Backsliders

To lapse morally or in the practice of religion to revert to a worse condition: retrogress.

Biblically, a backslider returns to the life of sin giving up religious convictions and the Christian life they were living.

In commonality, a backslider may think of himself/herself as reclaiming their mind from religious practices and standards. Many actually come to believe that what was once considered sin is no longer sin. Some will use backsliding to change religious groups that permit the kind of life they believe a Christian can live and still claim to be saved.

Backsliding is more than change one's moral or religious beliefs. It is indeed a condition of the spiritual standing a person has with God. A backslider departs from the ways of God and his righteousness and reverts to the ways of the world. By ways of the world I mean, they choose the sinful practices, habits, customs, and life-styles of those who are lost and without salvation.

One of the important things a backslider does is goes back on their faith in water baptism. They actually cancel their water baptism and consider it as an event that no longer has any spiritual acceptance. By backsliding they openly recant their baptism and count it as if it never happened. They may not say it with words but they say it with their actions. And in this case, actions do speak louder than words.

Think about it: when a person repents and comes to Christ begging to be saved from a burning hell, they shed tears of regret for being a sinner. As they begin to purge and cleanse their conscience by confession of the soul, they see their need for the blood of Jesus Christ to wash away their sins. They want a clean book in heaven. They want to be the person God created them to be. They will make vows to God such as:

I will do what ever you want me to do;

I will go where ever you want me to go;

I am yours Lord, everything I've got.

Use me Jesus for your glory.

To backslide on all of this is not only a great shame to a person's soul it means they just made themselves a liar. They did not mean all of those words at all.

A backslider indeed has a change of heart. A heart that was once touched by the Holy Ghost no longer wants to feel this blessing. The heart wants as far from Church and the presence of the Holy Ghost as they can get. Many will deny the realness of the Holy Ghost. Many will deny the name of Jesus and even curse that blessed and holy name. Many will begin to attack the church they once attended. They will say all manner of evil against the pastor. When a backslider cuts ties to God they sever all spiritual relationship with the people of God. They want to be free from religion and are willing to demonstrate it quickly by open change of life-style, manner of dress, language, and public display of their sins.

A backslider develops a hard heart. The longer they stay backslid the harder the heart becomes. They do not care if they are damned. They do not care if they can never come back to God and have the joy of salvation once again. They openly boast they want to burn in hell.

A backslider has no value to God. I have witnessed many of them die lost. Die in their sins. They never came back to salvation. This is the ultimate end of a backslider. Then they will go to the judgment.

I do not like backsliders. The reason I do not like them is because they bring a reproach upon the Church, the Pastor, the doctrines of Truth, and speak evil of the way they once called holy. I will not chase after a backslider. I will cut off all communications. I have no desire to fellowship with their evil works of unrighteousness. I do not want to see any backslider. They have turned their back upon Jesus and I do not like this. If they show remorse and repentance I will turn to them again. I will help them if they are serious and honest. I do not want any to perish. But I will not allow a backslider to have fellowship with me so long as they remain in their backslidden condition.

I am this way because God is this way.

If you are planning on backsliding, just know, that you may go to hell with over 95% of all the other backsliders.

Can I ask you what is wrong with Jesus that you would case him away to return to sin?

Did he die in vain for you?

Jesus has been good to me. I have no plans to backslide.

Bishop Reckart

A Man God Made