Causes of Backsliding Revelation 2:2-5 seems to imply that even Christians may lose their first love. What are some of the causes of this condition? What could possibly steal the love of a believer for Christ? What attitudes or actions could cause us to leave our first love? A. Carnality This is the condition where a Christian knowingly and consistently lives for themselves and not for Christ. There are four kinds of people: (1) the natural person - 1 Cor 2:14 (the non-Christian), (2) the spiritual person - 1 Cor 2:15-16 (the mature Christian), (3) the babies in Christ - 1 Cor 3:1-2a (the infant Christian), and (4) the carnal person - 1 Cor 3:3 (the carnal Christian). Paul refers to this condition in 1 Cor 13. Here he says four things about the carnal Christian: they are (a) genuine Christians (1 Cor 3:1), (b) stagnant Christians (1 Cor 3:2-3a), (c) fleshly-minded Christians (1 Cor 3:3), and (d) rebellious Christians (1 Cor 3:3b-4). B. Inappropriate Response to God’s Word In Jesus’ parable in Luke 8:44 he speaks of four responses to the Word of God: (1) failure to respond - (v11-12) these people reject the Word outright; (2) shallow response - (v13) these people accept the Word but when trials or troubles come they quit; and (3) choosing the world over the Word - (v14) these people receive the Word and grow. C. Going Backward This is a state of persistent spiritual regression - which is often called backsliding. There are five signs that this is happening: (a) neglect (Heb 2:2-3a) - either passive disobedience or taking things for granted; (b) spiritual insensitivity (Heb 3:12-13) - they have hard hearts; (c) refusal to use the spiritual diet needed to grow (Heb 5:11-12) - they have dull ears; (d) withdrawal (Heb 10:23-25) - they have idle feet or absent bodies; and (e) rejection (Heb 10:26) - they give up completely. D. Fleshly Living This is the condition where people are living to self and doing evil things. E. Temptation to Quit or Turn Back Stagnation actually involves losing ground, going backward. Christians can go so far back that it is impossible for others to bring them to repentance - Hebrews 6:6. F. Tolerating Sin Sin, like a cancer, must be treated - it cannot be left. The person must admit their sin, then the cure must be applied. If the person will not confess, then discipline is needed. At times there is a place for surgery (1 Cor 5:9-11). People in these conditions need to understand that there are high costs for continuing in their state: (a) divine discipline (Heb 12:5-6); (b) unanswered prayer (James 1:6-7); (c) loss of assurance (2 Peter 1:10); (d) spiritual amnesia (2 Peter 1:10); (e) physical death (1 Cor 10:1b-5); and (f) judgement day (2 Cor 5:9-11) where people will be judged for their deeds, dependability, and declarations. There is always the possibility that the sinner can be brought back (James 5:19-20a).
Posted on: Fri, 04 Jul 2014 13:14:24 +0000
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