Backslide (Forget, Give Up, Turn Away)
► Reasons For Backsliding
What causes
people to forget God’s faithfulness so quickly?
bible
reading: Deuteronomy 8:10–20
key bible verse: But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do
not forget the Lord your God and
disobey his commands, regulations, and laws. (Deuteronomy 8:11)
Pride leads to backsliding.
In times of plenty, we often take credit for our prosperity and become proud
that our own hard work and cleverness have made us rich. It is easy to get so
busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God right out of our life. But
it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is God who asks us to manage
it for him.
bible
reading: Judges 2:6–19
key bible verse: Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves to
other gods, bowing down to them. How quickly they turned away from the path of
their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. (Judges 2:17)
Selfishness leads to backsliding.
Why would the people of Israel turn so quickly from their faith in God? Simply
put, the Canaanite religion appeared more attractive to the sensual nature and
offered more short-term benefits (sexual permissiveness and increased fertility
in childbearing and farming). One of its most attractive features was that
people could remain selfish and yet fulfill their religious requirements. They
could do almost anything they wished and still be obeying at least one of the
many Canaanite gods. Male and female prostitution were not only allowed but
encouraged as forms of worship.
Faith in the
one true God, however, does not offer short-term benefits that appeal to our
sinful human nature. The essence of sin is selfishness; the essence of God’s
way of life is selflessness. We must seek Christ’s help to live God’s way.
bible
reading: Mark 4:1–20
key bible verse: The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced. (Mark 4:18–19)
Distractions can cause backsliding. Worldly worries, the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for things plagued first-century disciples as they do us today. How easy it is for our daily routines to become overcrowded. A life packed with materialistic pursuits deafens us to God’s Word. Stay free so you can hear God when he speaks.
► Preventing Backsliding
How can we keep
from forgetting God’s faithfulness?
bible
reading: Luke 9:57–62
key bible verse: Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back
is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
Commitment to Jesus prevents backsliding.
What does Jesus want from us? Total dedication, not halfhearted commitment. We
can’t pick and choose among Jesus’ ideas and follow him selectively; we have to
accept the cross along with the crown, judgment as well as mercy. We must count
the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given us security.
With our focus on Jesus, we should allow nothing to distract us from the manner
of living that he calls good and true.
bible
reading: James 5:15–20
key bible verse: My dear brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders away from the
truth and is brought back again, you can be sure that the one who brings that
person back will save that sinner from death and bring about the forgiveness of
many sins. (James 5:19–20)
Commitment to other believers prevents backsliding.
Clearly, this person who has wandered away is a believer who has fallen into
sin—one who is no longer living a life consistent with his beliefs. Christians
disagree over whether or not it is possible for people to lose their salvation,
but all agree that those who move away from their faith are in serious trouble
and need to repent. James urges Christians to help backsliders return to God.
By taking the initiative, praying for them, and acting in love, we can meet
them where they are and bring them back to God and his forgiveness.
Related Topics: Abandon, Disobedience, Endurance[1]
[1] Wilson, Neil S. 2000. In The Handbook of
Bible Application, 49–50. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House
Publishers, Inc.
YouVersion Bible App Verses and Plans related to BACKSLIDING
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