Answers

Yesterday we asked a question to finish our study of Psalm 36. What CAN we do to help a believer whose interest in the Christian walk has cooled?

Some people might say, "nothing."  "It's up to that believer."
I don't accept that. I say we can help that person.

Here's why . . . . 

In many Christians' vocabulary, there's a word  --  backsliding. 

Been there?

Know somebody?

Well, most Christians do backslide at one time or another in their lives with Christ.

OK, but what is it?

Some people will have different definitions, but I think backsliding is like an interruption or a step backward in our spiritual growth.

It can just be an interruption. A short time of no growth.

It can also be a step backward. That's when there's a longer time of no growth, or there is a definite slide backwards.

It can be summed up as our turning away from our spiritual life and resuming life in the flesh. It means that we are just not "growing up" spiritually.

Did you know that the churches of America are filled with baby Christians who have chosen (for some reason or another) not to grow up?  If a baby has physical problems and can't grow up, it's terribly sad. In the same way, if one of God's children refuses to grow up, it breaks His heart. God's design, His plan for all believers is for us to start out as spiritual children, to progress to young men and women, and to go on to mature believers.

In our tool chest here at the farm, we have several old saws. Very old saws. One is so well-used that it is missing teeth! Instead of the pattern of up/down/up/down of the sharp teeth, there are places where teeth have been lost.... the gaps between those "ups" of sharp teeth are fairly long! The other saw has been used, but not as much.....all of the teeth are there; the pattern is complete.

Much like the saw, our Christian lives are a series of "ups and downs." Unfortunately, we all have our moments of living our way instead of Christ's way. But overall, the general trend is to move forward, to move upward, in our spiritual growth. The number of upward steps far outweighs the number of downward steps.

When we backslide, the number of downward steps, and the length of those gaps before going back upwards increases. We see that in the saw that had teeth missing. The gaps were fairly long. In our spiritual lives, those gaps are the time we spend being stagnant. We are not growing spiritually.  Tragically, we sometimes even move backwards.

James talked about backsliders; he called them "forgetful hearers." When we backslide, we can actually begin to forget the lessons we have learned and the things we have experienced in Christ! 

 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:22-25, NIV)

Some believers slide down faster than others do. How quickly they slide depends on if they were surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Backsliding "looks like" the person is gratifying the desires of the flesh, instead of living according to the Holy Spirit. It looks like a person still being a spiritual infant three or four years after receiving Christ as Savior. (I back this up with I Corinthians 3:1-3 and Hebrews 5:11-14.)  Backsliding also looks like lukewarmness to the things of Christ. It looks like intentional sins. 

In contrast, spiritual growth looks like the fruit of the Spirit:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

Backsliding is not a game to play. It has a high price. But it's not an unpardonable sin. 

If we are trying to counsel another believer we need to remind them of this: backsliding will not lead to hell because God's grace forgives all of our sins - past, present, and future. Our Father God has tools to make us sit up and take notice! Check out these verses from the Old Testament:

Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage them,
a leopard will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many. (Jeremiah 5:6)

Your wickedness will punish you;
    your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
    how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the Lord your God
    and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. (Jeremiah 2:19)

But wait!

Backsliding is not the end of the world!

We need to tell the believer we are talking to, that Jesus is waiting with outstretched arms! He wants to welcome us back!

 ...........I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 37:23b)

Here's the cure for backsliding -- to return to Christ as our Lord. Christ told us the path to follow:

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelation 2:4-5)

See? There are three parts to remember. Three parts to follow. And this is what we can do to help another believer: gently remind them that Christ's arms are open wide, and encourage them to 1.) remember what it used to be like when they were close to Jesus.  2.) Repent that it's not that way now. 3.) Repeat the things that they did when we were on fire for Jesus.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)

All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (John 6:37)

Those words will sound so sweet to the unbeliever who realizes their backslidden condition, remembers what their relationship used to be like, repents that it has changed, and wants to return.

Backsliding is not the end of the world. He loves us; He paid the price for our sins; He is waiting for us to return to Him.