Archive for July 31st, 2010

Backsliding in the Christian faith refers to those who lose their first love, and cease to be grateful for all the good things God has done for them.  A classic example is found in the Church of Ephesus.  Read what Jesus had to say to this church.

There are many forms of backsliding.  It comes it all shapes and sizes.  TV evangelism is many cases, although not all, encompasses backsliding when they decide making a average living off the gospel is not good enough–they have to get rich off it, thus turning into spiritual fat cats that cease to be of any earthly good.  Backsliding occurs when we lose our zeal for Christ.  We stop praying and believing.

Revelation 2

4But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

    2I know your industry and activities, laborious toil and trouble, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot tolerate wicked [men] and have tested and critically appraised those who call [themselves] apostles (special messengers of Christ) and yet are not, and have found them to be impostors and liars.

    3I know you are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary.

    What caused this beautiful church body to lose its way?  Look at all the good things Jesus had to say.

First, many impostors came into the church.  How many times have we been tempted to lose our faith because of the impostors in the evangelical community today?  They are liars to be sure, but how many of us blame God for this either directly or indirectly by not going to church anymore?  You go to church to worship God.  The solution might be to start a home church (see category for  home church). 

Second, we have desired the world over God.  Look at the parable of the sowers , especially the third soil type.

 7Other seed [of the same kind] fell among thorn plants, and the thistles grew and pressed together and utterly choked and suffocated it, and it yielded no grain.

    18And the ones sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word;

    19Then the cares and anxieties of the world and distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes fruitless.

Third, it is possible you never were serious about your relationship with Jesus to begin with.  Perhaps you accepted him as your savior for the wrong reasons–what he could do for you instead of what you can do for him.

Fourth and last, but not least, perhaps you feel abandoned by God.  You feel he quit caring so you quit caring.  I am finding more and more people that fall into this category.  They keep their feelings buried deep, but they suffer in silence.  The reason you feel this way primarily is because the Church as failed you, not God.  We are his tangible hands and feet, and when Christians become spiritual fat cats, they backslide and don’t feel the love of Christ enough to reach out to others.

Today, list some ways you have backslidden.  All of us are guilty of this, at least here in America.

Please remember that God does love you no matter how you feel. Remember always:

Praise him always!