BACKSLIDING

Backsliding: The action of relapsing into bad ways or error.
I was asked by a reader, "Does God forgive multiple backslidings? I've been in and out of affairs three to four times and am deeply troubled by this subject. I'm a Christian and I'm wanting God to forgive me for my failures of falling away, but after reading one of your blogs concerning Christians sinning, I feel I am doomed."

I NEED TO CLEAR THIS UP IMMEDIATELY!

First, let me begin by making it very clear that God absolutely forgives His children of failures and backslidings WHEN WE ARE REPENTANT, seek His forgiveness for our error(s), and return to a relationship with Him. God will always forgive sin when we turn in penitence, confess our sins, and resolve to walk in His ways again. However, we are not supposed to do is use His mercy as an occasion to keep on sinning (Galatians 5:13). In other words, as an example, we are not to have an attitude of 'Well, I am saved by grace so God will forgive me for continuing my affair. He understands my needs. I'll end it when I'm ready.' That is purposeful, willful sinning. In your case, it sounds like you are where you should be. That is, ready to ask for forgiveness and to come back into the graces of God. Using your own words, you are not "doomed" just as the Prodigal Son was not doomed, King David was not doomed, and the Apostle Peter was not doomed for their backsliding. Why? They all had something in common. All three men were horrified regarding the decisions they made when they sinned against God. All three had realized their error. All three were sorry. All three repented. And all three returned to God and amended their ways. Let's look at each example:

PRODIGAL SON: He goes "into a far country, and there he squandered his inheritance in riotous living." So basically the son blew, wasted, and misused his father's inheritance. In that biblical age when children highly reverenced parents, it would have been equivalent to saying, "Father, I can't wait for you to die. Give me 1/3 of everything you have right now!" The father complies. So the son spends his money on unruly, rowdy living, in an undisciplined manner. He may have spent it on material things, gambling, prostitutes, etc. we just don't know. His actions not only showed disregard for his father but a heart full of greed and selfishness. His relationship with his father was severed. Yet, for all his misconduct he is still a son! When he finally came to his senses (read the story Luke 15:11-32) he was sorry for his sin. He was repentant and his desire was to return home. Was he welcomed? Was he forgiven? How was he greeted? I'll tell you how. He was given a fancy robe, a fancy ring, shoes, and set for him was a feast with guests, music, and dancing. The reason? "This my son was dead and is alive again" AND "He was lost, and is found." This is an example of God's reaction when we return from being lost and separated from Him because of sin." God does not begrudge us for what we have done. He doesn't take us back reluctantly. Like the father in the parable, He takes us back joyously! Eagerly! God's love is not conditional. WHEN WE RETURN, He accepts.

KING DAVID: Like many of all the great figures of the Bible, David was a man who struggled and was flawed. His demons would lead him to commit murder! Not only murder but adultery so he could amass power and a woman that didn't belong to him. However, despite his flaws, David had a heart for God, and God had a heart for David. David was appointed King of Israel, he was a man of God yet he sinned terribly! The guy was a murderer for goodness sake! He had Uriah killed in battle so that he could have Uriah's wife, Bathsheba! David's remarkably wicked act of murder which was rooted in lust and fear proved a deep flaw in David. But just as with the Prodigal Son, David, upon coming to his senses was sorry for his sins. That's the key to being forgiven, to be truly sorrowful and repentant, wanting to come back to God and to resume a right way of living. Psalm 51:1-19 is one of David's heartfelt prayers asking God for forgiveness. It's entirely too long to type the entire prayer, but you should read it. Here are the first two verses to give you an idea of what true repentance looks like: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." David's gravest sins were murder and adultery. Because of this, he suffered terribly. He lost four children. The first was the baby born of the adulterous, murderous, affair between him and Bathsheba. David also lost the respect of his people and his reputation was permanently besmirched. After sinning, David thoroughly repented. He actually stayed on his face for seven days in genuine contrition and grief for what he had done -- begging God for mercy. I see this as astonishing evidence of God's grace and forgiveness. Suppose you make some terrible decision in your life that you feel is too grave to be forgiven. Is it irreversible? Does it mean you cannot be saved or that God disavows your salvation? Absolutely not! The story of King David shows that God can redeem us even after we have wandered far from the path. Though He won't always reverse the consequences of our poor decisions, with true, genuine repentance we may return to Him.

Apostle Peter: Peter's sin was denial. After knowing Jesus personally, being chosen as a special disciple, breaking bread with Him, after following Him faithfully, seeing His miracles, Peter promised he would never deny Jesus. Peter did just that when the pressure was on when He might be killed for being one of Jesus' disciples. Peter not only denied ever knowing Jesus, but he denied so three times! We all know the story and it played out exactly as Jesus predicted in Luke 22:34, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." In one moment, Peter saw the depth of his own failure. He realized that he had just done what Jesus had foretold, the one thing Peter had passionately insisted he would never do -- he had disowned his beloved Master. It was a low point for Peter, perhaps the worse moment of the worse day of his life. Sometimes we learn the most about forgiveness when we realize how desperately we need it ourselves. Jesus knew that Peter would fail him, as we all do at times, yet Jesus said to Peter: "I have made supplication for you that your faith may not give out; and you, when once you have returned, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Jesus was expressing confidence in Peter's spiritual recovery and his return to faithful service. What a kind forgiving spirit Jesus has!

I want it perfectly understood that I believe Jesus forgives our mistakes, errors, sins, or when we backslide either moving away temporarily because of overwhelming temptation or even sometimes being away for years. "GO AND SIN NO MORE" is a command that should mean something to us because Jesus did not say those words in vain. As followers of Christ, we should not be willfully or intentionally disobeying Him due to disregard for God's laws. What I absolutely believe is that THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS FOR BLASPHEMY, also referred to in the scriptures as the "unpardonable," "unforgivable sin." I have written about it in previous blogs and it can be found in Mark 12:31-32; Matthew 12: 31-32; Luke 12: 10. Too, I want to reiterate (as written in other blogs) that scripture also points out that those who permanently turn away (speaking to Christians only) who never repent of their sin, and never return to a relationship with their Father in heaven --the three examples above did repent and return -- IF AFTER THEY HAVE KNOWN THE POWER OF GOD (that's having known of, and have been indwelled and made partakers of the Holy Spirit) they stay away and deny the power of the Holy Spirit they were shown, THESE are in danger of damnation. "For it is IMPOSSIBLE," says Hebrews 6:4-6, "for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the coming age and who HAVE FALLEN AWAY, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace."
We can be a genuine son or daughter of the Father - who are spiritually "alive" - and be "lost" through sin. And though Jesus said, "I will never leave or forsake you," we can turn our backs on our heavenly Father AND LEAVE HIM OF OUR OWN FREE WILL! Yes, the unpardonable sin is a real possibility for believers. That was my point in the other blogs, specifically "Once Saved Always Saved" and "Sealed Unto The Day Of Redemption." There is forgiveness for the truly repentant but not, however, for the Christian who blasphemes or leaves the faith willfully, going back into sin permanently never to repent and turn back to the Father. I hope this has made things clear.
Until next time,
-Pat-