A Cure for Backsliding Brings Hope
What’s the cure for backsliding? What if churches added a special room for a backsliding Christian? Individuals check in at this holding area when they become spiritually stuck.
While there, brothers and sisters in Christ work closely alongside to restore them to God. On second thought, maybe there’s not a room large enough to corral each person into a receiving area. Why? Because backsliding even happens to Christians devoted to Christ.
Backsliders huddle together on the same rocky boat watching God take a back seat. To remember what keeps you from backsliding, read Psalm 19:7-10.
The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul; His testimony is sure, making wise the simple; precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; God’s rules are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
A backsliding Christian runs on empty spiritually. What’s behind a Christian leaving the straight and narrow? And, what’s a cure for backsliding?
Causes of Backsliding
Let’s face it. Living a holy life is hard work because you spend every day resolving to follow Christ. It’s not uncommon to lose your Christian way. Distractions sidetrack faith and life beats you up. As a result, you nurture attitudes of indifference thereby distancing yourself from God. For that very reason, I wrote “Cheating Spouse Help Book for Christian Men” to help them turn from sin and toward God.
Guilt, what-if thoughts, fear, and other frightening events eat away at your resistance to stay close to God. Essentially you and I cave under pressure. It’s like living under a dark thunderstorm overhead that never goes away.
Possible tragedies circle your mind like buzzards and worship only brings on heavy sighs. Repentance waves at a distance and sermons fall on deaf ears.
The greatest tragedy? Your heart grows cold toward your Creator.
Instead of groaning over sin, you no longer feel shame but pride. Something or someone led you away from Christ and your passion for Him resembles a dying ember. Others may see you as an enemy of the cross because you reject Jesus by how you live.
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:17-18).
You don’t have to stay in this condition without hope. Plenty of people in the Bible went the wrong way and later returned to God.
Backsliding in the Bible
The Bible reveals a secret. You aren’t walking the backsliding path all alone. In fact, the pathway to backsliding is normally crowded.
David: We might call his sin gross. Hanging out in the palace when kings go to battle was not a good idea. With idleness as his companion, his eyes wander and fixate on a beautiful woman. Lust takes over and he must have her as his own—the wife of another. Then after his folly, she announces her pregnancy to David. Sexual sin grows into schemes of murder. He places Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, in a battlefront position so he is killed.
David knows better. He hasn’t repented by the time their son is born meaning the sweet fellowship with God he used to enjoy no longer exists. His backsliding cost him the life of his son and untold future family problems.
Peter: In an instant, Peter turned from Jesus whom he had followed as Master. He took up swearing and cursing all the while denying Jesus.
Moses loses his temper more than once and Samson preferred the company of harlots. The good news is that they found their way back to God.
Men and women of great faith and redeemed by the blood of Jesus can surrender to the same temptations. Our commonality is frailty of spirit. No one loves God to the fullest every minute of their lives. That being said, there’s no one who isn’t capable of sliding toward sin.
Proverbs 14:14 – The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
Sin creeps up on you unawares keeping you stuck in your tracks.
Cure for Backsliding: Move Forward
Backsliders and unbelievers look alike on the outside. But only Christians can backslide. Make sure you actually accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Some people get caught up in the moment without having a heart change and call it salvation.
Help is on the way when you cry to God! Do you recognize your backsliding footsteps that others see? Do you think about what pleases Christ or you? What desires of the heart put a skip in your step?
Can a Backslider Be Restored?
Saints may fail at holiness but they aren’t content to stay there. They admit failures and imperfections. There’s hope for backsliding.
- Look at your heart: Take a deep look, if necessary. Determine what caused your passion for Christ to dwindle. Cast aside any pretentious behavior that veils your true intentions toward God. Furthermore, figure out what caused you to go rogue.
- Seek God: Probably, shameful feelings keep you from checking in with God. Jesus justified your unworthiness on the cross. Come as you are. God greets you as His and frees you from sin. He can handle your emotions, too.
- Receive God’s love: Come to God unashamed. He’s waiting for you. Zephaniah 3:17 – “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love and exult over you with loud singing.” So, basking in God’s love for you is the quickest way to escape a spiritual desert.
- Get back in the Word: This spiritual discipline pays off with big dividends. Building yourself up on the inside helps you encounter adversities faced throughout the day. There’s simply no other way to build up faith to counteract drifting away from God.
- Pray regularly: Stay connected to your spiritual life source and combat temptations meant to abort your relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Rejoice! There’s a Cure for Backsliding
Finally, God doesn’t turn you out to pasture when you backslide. It’s possible to regain the burning fire and joy you once had for the things of God and enjoy sweet fellowship with Him. Above all, as a child of God, you’re still His, even when you go in a different direction away from Him.