For if having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, there are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them that the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and “a sow after washing itself, wallows in the mud.”     2 Peter 2:20-22 HCSB

Some of you may recognize the title of today’s blog as the same title of a song written in 1977 by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel. There are lyrics in the song that we can certainly appreciate as explaining the life of a Christian who has backslidden. The chorus says, “You know the nearer your destination the more you’re slip slidin’ away.”

Many of us get saved and we are zealous in our love for the Lord. Then the world gets in our way. Many of us believe we are doing well, but don’t realize we have slipped, and we have slidden and are falling away from the Lord.

Many believe God will honor their half-hearted effort to worship Him and serve Him. Many believe they can exert no effort at all and just by sitting on a church pew on Sundays they will get to heaven. And of course, there are those who believe they can live their lives anyway they choose and still get into heaven.

If we are honest, it’s sometimes comical to see someone fall, that look on their face when gravity takes over and they have lost all control.

There is one fall, however, that I find heartbreaking. That is the fall of a Christian. I have seen many people get saved, maybe they weren’t truly saved, but were swept up in an emotion. Whatever the case, they once were on fire for Jesus and that fire gradually burned out. They were running the race and suddenly started falling way behind. Some even begin to run in the wrong direction.

The term backsliding is used because it is a gradual falling away. It starts with little things like failing to pray as we should or failing to study our Bible. Then it grows into things like not serving the Lord like you did when you were once saved. Then it’s missing church periodically then all the time. It’s a gradual backwards slide away from Jesus.

If you were to be honest with yourself, are you pressing on toward your final destination or are you slipping and sliding backwards away from it?

I spent many years of my life in a backslidden state. I was still going to church periodically, but only out of obligation, not out of a true love for my Lord and Savior. I had ceased to pray except when I really needed God. I had failed to realize that I need Him every second of every day.

I had ceased to study my Bible. I thought I knew all the major stories and was good there. Boy was I wrong.

I thought I was having fun, but I never knew true joy until I rededicated my life to Christ. I stopped sliding backwards down that slippery slope and got on solid ground with Jesus Christ. You can do the same. We are told in Proverbs 14:14, “The one who turns back in his heart will be satisfied with his ways, but a good man will be satisfied with his.”

Jeremiah 3:22 says, “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” Behold we come to you, for you are the Lord our God.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In Isaiah 41:10, the Lord tells us not to be anxious or afraid, because He will make us mighty and help us and will uphold us with His righteous right hand. Don’t slide backwards down the world’s slippery slope, grab His hand and hold on tight. He won’t let you fall.

Have a great day!