The damnable Doctrine of Backsliding

[freedfromsin]

I believe that we are now nearly full blown in what one could call the Laodicean age. Sadly the church today no longer understands what repentance is from a biblical standpoint. We have come up with man made doctrines that negates the word of God.

One that comes to mind is the doctrine of backsliding. It sounds so good and so many have adopted it but it is so deadly and deceitful. In the New testament no one is ever called a backslider. That term was used exclusively for Israel as a nation and every time it is used in the Old Testament it is being directed at the nation, and saying that they are lost. It never means that they are saved and not living the life, but only that they are a people (nation) who has turned from how past generations have followed the Lord and now they do not follow, thus they are backslidden and lost. The church today is like this! Yes many claim to know Him but their hearts are far from Him.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity

In 1 John we are told the following;

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The Greek here in this passage is saying that once a person is saved they never again return to the practice of sin. The daily life of the true Christian is one of obedience and surrender towards their Lord. Yes we might sin in any given moment during any day, but it will not be the practice of a true believer to sin.

The scripture goes on and says;

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Notice that it is impossible for a true believer to return to sin, (backslide as many call it). The seed of God remains and keeps us from returning to sin as a lifestyle. One good way to judge if we are a true Christian is to heed the words of the Master.

Jhn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jhn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Jhn 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

The truth is that if we are not of those who are commandment keepers we do not love the Lord and we are not saved. This is not about sinless perfection, but about a heart that is surrendered to the Lord in such a way that we want and seek every aspect of His will on a moment by moment bases. We are saved by grace through faith, but we are changed unto good works.

Let us be warned and not deceived;

1Cr 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Cr 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Often times in speaking to someone about this I tell them that a true believer will shock those around them if the believer sins because it is out of character for a Christian to sin. More then this, for a true believer to sin it will shock even themselves. Our sin will bring not only conviction, but a mindset of "how could I say that or how could do that. We will be shocked by our own sin regardless of the severity, IF we are saved, and be led to swiftly confess it and forsake it.

Repentance is just about a lost doctrine today in our churches, and sadly if it is mentioned it is not explained clearly. True biblical repentance is the spirit of total surrender to God in Christ. In other words we turn to God with all our hearts. Scripture says this;

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Repentance is not 50% or 75% or 99%. It is not true biblical repentance until we surrender all. We even sing a song about this, "I surrender all". At the point of true repentance we then take that heart, that spirit, and place it on the Son, Jesus Christ, and faith is born, and we are saved. From that point on we are kept in that state and never turn from it as scripture says, for if we turn we were never saved.

1Jo 2:18

[carrielles]

Then I am doomed.... I don't know anything in my life that God has %100. I know I try. I repent when I slip and fall. God is gracious to forgive and love me thru the way back. But if it is going to be %100 I do not know if I will ever obtain it in my human flesh. Pray for me.

[MeCajunboy]

I believe that we are now nearly full blown in what one could call the Laodicean age. Sadly the church today no longer understands what repentance is from a biblical standpoint. We have come up with man made doctrines that negates the word of God.

One that comes to mind is the doctrine of backsliding. It sounds so good and so many have adopted it but it is so deadly and deceitful. In the New testament no one is ever called a backslider. That term was used exclusively for Israel as a nation and every time it is used in the Old Testament it is being directed at the nation, and saying that they are lost. It never means that they are saved and not living the life, but only that they are a people (nation) who has turned from how past generations have followed the Lord and now they do not follow, thus they are backslidden and lost. The church today is like this! Yes many claim to know Him but their hearts are far from Him.

Luk 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity

In 1 John we are told the following;

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

The Greek here in this passage is saying that once a person is saved they never again return to the practice of sin. The daily life of the true Christian is one of obedience and surrender towards their Lord. Yes we might sin in any given moment during any day, but it will not be the practice of a true believer to sin.

The scripture goes on and says;

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Notice that it is impossible for a true believer to return to sin, (backslide as many call it). The seed of God remains and keeps us from returning to sin as a lifestyle. One good way to judge if we are a true Christian is to heed the words of the Master.

Jhn 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Jhn 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Jhn 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

The truth is that if we are not of those who are commandment keepers we do not love the Lord and we are not saved. This is not about sinless perfection, but about a heart that is surrendered to the Lord in such a way that we want and seek every aspect of His will on a moment by moment bases. We are saved by grace through faith, but we are changed unto good works.

Let us be warned and not deceived;

1Cr 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

1Cr 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Often times in speaking to someone about this I tell them that a true believer will shock those around them if the believer sins because it is out of character for a Christian to sin. More then this, for a true believer to sin it will shock even themselves. Our sin will bring not only conviction, but a mindset of "how could I say that or how could do that. We will be shocked by our own sin regardless of the severity, IF we are saved, and be led to swiftly confess it and forsake it.

Repentance is just about a lost doctrine today in our churches, and sadly if it is mentioned it is not explained clearly. True biblical repentance is the spirit of total surrender to God in Christ. In other words we turn to God with all our hearts. Scripture says this;

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Repentance is not 50% or 75% or 99%. It is not true biblical repentance until we surrender all. We even sing a song about this, "I surrender all". At the point of true repentance we then take that heart, that spirit, and place it on the Son, Jesus Christ, and faith is born, and we are saved. From that point on we are kept in that state and never turn from it as scripture says, for if we turn we were never saved.

1Jo 2:18

[MeCajunboy]

Then I am doomed.... I don't know anything in my life that God has %100. I know I try. I repent when I slip and fall. God is gracious to forgive and love me thru the way back. But if it is going to be %100 I do not know if I will ever obtain it in my human flesh. Pray for me.

Carrie dear, You stay focused in God's light, and you will also find that as you get older that it becomes easier to go without sinning, provided you do as God commands us to. Sure , we will fail occassionally, but know that you must immediately get right on track. Also, you will find that when God does gives you the grace because of your faith, to leave your cross, after HE brings you through the experience and lesson that HE wants us to experience, you may lose THAT particular "cross" but don't be surprised and be prepared for satan to have something lurking in your future soon behind the first "cross."

I don't mean by any sense of the word that I support or condone, "backsliding" by any means of the word. But God does know man's nature, and even though it should not be an excuse, we do have "repentence." And we should all know the definition of that term....."RE" meaning "over" or "again"

[freedfromsin]

Then I am doomed.... I don't know anything in my life that God has %100. I know I try. I repent when I slip and fall. God is gracious to forgive and love me thru the way back. But if it is going to be %100 I do not know if I will ever obtain it in my human flesh. Pray for me.

I wlll pray for you, however how did you get 100% out of that article?

[freedfromsin]

Then I am doomed.... I don't know anything in my life that God has %100. I know I try. I repent when I slip and fall. God is gracious to forgive and love me thru the way back. But if it is going to be %100 I do not know if I will ever obtain it in my human flesh. Pray for me.

Carrie dear, You stay focused in God's light, and you will also find that as you get older that it becomes easier to go without sinning, provided you do as God commands us to. Sure , we will fail occassionally, but know that you must immediately get right on track. Also, you will find that when God does gives you the grace because of your faith, to leave your cross, after HE brings you through the experience and lesson that HE wants us to experience, you may lose THAT particular "cross" but don't be surprised and be prepared for satan to have something lurking in your future soon behind the first "cross."

I don't mean by any sense of the word that I support or condone, "backsliding" by any means of the word. But God does know man's nature, and even though it should not be an excuse, we do have "repentence." And we should all know the definition of that term....."RE" meaning "over" or "again"

Hello MeCajunboy,

you are incorrect about the leters "RE". They do not mean over or again.

"Re" is a Latin word meaning "about", as in the title of the important

medieval book De re metallica.

Repentance comes from "penitence" which means to hold regret with change.

[Marnie]

Would you agree there is a world of difference between living in sin and the sins we commit every day, sometimes without even knowing it, because of our fallen condition? I think a lot of believers don't understand there is difference.

[Leonard]

freedfromsin's message is quite true. However it seems one sided.

Sin should never be taken lightly--as we in the West so often do today. But WRITING TO CHRISTIANS, the Scripture says: "But if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous One."

But in such a wicked and spiritually lackadaisical age as ours, freedfromsin's message is quite an important one to hear.

[Eliyahuw]

freedfromsin's message is quite true. However it seems one sided.

Sin should never be taken lightly--as we in the West so often do today. But WRITING TO CHRISTIANS, the Scripture says: "But if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous One."

But in such a wicked and spiritually lackadaisical age as ours, freedfromsin's message is quite an important one to hear.

Its not the age of laodecian. It is Thyatira. Were in a stage in time where the false prophets, the false religions are infiltrating the christian church creating the Cult of Christianity. I think it opened up in the last 10 - 15 years. TV is full of false prophets and teachers and so is Mainstream Christianity. The United states was chosen to harbor Christianity for a season and protect it from Satan as he rampaged through the "Church" in 1500's when they went after Luther. This new nation in the 1600's was the harbor for the christians in the midst of the storm of heresies and murderous intent of the RCC. This all happened in the 3rd seal. Now the heresies have made their way here and were charged in the 4 seal to hang on, keep the faith because folks its going to get worse!

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

Last of all the age of the laodecians is the 7th seal. Once that seal is opened, that will usher in the tribulation full force.

THere will be a silence in heaven for a period of time, then the trumpets are passed out and It starts with hail fire and blood.

[Guest lovinghim4ever]

Then I am doomed.... I don't know anything in my life that God has %100. I know I try. I repent when I slip and fall. God is gracious to forgive and love me thru the way back. But if it is going to be %100 I do not know if I will ever obtain it in my human flesh. Pray for me.

Carrie dear, You stay focused in God's light, and you will also find that as you get older that it becomes easier to go without sinning, provided you do as God commands us to. Sure , we will fail occassionally, but know that you must immediately get right on track. Also, you will find that when God does gives you the grace because of your faith, to leave your cross, after HE brings you through the experience and lesson that HE wants us to experience, you may lose THAT particular "cross" but don't be surprised and be prepared for satan to have something lurking in your future soon behind the first "cross."

I don't mean by any sense of the word that I support or condone, "backsliding" by any means of the word. But God does know man's nature, and even though it should not be an excuse, we do have "repentence." And we should all know the definition of that term....."RE" meaning "over" or "again"

I don't do blanket statements. You can't lump every church together and say that they are all back-slidden or apostate. . .

Would agree there is a world of difference between living in sin and the sins we commit every day, sometimes without even knowing it, because of our fallen condition? I think a lot of believers don't understand there is difference.

Sin should never be taken lightly--as we in the West so often do today. But WRITING TO CHRISTIANS, the Scripture says: "But if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the Righteous One."

If we had to be PERFECT to get to Heaven, then none of us humans would make it.

THANK GOD FOR GRACE!