Consequences Of A Backsliding Heart

Scripture Reading:  Luke 16:15

Last week we looked into some evidence of a backslidden heart.  This week we are going to look into the consequences of a backslidden heart.  Remember this is taken from a sermon by Charles G. Finney.  Last week I asked all of us to go home and contemplate what was said.  I know, that at some time in our Christian walk, we have all experienced a backslidden heart.  Tonight, lets take a look at the consequences.

     The Backslider In Heart Shall Be Filled With Their Own Ways:

          1. They shall be filled with their own works. These are dead works, they are not works of faith and love, which are acceptable to God, but are the filthy rags of their own righteousness. If they are performed as religious services, they are an abomination to God; there is no heart in them. To such a person God says: Isaiah 1:12 "Who hath required this at your hand?" …  Luke 16:15  "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God" …  John 5:42  "I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you"

          2. They shall be filled with their own feelings. Instead of that sweet peace and rest, and joy in the Holy Ghost, that they once experienced, they will find themselves in a state of unrest, dissatisfied with themselves and everybody else, their feelings often painful, humiliating, and as unpleasant and unlovely as can be well conceived. It is often very trying to live with backsliders. They are often peevish, censorious, and irritating, in all their ways. They have forsaken God, and in their feelings.

          3. They will be filled with their own prejudices. Their willingness to know and do the truth has gone. They will very naturally commit themselves against any truth that bears hardly upon a self-indulgent spirit. They will endeavor to justify themselves, will neither read nor hear that which will rebuke their backslidden state, and they will become deeply prejudiced against every one that shall cross their path, who shall reprove them, accounting him as an enemy. They shut their eyes against the light; stand on the defensive, and criticize everything that would search them out.

          4. A backslider in heart will be filled with their own enmities. They will chafe in almost every relation of life, will allow themselves to be vexed, and to get into such relations with some persons, and perhaps with many, that he cannot pray for them honestly, and can hardly treat them with common civility.

          5. They will be full of their own mistakes. They are not walking with God. They have fallen out of the Divine order. They are not led by the Spirit, but are walking in spiritual darkness. In this state they are sure to fall into many and grievous mistakes, and may get entangled in such a way as to mar their happiness, and, perhaps, destroy their usefulness for life. Mistakes in business, forming new relations, in using their time, tongue, money, and influence; all will go wrong with them as long as they remain in a backslidden state.

          6. They will be filled with their own lusts. Their appetites and passions, which had been kept under control, have now resumed their control, and having been so long suppressed, they will seem to avenge themselves by become stronger than ever. The animal appetites and passions will burst forth, to the astonishment of the backslider, and they will probably find themselves more under their influence and more enslaved by them than ever before.

          7. They will be filled with their own words. They will not, and cannot, control their tongue. It will prove itself to be unruly, full of deadly poison. By their words they will involve themselves in many difficulties.

          8. They will be full of their own trials. Instead of keeping out of temptation, they will run right into it. They will bring upon themselves multitudes of trials that they never would have had, had they not departed from God. They will complain of their trials, but will constantly multiply them. A backslider complains of being so tried by everything around them, they constantly aggravate the problems.

          9. They will be full of his own folly. Having rejected the Divine guidance, they will evidently fall into the depths of their own foolishness. They will inevitably say and do multitudes of foolish and ridiculous things. Having knowledge of the true way of life, they have abandon it. Knowing the fountain of living waters, they have forsaken it.  Jeremiah 2:13  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, [and] hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Having been guilty of this infinite folly, the whole course of his backslidden life must be that of a fool, in the Bible sense of the term.

          10. They will be full of their own troubles. God is against them, and they against themselves. They are not at peace with God, themselves, the Church, or with the world. They have no inward rest. Their conscience condemns them. God condemns them. All that know his state condemn them. Isaiah 57:21 "There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked."

          11. They will be full of their own cares. They turn back to selfishness. They count themselves and their possessions as their own. They will not hold themselves and their possessions as belonging to God. They do not cast their cares upon the Lord, but try to manage everything themselves.

          12. They will be filled with their own disappointments. Having forsaken God, and taken the attitude of self-will, God will inevitably disappoint them as they pursue their selfish ends. They will frame their ways to please themselves, without consulting God.

          13. They will be filled with their own tempers. Having forsaken God, they will be sure to have much to irritate them. In a backslidden state, they cannot possess their soul in patience. A backslidden life will make them nervous and irritable; their temper will become explosive and uncontrollable.

          14.  Their heart will be full of their own delusions. Having an evil eye, their whole body will be full of darkness. They will almost certainly fall into delusions in regard to doctrines and in regard to practices. Wandering in darkness, as they do, they will, very likely, swallow the grossest delusions. Spiritism, Mormonism, Universalism, and every other ism that is wide from the truth, will be very likely to gain possession from them.

A backslider in heart is full of their own self condemnation. Having enjoyed the love of God, and forsaken Him, they feel condemned for everything. If they attempt religious duty, they know there is no heart in it, and hence condemns themselves. If they neglect religious duty, they of course condemn themselves. If they read their Bible, it condemns them. If they do not read it, they feel condemned. If they go to religious meetings, they condemn him; and if they stay away, they condemn them also. If they pray in secret, in their family, or in public, they know they are not sincere, and feel condemned. If they neglect or refuse to pray, they feel condemned. Everything condemns them. Their conscience is up in arms against them, and the thunders and lightnings of condemnation follow them. These are some of the consequences of a backslidden heart.  There is hope, next week we will look into how to recover from this state.

A Backsliders Heart

Scripture Reading:  2 Corinthians 5:16-21

     Have you witnessed people who have fallen from the faith?  This week I was searching sermons from other Pastors.  I came across one by Charles G. Finney that made the hair on my arms stand up.  As I read it the Spirit in me came alive with passion. Wow, I thought to myself, this is right on, tonight I am going to share some of what Charles had to say.

     What is backsliding in heart?:

          1. It consists in taking back that consecration to God and His service, that constitutes true conversion.

          2. It is the leaving, by a Christian, of his first love.

          3. It consists in the Christian withdrawing himself from that state of entire and universal devotion to God, which constitutes true religion, and coming again under the control of a self-pleasing spirit.

          4. Scripture implies that there may be a backslidden heart, when the forms of religion and obedience to God are maintained. As we know from consciousness that men perform the same, we are certain that men may keep up all the outward forms and appearances of religion, when in fact, they are backslidden in heart, but they have lost the power of godliness in their soul.

     What are evidences of backsliding in heart ?:

          I was amazed that Charles listed 32 way’s we can tell someone has a backsliding heart … Here are just a few of them:

          1.  Manifest formality in religious exercises. A stereotyped, formal way of saying and doing things, that is clearly the result of habit, rather than the out gushing of the religious life. This formality will be emotionless and cold as an iceberg, and will evince a total want of earnestness in the performance of religious duty. In prayer and in religious exercises the backslider in heart will pray or praise, or confess, or give thanks with his lips, so that all can hear him, perhaps, but in such a way that no one can feel him. Such a formality would be impossible where there existed a present, living faith and love, and religious zeal.

          2.  A lack of religious enjoyment. We always enjoy the saying and doing of those things that please those whom we most love; when the heart is not backslidden, communion with God is kept up, and therefore all religious duties are not only performed with pleasure, but the communion with God involved in them is a source of rich and continual enjoyment. If we do not enjoy the service of God, it is because we do not truly serve Him. If we love Him supremely, it is impossible that we should not enjoy His service at every step. Always remember then, whenever you lose your religious enjoyment, or the enjoyment of serving God, you may know that you are not serving Him.

          3.  An ungoverned temper. While the heart is full of love, the temper will naturally be chastened and sweet.  We will keep it under control, and not break out in outrageous abuse. If at any time it should, it will soon be brought under control, and not allowed to continue. A loving heart confess at a break down. Whenever, there is an irritable, uncontrolled temper allowed to manifest itself to those around, you may know there is a backslidden heart.

          4.  A censorious spirit. This is a spirit of fault-finding, of impugning the motives of others, when their conduct admits of a charitable construction. It is a disposition to fasten blame upon others, and judge them harshly. It is a spirit of distrust of Christian character and profession. It is a state of mind that reveals itself in harsh judgments, harsh sayings, and the manifestation of uncomfortable feelings toward individuals. This state of mind is entirely incompatible with a loving heart, and whenever a censorious spirit is manifested by a professor of religion, you may know there is a backslidden heart.

          5.  A lack of interest in God's Word. Perhaps nothing more conclusively proves a backslidden heart, than his losing his interest in the Bible. While the heart is full of love, no book in the world is so precious as the Bible. But when the love is gone, the Bible becomes not only uninteresting but often repulsive. There is no faith to accept its promises, but conviction enough left to dread its threatening. But in general the backslider in heart is apathetic as to the Bible. He does not read it much, and when he does read it, he has not interest enough to understand it. Its pages become dark and uninteresting, and therefore it is neglected.

          6.  A lack of interest in the conversion of souls. There is nothing in which a loving heart takes more interest than in the conversion of souls in revivals of religion, and in efforts to promote them.

          7.  The loss of interest in truly spiritual conversation.  "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matthew 12:34). This our Lord Jesus Christ announced as a law of our nature. No conversation is so sweet to a truly loving heart, as that which relates to Christ, and to our living Christian experience. If you find yourself losing interest in conversing on heart religion, and of the various and wonderful experiences of Christians, if you have known what the true love of God is, you have fallen from it, and are a backslider in heart.

          8.  A self-indulgent spirit. By self-indulgence, I mean a disposition to gratify the appetites, passions, and propensities, to "fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind" (Ephesians 2:3).

          9.  Loose moral principles.

        10.  A complainer about forms, ceremonies, and nonessentials. A loving heart is particular only about the substance and power of religion, and will not complain about its forms.

     10 of 32 way’s we can tell if we have a backsliding heart. I want you all to go home and really chew on what was said tonight. Are you practicing even one of the things I mentioned tonight?  Are you truly seeking God the way He would have us?  Are you serving God or just going through the motions?  Next week we are going to look into the consequences of backsliding in heart.  There is hope, the following week we are going to look at how to recover from the backsliding heart.

Why Should We Read The Bible?

Scripture Reading:  2 Timothy 3:16

 

     The Bible is God's Word to us, "God-breathed".  It is God's very words to us, God answers all of our questions in Scripture.  What is the purpose to life?  Where did we come from?  Is there life after death? How do I get to heaven?  Why is the world full of evil?  The Bible gives practical advice: What do I look for in a mate?  How can I have a successful marriage?  How can I be a good friend?  How can I be a good parent?  We should read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable and without error. Tonight we look at the question “Why should I read the Bible”.

Our Holy Book:

     The Bible is unique, it doesn't merely give moral teaching’s and say, "Trust me.".  We have the ability to test it by checking the hundreds of detailed prophecies that it makes.  This is done through historical accounts and by checking the scientific facts it relates to.

     Those who say the Bible has errors have their ears closed to the truth.  Jesus asked which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or "Rise, take up your bed and walk.".  He proved He had the ability to forgive sins (something we cannot see with our eyes) by healing the paralytic (something those around Him could test with their eyes).  We are given assurance that God's Word is true when it discusses spiritual areas that we cannot test with our senses by showing itself true in those areas that we can test, such as historical accuracy, scientific accuracy, and prophetic accuracy.

God Or Man Do Not Change:

     Mankind's nature does not change.  The Bible is the same today as when it was written.  As technology changes, mankind's nature and desires do not.  Whether we are talking about a one-on-one relationship or societies, "there is nothing new under the sun" Ecclesiastes 1:9

     We seek love and satisfaction in all of the wrong places.  God tells us what will bring us lasting joy.   His revealed Word.  The Bible is so important that Jesus said  "Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" Matthew 4:4 .  If we want to live life to the fullest, as God intended, we must listen to and heed God's written Word.

What Does The Bible Tell Us?:

     There are many false teachers.  The Bible gives us the measure by which we can distinguish truth from wrong.  It tells us what God is like.  The Bible tells us how we truly get to heaven.  It is not by being good or by being baptized or by anything else we do:

          John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

     God's Word shows us just how much God loves us:

          Romans 5:6-8  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

     The Bible equips us to serve God:

           2 Timothy 3:17  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

           Ephesians 6:17  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

     It helps us know how to be saved from our sin and its ultimate consequence:

          2 Timothy 3:15  and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

     God’s Word helps us see sin and helps us get rid of it:

          Psalm 119:9, 11  Beth. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 11. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

     It gives us guidance in life:

          Psalm 32:8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

     The Bible keeps us from wasting years of our lives on that which does not matter and will not last:

          Matthew 7:24-27  "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

     Reading and studying the Bible helps us see beyond the sinful temptations.  We can learn from others' mistakes rather than making them ourselves.  Experience is a great teacher, but when it comes to learning from sin, it is a terribly hard teacher.  It is so much better to learn from others' mistakes.

      The Bible is a book that is not just for reading.  It is a book for studying so that it can be applied.  The Bible is God's Word.  We can have bad results by not adhering to it.  The same as we would if we ignored the law of gravity.  I cannot emphasize strongly enough just how important the Bible is to our lives.  When we make ourselves the final arbitrator of which parts of the Bible are to be interpreted literally, we put ourselves above God.  Who are we to say that one person’s interpretation is any more or less valid than an others?  The Bible is God’s Word to us and He meant it to be believed.

Guest Pastor

Greetings everyone. This week we had a guest Pastor fill in for me.  I want to thank Neil D. from the Corner Stone Disciples for providing a wonderful sermon. I had a previous engagement to conduct a wedding ceremony at Crescent Beach in Rochester. I did not attend his sermon but was told that the Spirit was moving throughout the building. I talked to Neil this morning and thanked him for filling in. He told me that it was a Blessing for him to be there. When we are led by the Spirit, God's Word spills from our lips. Neil spoke about being obsessed and preoccupation of our being. A message that I'm sure was well received. I will be back next week and have another message from God to share with everyone. Thank you again to Neil and everyone who attended his service. God Bless and have a safe week.