There is nothing more precious than seeing a person come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! There is a celebration in their soul and a celebration in Heaven...all at the same time!
However, when you deal with some who has turned their back on Jesus - you'll need every ounce of GRACE to penetrate their hard shell. A lot of prayer and fasting is required to continue extending grace to someone that has denounced their faith in God.
Why do people backslide? There are several reasons...
- they feel God let them down;
- they got their feelings hurt;
- they become deceived by their own intellect and feel they have a better plan than God;
- they won't receive instruction;
- they feel like their missing out on the world;
- etc...
As a pastor, I've tried just about everything to keep people on the straight and narrow. Gimmicks don't work. If a person isn't 100% sold-out to Jesus - then you can't make them live for Him.
I've talked with people who feel they have a better plan than God. They misinterpret the Scripture...they search the Bible to find a verse that will support their habit, lifestyle, laziness, etc...instead of searching the Word for TRUTH.
They can quote the Scripture...but their actions are far from the truth contained in the Word of God.
It's one thing to know the Scripture...
it's quite another to LIVE IT every day.
If you listen to their reasoning long enough, and don't know the truth of God's Word for yourself, you might even be convinced that their right.
There is no convincing some people. That's why Paul said in...
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
They have rejected Christ and the Cross.
If they don't want "the Truth" God will allow them to "believe a lie."
If they continually refuse the truth of God's Word...eventually they'll become so deceived that they won't know the truth when it stares them in the face. Another Christian may try to persuade them, a Pastor may try to reason with them, even the Word of God will try to penetrate them...but the BOTTOM LINE is that they must be OPEN to receive the truth.
It takes much wisdom in dealing with a backslider. You may wonder "How am I going to awaken their soul? How am I going to penetrate their backslidden heart? How am I going to make this person go back to God?" The truth...YOU CANNOT!
Only the Holy Spirit can perform this miracle. The Holy Spirit can use you to open up the way for Him.
- Continue to pray and fast for that person who is backslidden.
- Live a life of love in front of them.
- Hold fast to the truth of God's Word and do not yoke up with their train of thought.
- Remain sweet.
Each of us know if we're where we're supposed to be in our relationship with Jesus. We can try to convince everyone that we're "hiding under a rock with God" or "God knows my heart" or "I don't believe you have to go to church" or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah... (each excuse sounds the same as the next. If you hear one...you've heard them all.) The truth of the matter is that it's A HEART ISSUE.
Until the heart is fixed...the head will be full of delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:11).
- As a result the backslider will make up their own doctrine, misinterpret Scripture and have themselves convinced that their right.
- When that happens...they'll find fault in everything people do, everything the church is doing, etc.
- It's an attempt to cast conviction off of themselves by casting a shadow onto others.
- Thus, you'll hear a litany of excuses to try and mask the real reason for their backsliding.
- If you walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
Love the BACKSLIDER!
Cling to the TRUTH of God's Word!
