For if, after they have escaped 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 2:20-22 NASB

I truly believe that we can’t change ourselves without God’s help. When working with juvenile delinquents, we used to say that “All roads lead home”.  Without God’s help, we revert to what we know. Sinners lose focus of God and fall prey to the devil. Criminals often revert back to criminal behavior.

When we do this with our Christianity we call it backsliding. Backsliding is not some cool line dance, it is a condition in which we no longer put God first. We allow the issues of the world to get in our way. We allow ourselves to lay on the sofa and watch tv on Sundays rather than getting up and going to church. We allow ourselves to think and talk just like everyone else rather than striving to imitate Jesus. We allow ourselves the luxury of pleasing our flesh rather than praying for power over our temptations. We have all kinds of excuses and justifications ready to offer, but the truth is we just stopped making God our priority. When we get like this, we may still identify ourselves as Christians, but in reality we are backslidden. So perhaps we should identify ourselves as backsliders.

The bible talks about backsliding in Luke 6:2 in which it says that no one that puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Proverbs 14:14 says,  the backslider will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Now I want you to know that I am speaking as a former backslider. I have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.

So, if someone were to ask you if you are a Christian, what would you say? The dictionary defines Christian as someone who professes Christianity or its teachings. As Christians, we describe ourselves as Christ followers. So be careful how you answer that question. Now some believe that once we are saved we are always saved. This is based on John 10:28 which says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish-ever! No one will snatch them out of my hand.”  Some take this to believe that once we are saved, we cannot lose our salvation. I believe that once we are truly saved, we have such a reverential awe of our Lord and Savior that we want to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.  I believe that when we sin, we are immediately convicted causing us to want to repent and get right with God. On the other hand, I believe that there are those that make a profession of faith, but never have possession of the Holy Spirit. In this case, they react from their heads and not from their hearts. We are told in Matthew that we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts. In Jesus day, the term heart referred to a person’s entire being. It encompassed not only the organ of the heart, but the mind and the soul as well. I believed that when we are truly saved, that we love the Lord with our whole heart.

If you have been truly saved by the Holy Spirit, then profess it. Proclaim it loudly and encourage others to experience the awesome love, mercy, and grace that we receive from our Lord and Savior. If you have made a profession of faith, been baptized, but feel that you were never truly saved, then there is no time like the present. And if you don’t possess it, please don’t profess it. This gives Christians a bad name, this causes us all to be considered hypocrites.

I pray that you possess the Holy Spirit and that you are professing God’s great love for us to others. But if you have become backslidden, know that you can cry out to God and He will save you. Turn to Him and trust in Him. Ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit so that you can truly possess it and then get out there and profess it!

Have a great day!