Confessions of a Restored Backslider – Part 3

Stating the obvious and claiming the same that we all have or will hold the title of “Restored Backslider.” 

It really doesn't matter what sin has control of you or which sin you are battling, what does matter is that SIN is in control and you are out of control.  You will never control sin, you will not conquer it, sin will control you, the only hope that any of will ever have over sin is in Jesus. 

Those who have gone to Alcoholics Anonymous are familiar with the statement, “One drink is too many and a thousand is not enough,”recovering Drug addicts who have attended NA meetings have a similar statement.  Sadly, the truth for believers is a short variation of the same concept, “One sin is too many, period!” (James2:10, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in onepoint, he is guilty of all.”)

The fact is that everyone is born a sinner and the only difference between some and others is that some have accepted Christ as Savior and others not.  If it was not for Jesus, we would all be hopelessly and helplessly enslaved in sin yet today.  The good news is that the Scriptures teach us that once we have received Christ as Savior all of our condemning sins are gone.  I have listed a few passages of Scripture as a sampling of what the Word of God tells us about the sin that once had enslaved us:

Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Micah 7:18-19, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?  He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. (19) He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities.  You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea”

 

In these passages of Scripture and others we find that one of the blessings in our relationship with Christ is that He has separated us from our past sins and their penalty.  Although He has freed us from the penalty of sin He did not separate us from the enticement of sin nor did he free us from the entrapment of sin.  That battle is a part of our walk and is our responsibility while we are here on earth.  We do find that God has made a way for us to escape from the sins that are used to ensnare us, sins that will ultimately separate us from the relationship that we have with Him (not the salvation that we have in him). 

For every choice, sinful or not, there is always a decision to make and therein lies the avenue to sin.  Sinful choices are generally selfishly made; many of them are usually preplanned and they are those that will lead you down a path that is away from God, away from the escape that God has already provided.  The battle against sin must be taken seriously to avoid the snares the enemy has placed in our way to entrap us.  God has already promised to do His part to prepare us a way out to “deliver us from evil.”  The way that He provides for us also causes us to run to Him.  It causes us to flee the call and entrapment of sin.  “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)  There is one thing to note here with this passage and that is that it is NOT that God does not give us any more than we can handle, but that He helps us to handle that which we have been given.  We do not have to face any situation alone and the way can be easier to face if we go through it with God’s help.  We see that God makes a way to escape or bear it; the responsibility is ours in that we have to want that escape route and we have to choose to use it.  We need to use it long before we are entrapped by sin. 

In the Word of God we find a precious illustration of God the Father in that He is always willing and waiting for us to return to Him, just like the father of the prodigal son.  He wants to lovingly welcome back the backslider who returns to the faith; He passionately welcomes each "faithless child" back home with a loving embrace as they return to Him.  He is not shaken, He is not taken aback, and we find that he loves us as only He can.  Mercy is once again extended towards us because God is who He is and He is always there, always ready to restore.  We find that the Scriptures say,"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory." (Philippians 4:19). 

What the majority of believers must come to realize after salvation is that our greatest need in Christ according to Philippians 4:19 is restoration.  This is because we are prone to back slide.  We all mess up, we will all backslide and the only path to restoration is in JESUS.  The Old Testament illustrations that we find in scripture is that we believers are not that much different than Israel.  This is found in their relationship with Him, we have already noted this passage, “Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?  They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.” (Jeremiah 8:5 NKJV)  The Prophet of God throws out the question from God, “Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem (All Believers), in a perpetual backsliding?  Note the substitution?  If we are honest with ourselves and with God we can clearly see it and ask:

“How many times have I failed Him?”     -    “Unknown?” 

“How many times can it happen again?”  -     “I don't know?” 

Even with these questions in mind, this one thing I do know is that He has and He always will offer and provide us a way of restoration.  We find in the Word of God truths that God promises not only to forgive us but also to help us and to return us back to the state of proper son-ship that He desires for us.  We find healing for the Backslider in Isaiah 57:14-15, “And one shall say, ‘Heap it up! Heap it up!  Prepare the way, take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.’ (15) For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’” 

The truth here is that we are all prone to backslide, there is only one cure for our tendency to backslide and that is Jesus.  He is the one who provides us a way of escape and that way of escape is always in Jesus.  His grace is unlimited, His forgiveness is ongoing and His mercy, as always is most graciously, everlasting.  This, my friend, is my confession to you, as one who is not just a saved and forgiven but also of on who is constantly tempted to backslide, it is a “Confession of a Restored Backslider.”