Paul's Passing Thoughts

The Southern Baptist attitude concerning backslidden Christians reminds me of what Jay Adams shares in a lecture from INS’s biblical counseling correspondence course. He shares that he would often ask audiences for a show of hands by those who would admit that they worry. Apparently, in almost every case, most of the audience would raise their hands with a this is funny because we all know that we worry smirk on their faces. He would then ask for a show of hands from those who would admit that they had  stolen in the past, or who were tempted to lie from time to time. According to Adams, the demeanor was instantly less festive and but a few raised their hands—reluctantly. Adams’ point is that we must gauge our concern for the seriousness of an issue according to how God sees it, not us. Like telling lies and stealing, we are commanded in the Bible NOT to worry. By the way, worry can take a person out just as quick as any other sin.

Hence, in this hyper-grace, we can’t keep the law perfectly anyway age that we live in, backslidden Christians are spoken of with the same urgency as aunt Betty’s common cold “that’s going around.” And the prescription is the same: “Take two Jesus Loves You pills and one We can’t Earn His Love Anyway capsules and see me at the next ice cream social. “You are coming—right? We would love to see you there to prove that we don’t judge.”

In Chapter 15 of Jeremiah, we see that Christ died for much more than the common cold. Heaven looks low on an attitude that doesn’t share God’s loathing for what sent Christ to the cross to redeem man. Verse 6 reads as follows:

“You have rejected me,” declares the LORD. ‘You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; I can no longer show compassion.’”

God was not talking to the Canaanites, or the Babylonians, or any other Gentile nation that represents the unregenerate. How can they be backsliders? What are they backslidden  from? He is talking to His covenant people—those who claim His name and claim to belong to Him. In all English translations (in other words, all of the translators agree), the idea taken from the Hebrew is that Judah was in a backward motion. Or, if you will, backslidden people who claimed to be of God. God hates sin in general, but apparently, He is particularly agitated by those who claim to be His while reveling in what He hates, or at least indifferent to it. For sure, it could be deemed worse because vile behavior is expected of the unregenerate.

Notice that regardless of one’s claim, backsliding ( Tanakh Jewish Study Bible: “ever backward” indicating a continual pattern) is a rejection of God. From God’s perspective, He is being rejected. Regardless of what we think while raising our hands with a knowing grin, God says: “You have rejected me,” and in case you miss the point, he adds; “declares the Lord.” It’s a declaration by God—any questions?

Just how angry does God get when those who claim His name backslide? We get an idea in this same chapter:

“Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!  And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity. ‘I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,’ declares the LORD, ‘the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.’”

In contrast to what they had in Him, God asks: “Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask how you are?” There is only one who really cares for us, but yet, backslidden Christians will not even be a memory to the world they lust for while rejecting the God who gave it all to redeem them.

Backslidden Christians don’t get it, and it is our responsibility to make sure they know that they are rejecting God. Jeremiah did not preach anything different from the apostle John who called on the church to do the following: “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.”

Eventually, backslidden Christians will go too far, and prayer will be futile. Unless we pray and come along side with wise counsel (Galatians 6:1), it will be too late. This is no trite matter. Churches that are lax in regard to turning souls from death should ask themselves why they neglect such a high calling of love towards other Christians.

paul