CBN TEACHING SHEETS
Backsliding
By CBN.com
CBN.com
– Backsliding is when a born-again believer in Christ
turns back to sin or becomes stubborn in his heart and refuses to
submit to the will of God in his life. The outward actions are only
symptoms of the real problem -- the attitude of the heart -- which
must be dealt with in order to change the actions.
Backsliding is like carnality, in that your own desires and devices
are acted out as opposed to God's will (I Corinthians 3:3; Proverbs
14:14).
What Scripture Says
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Remember the height from which 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).
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).
"Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God
through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews
7:25).
"When he came to his senses, he said, "How many of my father's
hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father,
I have sinned against heaven and against you" (Luke 15:17,.18).
"...let him turn to the Lord...for he will freely pardon" (Isaiah
55:7).
"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely..." (Hosea
14:4).
Does God Condemn Backsliders?
God does not condemn us -- our own wickedness and backsliding
do that (Jeremiah 2:19). Nor did Jesus come to do so, but to give
us life abundantly (John 10:10). Therefore, if you will confess
your sins, God will forgive you (I John 1:9). Accept His forgiveness
and then forgive yourself.
Forgive those who have wronged you. Go to anyone you have wronged
or resented and ask their forgiveness. Make restitution in whatever
ways you can for any wrongs your backsliding has caused. If you
are not baptized with the Holy Spirit, ask for and receive it
(Luke 11:13). Then grow in Jesus and the way of the Lord. The
Holy Spirit gives a Christian the ability to overcome sin. He
gives power to be a Christ-like person. He guides, comforts, teaches
spiritual truth, and equips with the gifts and qualities of God
(Acts 1:8; John 14:16; I Corinthians 12; Galatians 5:22,23).
Pray this prayer:
Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus name, and I confess that
I have fallen away from you. I ask you to forgive me and to restore
to me the joy of my salvation. I forgive those who have sinned
against me, and I ask you to give me the grace to walk in forgiveness
every day. I invite you to be Lord over every area of my life.
Baptize me in your Holy Spirit, and give me the power to live
my life in obedience to your will. I ask these things in the name
of Jesus. Amen
If you prayed that prayer to rededicate your life to Jesus Christ,
please send
us an e-mail to let us know. Or you can call The
700 Club Prayer Counseling Center at (800) 759-0700. We would
love to talk with you and send you some literature to help you
begin your walk with the Lord.
Living In The Truth
Now you know the truth and the truth has set you free. Now you
are a son or daughter of God, part of his family. God is your
Father now and Christians all over the world are your brothers
and sisters. Don't waste a minute getting to know your family,
especially your Father. Talk to him constantly. To learn more
about prayer, read the CBN
Teaching Sheet entitled, Answered
Prayer. You can also send
us your prayer requests from our Prayer and Counseling page.
Read His Book. The Bible is the main way God has chosen to tell
us about Himself. Learning what God says in the Bible is a very
important part of your new life. As you read His Word, ask God
to show you how various passages apply to your life. A good place
to start your study is in the Gospel of John in the New Testament.
Find an easy to read, modern translation like the New International
Version, the New American Standard or The Book (click
here to order The Book).
Become a regular member of a good church and join a Bible study
or a home fellowship group. Make friends with other Christians
and spend time with them. As brothers and sisters in Christ you
need their fellowship and they need yours. God will lead you to
them and to a church that follows Him. For help in finding a church,
read the CBN Teaching Sheet entitled, Choosing
A Church.
Our hope for you is that you will grow in the Lord Jesus Christ
in the same way the Apostle prayed that first century believers
would grow:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious
Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that
you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which
He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the
saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians,
1:17-19).
All this is possible for you; in fact, it's your Father's
gift to you now that you know and have believed the truth.
Now What?
If you sincerely prayed that prayer, God says that you have new
life and that you are a member of His eternal kingdom. He desires
close fellowship with you during this life and desires for you
even now to live victoriously as a child of the King! Also, since
He died for you, He wants you to live for Him. "And He died for
all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves,
but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf" (2 Corinthians
5:15).
As we are born again, God immediately implants a new nature within
us. Some outward change may be dramatic and instant; some may
come gradually. As with any newborn, our new nature needs nurture
and growth.
Talk to Him frequently. And listen to his voice within you. That's
what prayer is. Read and meditate upon His Word, the Bible - another
way He speaks to you. Finally, He wants you to fellowship with
other believers and be a functioning part of His corporate Body
-- so find a Bible-believing church and attend regulary.
Did you invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior?
Send
us an e-mail using our online form so that we can pray with
you.
Do you have a prayer Request?
Submit your
prayer request using our online prayer request form. We pray
over each need that is presented to us.
Telephone Prayer Counselors
If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour
Prayer line at 1.800.759.0700.
Other Teaching Sheets
Consider looking up the topic of your prayer need in our online
literature and teaching.
Read these Bible verses:
II Chronicles 30:9 -- Grace assured at repentance.
Psalms 32:1; 145:14 -- Blessed and upheld in the Lord.
Isaiah 43:18,19; 44:22 -- Old things are gone, the new redeems.
John 3:17 -- No condemnation in Jesus.
Read these scriptures daily and memorize them for assurance of
victory.
Scripture references are taken form the New American Standard
translation of the Bible.
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Are you facing a difficult situation?
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