SCRIPTURES
"Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings..." (Jeremiah 3:22)
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent.” (Revelation 2: 5)
KEY STATEMENT
Life is not static. Life is dynamic. If you are not advancing, you are backsliding. If you are not going forward, you are going backward. There is no neutral ground! Jesus said in Matthew 12:30
"He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
WHO IS A BACKSLIDER? WHAT IS BACKSLIDING?
In Scripture, the term "backslide" is used to describe the stubbornness of Israel: as back- sliding children (Jeremiah 3:22), a backsliding daughter (Jeremiah 31:22), and as a backsliding heifer (Hosea 4:16).
The word "backslide" litterally means "turn back" or "turn away."
It is to regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state
It is to regress; to slip backwards or revert to a previous, worse state
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE BACKSLIDES?
A. Like Solomon, when someone backslides, he disregards all the precious appearances and glorious revelations of the Lord and turns his heart to the idols
1 Kings 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,..."
B. Like the church of Ephesus, when someone backslides, he turns from his first love and becomes shallow, superficial in his relationship with the Lord.
Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."
C. Like the Galatians, when someone backslides, he turns his back from the true gospel to follow another gospel.
Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel"
D. When someone backslides, he turns his back from God and goes after Satan.
1 Timothy 5:15 "For some are already turned aside after Satan."
E. When someone backslides, he turns from right ways to follow crooked ways.
Psalms 125:5 "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: [but] peace [shall be] upon Israel."
F. Like Demas, when someone backslides, he turns from loving the things of God to loving the things of the world.
2 Timothy 4:10 "For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia."
G. When someone backslides, the Bible compares him like a dog who returns to his own vomit.
2 Peter 2:22 "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."
WHERE DOES BACKSLIDING START?
It is important to know and recognize the fact that backsliding is not and is never an overnight process. It is a gradual and a passive process. The process can be slow and gradual, or sudden; unfortunately, the result is always the same. We fall away from our close personal relationship with God and fall into spiritual dullness or outright sin and disobedience.
1) Backsliding always begins in the heart.
In 1 Timothy 5:24, Paul says,
"The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there.
Backsliding begins inwardly, long before the outward evidences are seen.
Most people are "on fire" for the Lord when they first become Christians-when they are "born again." However, slowly over time, their enthusiasm can begin to grow cold as they live out their lives in a fallen and sin-filled world.
2) Backsliding starts with little compromises
2) Backsliding starts with little compromises
In Song of Solomon 2:15, the Bible says,
"Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes."
A drop of water falling on a rock every 5 seconds appears to have little or no effect after a few hours. But let that same drop of water continue to fall: day after day, week after week, month after month and the rock will erode away.
When Christians neglect Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, and give in to "little sins;” it's only a matter of time before they spiritually erode away.
3) Backsliding starts when one becomes so overconfident, selfconfident and familiar with God and the men of God that he becomes careless and prayerless.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12
"So, people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don’t fall."
Self-confidence and prayerlessness usually go together. What need is there to pray if we think ourselves to be strong enough already?
Prayer is an admission of weakness and insufficiency, and probably the reason for 90% of spiritual breakdowns is prayerlessness. If you are following the Lord “afar off”, ask yourself now if the main reason for the declension in your Christian life is not due to a neglect of prayer and Bible-reading.
WHAT TO DO TO PREVENT FROM BACKSLIDING?
1. Guard your heart more than anything else
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life."QUESTIONS TO PONDER : What is the state of our heart today?What do you see? What do you hear? What do you say? What do you think? What do you read? Do you regularly check up your heart?
2. Get closer to God
Psalms 65:4 "Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple."
QUESTIONS TO PONDER : Do you start your day with Jesus? With prayer? With the Bible? Are you thankful to God? Do you seek for his advice?
3. Get closer to your church and to godly friends so that you will grow in faith, in love, in hope, in grace, in knowledge, in Christ.
2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
QUESTIONS TO PONDER : Who are your friends? Are you committed to the meetings in your church?
PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS AND PRAYERS
# I PRAY THE LORD OF HEAVEN TO REVIVE AND AWAKE YOUR SPIRIT FROM THE BACKSLIDING STATE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
DECLARE AND PRAY___________________
# I PRAY THE LORD OF HEAVEN TO DELIVER YOU FROM ANY RELIANCE TO YOURSELF AND REVIVE YOUR PRAYER LIFE SO THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS DEPEND ON THE LORD NOT ON YOURSELF IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
DECLARE AND PRAY___________________
# I PRAY THE UNCHANGEABLE GOD TO IGNITE THE FLAME OF YOUR FIRST LOVE TO GOD SO THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO LOVE THE LORD MORE THAN BEFORE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
DECLARE AND PRAY___________________
# I PRAY THE LORD GOD TO HELP YOU TO GUARD YOUR HEART MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, TO GET CLOSER TO HIM AND TO GET CLOSER TO YOUR CHURCH SO THAT YOUR SPIRIT WILL REMAIN PERMANENTLY AWAKE IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
DECLARE AND PRAY___________________
# I PRAY THE LORD TO DELIVER YOU FROM ANY TRACE OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE LORD, WITH THE SERVANTS OF GOD AND WITH THE THINGS OF GOD IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!
DECLARE AND PRAY___________________
SO SHALL IT BE!
JESUS IS LORD!
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