Your faith doesn't seem that strong. Your prayers are no longer that meaningful. Your belief has already dwindled down. In other words, your heart has changed.
In the past, God's own people turned their backs on Him and it's no surprise that Christians still do that today. There can be different reasons for why a Christian backslides but the point is, backsliding is not good and you have to act on it fast!
What does the Bible say about backsliding and how does God deal with Christians who backslide? Take a look at these five very important verses on backsliding:
1. Prayer is your main weapon.
Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
I heard a pastor say once that backsliding begins when a Christian neglects his private time with God. I must say, I really agree with this. As Christians, we all hang on to our belief and faith alone.
Our faith is strengthened when we read God's word and have private talks with Him. One cannot exist without the other. A lack of communication will easily lead the heart to get discouraged and as a result, the heart wanders away from God. Thus, it is an absolute must that we spend time to talk to God every day.
2. God will not hold it against you.
2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face andturn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
When a Christian realizes that he has turned his back on Jesus, the guilt and shame can be overwhelming. In some cases, they choose not to come back to God because they think that they won't be forgiven. However, the truth is, God only asks us to humble ourselves and repent. If we turn our back on sin, then God will gladly accept us again.
3. Always check your faith.
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
As Christians, we shall never be complacent. We know that our God is good, merciful and just, but we cannot take that for granted. We must also do our part in serving the Lord.
There is a reason why we are called to attend church and be in fellowship with fellow Christians—it strengthens our faith and help us grow as Christians. So, always be cautious and check yourself, how is your faith today? When you feel like you're starting to wander away from God, pray more.
4. We all get what we deserve.
Proverbs 14:14 "The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs."
You know what they say, what goes around comes around. If we follow God's word, then we will be rewarded in heaven. If you backslide and choose to be faithless, you will get what you deserve. The rule is simple. Do not allow your heart to go astray.
Remember, we are all in this for the long haul. Our true reward is in the afterlife, when we finally spend time with God in heaven for eternity. Our life here on Earth is a test and one that we must pass.
5. Let us not forget.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14 "Be careful that you don't forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command—the ordinances and statutes—I am giving you today.When you eat and are full, and build beautiful houses to live in, and your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold multiply, and everything else you have increases, be careful that your heart doesn't become proud and you forget the Lord your Godwho brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery."
We have so many things to worry about every day. We constantly think about our finances to make sure we can pay the bills and save up too. We worry about so many things that we lose sight of our real purpose.
Don't you notice? When you're doing well, happy and financially abundant, you tend to forget to thank the Lord. On the other hand, if you're going through a tough time, you pray harder. This is a perfect example of how we fail the test every day. Keep in mind that everything we have is from God and we shall never forget Him nor allow our hearts to turn away from Him.
The enemy is always at work and it finds pleasure in seeing you turn your back from the Lord. Do not give the enemy the satisfaction to see you become faithless. Pray and pray more and let God be the center of your life and heart.
