BACKSLIDERS
Many who were once saved are now in a backslidden state. Their condition may be known by the following marks:--
1. Condemnation. Any step of disobedience to the known will of God, any conformity to the world, or living as the greater part of professing Christians do, will bring condemnation on the soul. Justification and condemnation are as opposite to each other as light is to darkness; and while thus condemned you are not in the enjoyment of justifying grace. Do not mistake hardness of heart for absence of condemnation. Some professors of religion are so seared in conscience that they can do almost anything and not feel condemned. Such stand condemned by the Bible, whether they feel it or not. If we are not conscious of condemnation we have confidence in God when we pray. "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." Alas! many, when they kneel in prayer, discover that something is wrong with them. They are troubled with darkness, fears and leanness of soul. The trouble is, they are backslidden -- they are in condemnation and bondage. While we walk closely with God there is no condemnation oft our hearts. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
2. Love of the World. Do not imagine that loving the world merely consists in being a reckless sinner. Many of those guilty of this sin consider themselves as good Christians I A man shows he loves the world when he seeks its wealth, and is continually "laying up treasures upon the earth." Multitudes of professors are just as eager after wealth as any sinner. To get money or land, they will make things bend and twist in any shape; but to get grace to feed their souls -- that scarcely gives them two minutes' thought any day. They are up early and late in their pursuit of Mammon; but they grumble fearfully to spend a few hours in the house of God, or in searching the Scriptures, or in closet prayer at home. They work exceedingly hard to increase their substance, and consider no inconvenience too great to accomplish their purpose; but to labor for God, to visit the sick, to warn the wicked, to reprove sin, and to help pull poor souls out of the fire, they are ready to make any excuse for the neglect of this work. "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which, while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." A professor of religion shows his love for the world by desiring its honors and the praise of men. When he is more anxious to have the good will and commendatory words of men than to do what is right, and obey God; when he is more particular as to what his neighbors and society think and say about him, than to speak the truth and live it; when he preaches, prays, and acts so as to get the commendation of men, and leaves undone a part of his duty in order to avoid their displeasure, or an evil name, he is loving the world. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God." A professor of religion shows his love for the world by following its customs and fashions, playing at croquet, cards, checkers, dancing, skating, and the like. Church members today get up festivals, socials, and concerts, and provide as much fun as possible, in order to have the presence of the worldling and obtain his patronage. This sort of thing is relished a thousand times better than a prayer or a classmeeting. Should you succeed in getting these worldly souls out to a prayer-meeting occasionally, they are as mute as dumb animals, and "so weak," they say. Is this to be wondered at, when ministers all over the land indulge in these very things? It was formerly easy to distinguish God's people from the worldling by their plainness in dress; but now who can be thus distinguished? The latest styles are as eagerly sought for by professors as by open sinners. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
3. Absence of the fruit and witness of the Spirit. A justified person has the witness of the Spirit. When he loses that witness, he is no longer a Christian he is a backslider. "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." "Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Those who have the Spirit, have also the fruits of the Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance," etc. The justified person loves everybody, both friends and enemies. He has no hatred to any one, for hatred is one of the works of the flesh, and "they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Yet large numbers can persuade themselves to believe that they are Christians, while they cherish feelings of resentment and ill-will in their hearts. They may deny having any hatred, but their conduct their sour, backbiting spirit proves it to a demonstration. If such feelings exist in your heart, you are backslidden. Unless you forsake your sin, you will go down to hell. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. If a man say I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." While you have the Spirit, you will not give way to unholy tempers and passions, and become angry when you are tried and provoked. You will not indulge in outbursts of impatience, and wreak out vengeance upon evil-doers; you Will not return evil for evil, and railing for railing; you will not speak evil of others, and take up a reproach against your neighbor; you will not love the world, or the spirit of it; you will not indulge in intemperance, either in dress, food, or in anything else; for such things are sins against God. Yielding to any one of them, you will lose your justification. Yet the mass of professors are dreaming of heaven, and daily committing these very sins! Their daily lives declare they have not the "fruit of the Spirit," but "the works of the flesh," and consequently they are not in favor with God. "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." Is this your condition, professing to be a Christian, and destitute of these fruits -- having nothing but leaves? -- resting only in the form, and lacking the power? O repent, for you have as much need to be saved as any open sinner. No one can have the salt of the Gospel in his heart, and fail to be a blessing to society in some form or other. His words, deeds, and general deportment, yes, and his very countenance, will tell for good in a variety of ways, and wherever he goes. Yet there are multitudes of professors who are like salt without any flavor -- they have lost their saltiness. No one is blessed under their prayers; no one is edified or lifted up by their conversation; no one is convicted of sin by their walk and conduct. True, they talk about religion, attend the means of grace, and give something away; but there is no salutary influence in their lives. They fail to draw souls toward God -- a sure and plain evidence of a backslidden state. "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad."
4. An unbridled tongue. Here are some of the marks of an unbridled tongue: (1) Excessive conversation. "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin; but he that refraineth his lips is wise." (2) Exaggerated discourse. "But let your communication be Yea, yea; Nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil." (3) Gossip. "A prating fool shall fall." (4) Foolish talking and jesting. "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks." (5) Controversy. "Doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings," etc. (6) Backbiting or slander. "Speak evil of no man." "To be no brawlers." "Speak not evil one of another, brethren." (7) Idle words. "But I say unto you, that for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give an account in the day of judgment." (8) Lying. "And all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." (9) A religion that does not bridle the tongue is a vain delusion. His heart is deceived, his profession is worthless. "If any man among you seemeth to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor." From the above we see that the government of the tongue is placed among the things essential to our gaining heaven.
5. Backslidden in heart. (1) The person in this state may have a good clear theory. If he is a preacher he can give a sermon as correct in doctrine as anyone. (2) He may be very straight and exact, and talk a great deal against the popular sins of the day -- yes, and denounce them with considerable vehemence. He may love the truth to a wonderful extent. (3) He may be very spirited in his testimonies, prayers, etc.; yes, and very courageous. There is a great difference, however, between mental zeal and spirituality. (4) He may sometimes get touched by the Spirit. It is the blessed work of the Holy Spirit to call back the wandering one. To bring this about, he sometimes comes with melting, convicting power upon the lukewarm soul. The backslider in heart will consider these visitations as evidence of his acceptance with God, and say, "God wonderfully blesses me." He thus mistakes the operation of the Spirit, taking His striving for His indwelling. But how great the difference between these two operations, every truly saved soul knows. O, lukewarm soul, the trouble lies within. You have lost that warmth of feeling in your soul towards God, which you had at the time of your conversion. You have lost that burning zeal, and those strong desires you then felt within you. You have lost that joy and blessed relief you then tasted; and now you feel lukewarm, easy and indifferent. Your spiritual appetites are no longer keen and strong, so that the means of grace are often dry and insipid to your taste. You no longer feel that deep anxiety to grow in grace and become more and more heavenly-minded. Ah, no! You have left your first love; you have turned away from God. The only way to retain your justification is to be eagerly desiring and pressing on for the whole will of God to be done in the soul. One of the chief causes of backsliding among Christians, is their neglect to obey the Spirit in earnestly seeking after the entire sanctification of their natures. When you were brought to God, did you not hunger and pray for this? But you ceased to groan for it, and now you are not panting after God at all. Hear the word of the Lord! "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Cold-hearted professors say to young converts: "You will not always feel like this; you will not always have this joy and flaming zeal; you will settle down and become quiet." Oh, what damning advice! If the Devil can get souls to believe that they can be destitute of joy, zeal and power, and still have Christ in the heart, he is satisfied. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Oh, think of being spued out of the mouth of God before an assembled universe! "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion." "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." Here is an awful curse pronounced against the people -- not for any outward sin -- but because they did nothing, they were easy and indifferent. Notice some characteristics of a backslider in heart: (1) He is greatly blind to his real condition. "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways." "Yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth it not." "He walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth." Hence, when spoken to about his condition, he is much surprised, and enquires, "Why, what have I done? What have I to repent of?" (2) Indefinite testimonies. He exhorts others; thanks God for His goodness, and for the good desires he has; but he never testifies to a present experience of saving grace. It is often the case, that after such persons have been talked to about their state, they become troubled, and excusing themselves they say, "Well, if I have no religion, I never had any." Then they will tell Mr. Smooth-the-conscience how discouraged they feel. The advice they get is, "Do not throw away your confidence." This is soothing. They then tell the person who has been dealing faithfully with them: "There, I thought you were too hard on me." 3. The remedy. Such a one is all wrong, because his heart is wrong; therefore, he must repent of his backsliding, and turn to God, or be lost. "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do thy first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
Perhaps the following spiritual thermometer, or scale of the progress of sin and grace, as given by the Lutheran Almanac, slightly altered, may be profitable at this point:--
20 -- Glory, And Eternal Blessedness.
19 -- Desiring To Depart And Be With Christ.
18 -- Patience In Tribulation; Glorying In The Cross.
17 -- Sanctification; Advancing In Holiness.
16 -- Ardent Love For The Souls Of Men; Zeal To Do Good.
15 -- Desiring Daily Communion With God.
14 -- Deadness To The World By The Cross Of Christ.
13 -- Frequent Approaches To The Lord's Table.
12 -- Love Of God Shed Abroad In The Heart.
11 -- Meeting For Prayer And Christian Experience.
10 -- Delight In The Company Of The Pious.
09 -- Justifying Faith; Peace With God.
08 -- Godly Sorrow For Sin; Penitently Looking To Jesus.
07 -- Love Of The Means Of Grace Confirmed.
06 -- Vain Company Wholly Given Over.
05 -- Evangelical Light Increased; Hope Springing Up.
04 -- Frequent Attendance At Public Worship.
03 -- Daily Perusal Of The Bible; Meditation.
02 -- Conviction; Retirement For Private Prayer.
01 -- Consideration; Concern For The Soul; Alarm.
[Everything Above Is Progressively Better]
00 -- Indifference -- [The Dividing Point]
[Everything Below Is Progressively Worse]
01 -- Family Worship Only On The Lord's Day.
02 -- Private Prayer Frequently Omitted.
03 -- Family Religion Wholly Declined.
04 -- Levity In Conversation.
05 -- Worldly Fashions Adopted With Delight.
06 -- Luxurious Entertainments Frequented.
07 -- Associations With Carnal Company.
08 -- Love Of Novels And Romances.
09 -- Attendance At Theaters, Balls, Dances.
10 -- Parties Of Pleasure Frequent.
11 -- House Of God Forsaken.
12 -- Taverns And Dram Shops Attended.
13 -- Deistical Company Delighted In.
14 -- Private Prayer Wholly Neglected.
15 -- Parties Of Pleasure On The Lord's Day.
16 -- Revelling; Drunkenness; Fornication; Adultery.
17 -- Infidelity; Lewd Songs; Gambling.
18 -- Cursing; Swearing; Pleading For Sin.
19 -- Scoffing At Religion; Persecuting The Pious.
20 -- Disease; Misery; Guilt; Death -- Punishment In Endless Perdition
The reader must peruse this from the middle upward, or downward, until he reaches the degree at which he now stands. Let him be careful of the first descent in the scale of sin; for it is as the letting forth of a flood -- we see the beginning, but not the end; it is hid in darkness. "But the path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
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