Backsliding

Backsliding

By Darren Morrison

Life is full of warring and there are dangers hidden in plain sight. We have to have some intelligence in order to make it through our childhood. Any person who has made it to adulthood either is intelligent enough to avoid danger or lives a much protected life, but since 99.9 percent of us did not live such a sheltered life we are not dumb. It is wrong to call anyone stupid. In fact the bible forbids us to in “MATTHEW 5:22”. So no one reading this essay can be considered an idiot. I once had to take a safety course as a requirement to learn how to operate heavy machinery. The instructor said something profound I will never forget. He told us since we all made it to adulthood that we were smart enough to follow safety rules otherwise we would have been dead by now.

The Danger I am talking about in this essay is the danger of backsliding; a danger that will injure your spiritual growth or even kill you spiritually. We are all born into sin and we start out life lost. Some of us decide to follow JESUS and so we get direction in life and are no longer lost and we then have hope. Yet in all that every one of us tends to look back and only see the good times in our sinful lost life and again begin to long for it. Or we may see someone else in sin and think that they seem to enjoy it and wonder if we might enjoy it too. The Jews as they left Egypt looked back and longed for what they had then. They for got to look forward to the future of a promised land and instead looked back to their bondage. Yet they only saw the good things and completely neglected to remember the taskmaster and the whips. Sin is bondage and our taskmaster or that negative reactions to sin we never think about when we look back.

Backsliding is Dangerous and something we must always be aware of. PROVERBS 14:14 the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man [shall be satisfied] from himself. You see we don’t backslide suddenly. There begins a longing and then a movement toward our old self. You see, as repentance is to turn away from sin and toward GOD. Backsliding is to turn away from GOD and to turn toward sin. If we are saved we cannot lose it but we can live with out the joys of a spirit filled life that is for sure and we can still see the death and destruction in our life that sin brings.

Look at the story of Lot’s life and we can see a story that relates to backsliding “GENESIS 13:7-13”. Lot’s life was a tragic one. His family was destroyed and it never had to be that way if it were not for the choices he made.

Lot was a saved man as we can see in the word of GOD. “II PETER 2:6-9 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”. As we see Lot was just man but lived in an awful place full of filthy wickedness, the bible also called him a righteous man. God delivered Lot out of sin but he still saw his family destroyed his wife didn’t make it and he ended up drunk and in incest with his daughters.

Lot coveted. GENESIS 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it [was] well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [even] as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Lot set is eyes on the wrong objects. JAMES 1:14-15, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. We see death that is not always physical death, it can be death to dreams, hopes, testimonies, health, and other things. In Lot case it was death to his family he lost his wife and two sons-in-law.

Lot chose too low. GENESIS 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Lot chose the easier way; we often like to do that not always is the Christian life easy. Sometimes we don’t look ahead or don’t pray about important decisions. Many times Christian Parents send their kids off to College or the military and their child falls into terrible sin. I have seen this happen I know a Marine that I served with who was a good Baptist kid. His fellow Marines would entice him until he was drunk and had a prostitute under his arms. GENESIS 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. As a result Lot ended up running to the mountains.

We shouldn’t choose lower things, like Lot did but set our sights higher. COLOSSIANS 3:1-3, 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Aim high at heavenly things. Choose the excellent things. PHILIPPIANS 1:9-10, 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and [in] all judgment; 10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;. Christians hurt their lives when they choose less than GOD’s perfect will in areas of life; friendship, entertainment, literature, occupation, etc.

Another area Lot failed at was the area of compromise. GENESIS 13:12-13, 12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched [his] tent toward Sodom. 13 But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly. Lot pitched his tent toward wicked Sodom. Christians are to flee from youthful lust. II TIMOTHY 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Christians are to avoid the appearance of evil. I had a lesson in this several years ago. I love good southern food when I would go to Gulfport Mississippi, I would eat at the casino for they had wonderful restaurants in them. A brother had told me how would someone else know that you were just there to eat if they saw you. It was a good lesson and I never returned to the casino to eat again. I THESSALONIANS 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. Christians are to have no fellowship with evil works. You see the people I work with are evil I can work with them fine and get alone with them at work but I spend no time with them after work. EPHESIANS 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them].

Lot was captured by the enemy. GENESIS 14:11-12, 11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. 12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. The people who we are surrounded by say a lot about our character. Lot liked the green pasture near Sodom so he was willing to live among the most vile people around, homosexuals. II TIMOTHY 2:26 And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Lot went and lived among the queers of Sodom by his own will. We are easily captive when we do not wear the armor of GOD. Please read and study EPHESIANS 6:10-19.

Lot had become carnal. GENESIS 19:15-16, 15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. Lot loved Sodom and it’s excitement, Lot was a saved man but he was double minded. Lot had no powerful testimony because he lived primarily for the things of the word. GENESIS 19:14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. Lots carnality even hurt his daughters’ lives. Many Christian love the evil things of this world that GOD hates and is going to judge. JAMES 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Love was saved but he had friendship with the world. I JOHN 2:15-17, 15 Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Character deficiency was another fault of Lot that is to say spiritual weakness. GENESIS 19:6-8, 6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as [is] good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. Lot was willing to give up his virgin daughters up to sin. Because of being in Company with such gross sin through compromise, he actually thought what he proposed was a lesser sin. Because of his backsliding, he had no spiritual power, no spiritual perception or spiritual protection.

Lot’s backsliding led to carousing. GENESIS 19:33-38, 33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, [and] lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same [is] the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same [is] the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. This is where we find Lot getting drunk committing vile immorality. His first wrong choice led him deeper and deeper into sin and farther and farther from GOD.

Lot’s story is a tragic one He backslid into a vile life. He lived among the homosexuals and he committed incest with his daughters. Though he was saved he was carnal as can be. This is a warning to all Christians. Stay true, read your bible daily, pray every day and pray about every decision you make. Be in GOD’s will. The world my look inviting but it will ruin you if you make the mistakes Lot did. Think to yourself; are you hanging out with the right crowd? Look at your life; how much compromise do you have?

The remedy for backsliding. REVELATION 2:4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Remember! Repent! and redo! your first works.

In conclusion, beware of the dangers of the world. Satan is very clever and he is much smarter than you so don’t give him the chance to get his hook in you. His desire is to bring you death.