monday: Pleading with the backslider in love.
Galatians 6:1-2, 1 Corinthians 4:21
Tuesday: Pleading with the backslider in intercession.
Luke 22:31-32
Wednesday: Pleading with the backslider in wisdom.
2 Samuel 12:1-17
Thursday: Checking the backslider’s self-righteousness.
Proverbs 14:14
Friday: Implication of watchman’s refusal to plead with the backslider.
Ezekiel 3:20
Saturday: Implication of the backslider refusing to return to God.
Ezekiel 3:19, 33:9