CENTRAL THOUGHT
Return, ye backsliding children to the LORD.
TEXT: REV. 2:1-7
INTRODUCTION:
Backsliding can happen to any unsuspecting and unguarded Christian. It might not be outright return into sin, but according to Gal. 3, whenever the believer stops depending on the Holy Spirit to relying on flesh, such an individual is sliding back (i.e backsliding). God is not interested in the death of the sinner/ backsliding, so if such an individual repents, he shall have the Lord’s pardon and surely live.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. To know what is backsliding
2. The identify the things that cause backsliding and possible remedies
3. To consider our attitude to backsliders
4. To examine how the backslider can return to his first love.
BIBLE TRUTH:
QUESTION 1) WHAT IS BACKSLIDING? Rev. 2:4-5; Prov. 14:14; Gal. 3:1-4; Ezek. 18:20-28, 33:11-16
The word backslide means to turn back or turn away. In scriptures, it means turning away from God, from our first love or from the gospel, unto satan, evil, or the world. It is turning back from following God and returning to the life and things of the world. It may not occur suddenly, but it is gradually over a period of time (1 King 11:9-10; Rev. 2:14; Gal. 1:6-7, 3:1-5; 1 Tim. 5:15; Ps. 125:5; 2 Tim. 4:10).The amplified Bible version puts Rev. 2:4b “… that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first”. You have deserted your first love. Backsliding by this scripture means deserting Christ by turning aside from His ways and instructions. God instructed the Israelites that they must keep His commandments and must not turn to the left or to the right (Deut. 5:22, 17:20). Prov. 14:14 says that backsliding is from the heart. The backslider in heart shall be filled with the fruit of his own ways and a good man shall be satisfied with the fruit of his ways (with the holy thoughts and actions which his heart prompts and in which he delights) (Amplified version). The implication of this is that backsliding is only evidenced by men and becomes obvious to men, after it had already taken place in the heart i.e backsliding starts from the heart before it becomes manifest by actions. The emphasis here is the heart. To be satisfied, one’s heart must be right with God and not in a state of backsliding. The nature of backsliding includes turning aside from God and from fearing God. Whenever an individual begins to compromise in his/her fear for God, it indicates the onset/outset of backsliding.In Gal. 3:1-4, the Galatian church was reproved for starting in the spirit and attempting to gain perfection by dependence on the flesh. Though this church started well as spiritual people they veered off to depending on the flesh. It tells us that backsliding is a state that the believer must watch against. It is not enough that one is saved today, backsliding comes in carious subtle ways, hence the warning in 1 Cor. 10:12 that he who thinks he stands should take heed i.e we should be on guard against falling. Being saved is different from having titles in church. (Ezekiel 18:20-28, 33: 11-16) Ezekiel vividly told us the dangers of backsliding. Verse 24b “… all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die”. The sad news about the backsliding state is that the persons may die without a second chance for them to repent and retrieve their steps. All the good and godly life are forgotten when a backslider dies in his sins. It has nothing to do with our past achievements but the present state of every individual. It is the state of the believer at the end (point of death/rapture) that counts.
QUESTION 2) DISCUSS BRIEFLY HOW THE FOLLOWING CAN CAUSE BACKSLIDING AND SUGGEST SOLUTIONS.
i. Evil associations. 1 Cor. 15:33, Prov. 1:10A man cannot be better than his closest associates, hence the saying, “show me your friends, I will tell you who you are”. There is more likelihood of being enticed by your close associates. Prov. 1:10 sounds a strong warning, “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not”, it is true that we live in this world, but we must not be of this world. The solution is for an individual to cut off from those that are not from God. It is better one is saved alone than be condemned because of his/her friends. Note that the Israelites sinned against God in the wilderness because the mixed multitude lured them into idolatry. We must beware of ungodly persons and even church members that do not fear God or hold the same Christian values with us.
ii. Irregular fellowship. Hebrews 10:25. The essence of not forsaking the assembly of the brethren is to keep the believer in fellowship with God and man. The believer is focused, empowered, encouraged, and enabled to face all life’s challenges with strength drawn from such assembly, because iron sharpens iron (Prov. 27:17). Where a believer begins to skip fellowship for every flimsy excuse, it is an indication of the spiritual state of such a person. To come out of this, there must be deliberate, conscious effort by the individual to set aside the things that take up the fellowship time. It starts by such an individual resolving in his heart to be constant in fellowship with God first and men.
iii. Love of the world. 2 Tim. 4:10; 1 John 2:15-17Like Demas, the love of the world and the things that the world has to offer, is one of the major reasons why some believers backslide. One cannot love the world and the Lord at the same time. Hence the strong warning, love not the world. A believer in this state needs help and must replace every world desire with the word of God and prayerfully avoid those things, people, and places that present the world as attractive to him. He might need a mature believer to counsel and pray with him.iv. One’s desires and ways. Prov. 14:14. The believer must guard the heart with all diligence and deliberately avoid habits and desires that are contrary to the ways of God. The desire for pleasure can easily draw one away from God.v. Focusing on earthly gains and losing sight of the heavenly goal. Luke 12:15. There is no profit if man gains the whole world and loses his soul. We must realize that the believer’s life is not measured by the abundance of earthly goods that he possesses. When we compare ourselves with others, we are not wise (2 Cor. 10:12). This has led many to focus on what they can get from this earth. This is a major cause of backsliding today.
QUESTION 3) WHAT SHOULD BE OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS BACKSLIDERS? Gal. 6:1
The believer is to restore the backslider to the faith in love. We must not give up on backsliders until they are restored; we must keep praying for them and preaching to the word to them.
QUESTION 4) HOW CAN THE BACKSLIDER RETURN TO HIS FIRST LOVE? Mal. 3:7; Hos. 4:1; Jer. 3:12-14, 22; Heb. 12:5-13
God is not interested in the death of a sinner and is calling the sinner to repent. The believer must remember from whence he/she has fallen (Rev. 2:5). The call is to be taken personally; it is for the individual to identify where he has fallen. The issue of repentance is a personal one and the individual must start from the point where he fell i.e locate the source, state and acknowledge first that he is in a backslidden state before he can repent. Some people in this state will argue and take offense that is all is well when it is not. There must be a godly sorrow, for the Lord will not despise a contrite heart. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen…” Rev. 2:5; the word “remember” implies that there must be a conscious retracing of one’s step, and genuine repentance and willingness to return to the Lord.In Mal. 3:7, Hosea 14:1, God called out the Israelites to return to Him and He will return to them. Every individual in this state must return to God in repentance and ask for mercy; until this is done, God will not return to him. In Jer. 3:12-14, 22, God called Israel to repentance but emphasized that they must acknowledge their backsliding. This is the first step in returning to one’s first love. Often the devil blindfolds men from this and even when brethren genuinely try to correct and draw their attention to this, they take offense. It is a trick/ ploy of the enemy to keep such an individual in that state. Prayers must be said for persons in this state, asking God for mercy to restore them.Sometimes, there is need for fasting and show of repentance, and the individual might need other brethren to join to intercede. The priest and ministers can stand in the gap and weep between the porch (Joel 2:17). The word of God is the veritable tool that can save from backsliding. Hiding the word of God in our hearts overcomes every situation including backsliding. The believer must be willing and ready to endure the hardship for the sake of Christ. The “bread and butter” messages in our present-day church have done more harm than good. The believer should welcome correction and reproof and see others as helping him to become a better Christian, rather than take offense (Prov. 6:23; Heb. 12:5-13). The believer must identify the cause/source of the backsliding and deliberately lay it aside (Heb. 12:1), avoid such and constantly meditate on the word of God. As God called to the Israelites, same He is still calling today. As many that will yield to His call, repent and forsake their evil ways, God is able to restore.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION:
God is displeased with the backslider, God has no pleasure in the death of a sinner but that the sinner should repent. Therefore, consider from where you have fallen and return to fellowship with God. God does not owe any man. He rewards those that are faithful to Him; i.e those who do not forsake their first love. Heb. 6:10 is very illustrative “for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed towards His name in that ye have ministered to the saints and do minister”. He must take these lessons from the Ephesus church to heart.MEMORY VERSE: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”.
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
MON: THE MEANING OF THE WORD ‘FIRST LOVE’.
Rev. 2:2,3,6; Jer. 2:1-3
TUE: WHAT BACKSLIDING IS.
Gal. 3:1-4; Ezek. 18:20-28
WED: THE RIGHT ATTITUDE TOWARDS BACKSLIDERS.
Gal. 6:1
THU: CAUSES OF BACKSLIDING.
1 Cor. 15:33, Heb. 10:25; 1 John 2:15-17
FRI: HOW CAN WE RETURN TO OUR FIRST LOVE.
Mal. 3:7; Hos. 14:1
SAT: THE IMPLICATIONS OF NOT RETURNING TO OUR FIRST LOVE.
2 Peter 2:20-22; Joshua 24:20