Backslider refers to someone who has fallen away from God significantly through sinful behavior. Many prominent figures from scripture, such as King David and Peter, were backsliders at various points in time.
The Bible teaches that it is possible to return from backsliding and receive God’s full forgiveness, provided you approach this matter with an earnest desire for repentance and honesty. The key to successful repentance lies within us all.
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God’s mercy is beyond human mercy.
Backsliders often believe they have committed too many sins for God to forgive. Since becoming saved and even after, many may have committed many more offenses that seem too horrible for him to forgive – in effect believing he will reject them altogether. Yet this view completely disregards Scripture and illustrates a lack of comprehension as people fail to appreciate God’s merciful and forgiving nature.
God is beyond merciful, longsuffering and patient; His mercy knows no bounds. He does not want anyone lost and will do everything possible to get backsliders back on track – this includes encouraging other Christians towards repentance and restoration. God desires for all believers to experience his full salvation.
When someone who has fallen from grace is aware of their sin, it is crucial that they come before God in sincere repentance in order to open up His forgiveness and extend his grace and mercy upon them. A backslider should continue coming before Him with honest repentance so they may remain pure in spirit.
Even if a backslider has committed a great deal of sin, that does not indicate they have gone too far. God forgives any sin sincerely repented of, even those committed after being saved. His mercy extends even to sins committed post salvation.
There are numerous examples of backsliders in the Bible, both named and anonymous. While some, like King David and Peter, eventually returned to their faith after falling away temporarily, others such as King Saul, Solomon, Judas Iscariot and those mentioned in Hebrews 6:4-6 never did so.
Note that when returning to God as a backslider, they must come fully repentant and confess their sins in earnest. Otherwise, their sin will continue to increase until their conscience hardens to recognize sin as evil – an instance the Bible refers to as having a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28).
God’s love is more than human love.
Jesus Christ stands as an exquisite demonstration of God’s love for us all. He loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on our behalf for our sins – because He wanted to give us eternal life! This love surpasses anything human fathers could ever know!
God shows his great love through the parable of the prodigal son. When his son repented of his sinful ways and returned home, his Father ran to greet and embrace him joyfully – an important lesson to keep in mind for any Christian who may have backslidden or fallen away based on eternal security teachings that believe once lost it is impossible to return back home again. This message should remind all those who fall away that coming back home again can happen!
But Jesus taught that it is possible for backsliders to be forgiven and restored – using Peter as an example, who later returned to serve God after having fallen away.
One key point to keep in mind is that God’s forgiveness does not depend on how often or big our sins are committed; rather, His merciful Lord judges our repentance and willingness to turn from sinful habits and serve Him instead – in turn He will forgive and restore us.
Retracing our steps back through time, writing down all of the sins we can recall from when we strayed away from God can be extremely helpful in facing up to them and praying with honesty before confessing them before Him humbly, remembering He will forgive and cleanse us through Jesus’ blood that was shed for our transgressions on the cross.
No matter the severity or frequency of our sins, Jesus offers forgiveness to all and wants all to repent and turn back towards Him.
God’s forgiveness is a free gift.
God is merciful when it comes to forgiving sinners who sincerely repent, turning away from sin. Satan often leads people astray into thinking they cannot return to God, yet this simply isn’t true – there are numerous examples from scripture of backsliders returning, including King David and Peter who later found salvation after having wandered off their spiritual paths for some time (Proverbs 14:14).
God welcomes those who sincerely repent of their wrongdoing into His family as His own son or daughter – showing how great His mercy and love truly are. This verse beautifully displays God’s incredible kindness.
An individual often returns to backsliding due to not fully repenting of past sins. They may have taken outward steps toward repentance, yet have failed to open up their hearts to God and allow Him to become Lord over every area of their lives – meaning their conscience becomes hardened over time, rendering sin less offensive to them.
That is why it is crucial for a backslider to undergo the process of repentance, realizing the depth of their sin, and completely surrendering their hearts back to God in repentance of it all. Only then will they truly repent of it all and return home.
If you have been backsliding, take time to read over these verses about God’s love and mercy before approaching Him with your requests to change your behavior. Let Him know about all your past failures to serve Him faithfully as your Father has asked of you; ask Him for assistance in cleansing up any damage from those years when you were disobedient.
God’s punishment is not a free gift.
Backsliders who doubt whether or not God will forgive them often feel helpless and discouraged. Usually this is because they haven’t truly repented of their sins and come to understand His holiness or just judgment as well.
No sin can ever surpass the righteousness of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and even if you have been backslidden for years, if you will humbly come before God in confession of all of your sins and fully surrender yourself for His direction and handling, He will forgive and cleanse you completely, giving you a brand new beginning with Him in charge.
However, unlike his prodigal brother who engaged in wild living and sexual sin with prostitutes for an unknown length of time – perhaps years – this parable’s backslider was able to find forgiveness due to coming to his senses and turning away from all this wickedness to serve God instead. By making such an intelligent decision he reversed his spiritual condition, becoming alive once more – an event so rare in Scripture it actually happened! And his Father ran forward to welcome him home! This passage shows only time we read of him doing just this – an event not found anywhere else!
If you find yourself backsliding, we encourage you to take a sheet of paper and take an honest inventory of all of the sins you’ve committed against God during those years when you were backsliding. Confess every sin before God in prayer and ask for His full forgiveness through Jesus’ blood sacrifice.
God not only forgives, but He’s eager to reunite you to Himself! Like the prodigal son, live the remainder of your days serving Him and glorifying Him instead.
