For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”  2 Peter 2:20-23 NASB

There is a phrase used to describe someone who has accepted Christ as their savior and after a time, returned to their old way of life, it’s call backsliding. There was a time in my life when it seemed as though I would take one step forward and slide two steps back. I was a lot like those poor Israelites wandering around in the desert. I would do well for a while and then I would mess up, God would deal with me, I would repent and do well for a while and repeat the process all over again. Like the Israelites, I had seen what wonderful things God could and would do for me and I would enjoy those for a time, but then I would face trials, be tempted by sin and mess up all over again.

Eventually, that became a problem because I began to realize that each time I would backslide things would get worse than they were before. By this I mean that I would backslide deeper into sin and the punishment would be more severe. If you read through the Old Testament, you will see that God did not deal lightly with those who knew the right thing to do and did not do it. If you open your Bible to our scripture passage today and read 2 Peter 2:1-19 you will see an account of some who were spared because they maintained righteousness and some who were destroyed because they did not.

To put it in simple terms, when it comes to following rules, you don’t hold a one year old accountable with the same measure that you might hold a ten year old accountable. A one year old is still learning right from wrong, correct? But the ten year old should know what is expected and what is not acceptable. James 4:7 tells us that if we know the right thing to do and do not do it, we are sinning.

Now some of you may be like me, I was brought to church every time the doors were open. I went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. My first memories of going to church was playing in the church nursery. So from birth, I grew up being taught what it meant to be a Christian. I knew what God expected of me and I knew what He considered to be unacceptable behavior. I knew the right thing, I just didn’t always do it. I had wonderful mentors in my mom and grandmother and my church family, so I had no excuse. I knew right from wrong.

Our scripture passage describes backsliding like a pig that, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire. For us to come to know God and all His goodness would be like taking our four wheel drive vehicle and washing it, waxing it, polishing the rims, shining the tires and driving it into the mud. Why would we want to do that?

I don’t know what stage of the game you are in today. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with God and what He can do for you. I encourage you to get to know Jesus Christ through reading the Bible. Find a good Bible teaching church to help you understand His awesome love for you and the protection offered and rewards that await His children.

Maybe you are a new Christian and just learning to walk the walk and talk the talk. Stay close by Jesus and know that He will help you to overcome temptation if you will only give it all to Him and trust in Him.

Maybe you are a solid Christian that feels as though your love walk has grown stale. Renew your zeal and your passion for Christ. Lead others to Him and help to mentor baby Christians as they grow.

If you have come to love the Lord and have experienced the goodness that comes from a life lived in Christ, only to fall to temptation and slide backwards, then know that God can pull you up from the slippery slope. Know that the longer you continue to slide the further down you will fall. But most importantly know that God will deal with you more harshly than He will deal with the one who never learned to trust in Him. Also know that the punishments may become more severe the more you continue your yo-yo method of following Him.

Whatever your current situation, I ask you to trust in God today. Know that He is a loving God, but He is also a strict disciplinarian. Time and time again in many different parts of the Bible, we are told not to fear because God is with us. But we must fear God in that we must have an awe struck reverential love for Him. He is a good, good Father. He will take good care of us if we let him. But He will come down hard on us if we are disobedient. You have a choice to make. I beg of you to choose wisely. And remember, none of us know just how long we have before we face judgment, so don’t delay.

Have a great day!