If there was ever a time that you loved the Lord Jesus more than you do today then you are a backslider. Your heart will backslide long before you become a backslider in action.

Frequently a backslider does not know that they are a backslider. You need to have gone forward in order to slide back. See 2 Samuel 7 – David. David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a courageous man. (Fought lions, goliath, etc) He was a gifted man. (Musician, poet) He was a humble man. (). He was a noble man. (He would not touch Saul). Yet he fell hard. You are not a better man than David.

1 – The cause of David’s backsliding

Notice four sins:-

• The sin of casualness (vs1). David did not go to war. David tarried at Jerusalem. David has decided that he is now going to have a life of ease. He is sending someone else into the battle. David assumes that God is going to be with him. It was evening time that David arose out of his bed. He has been in bed all day. He has been lazy. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. If there had been a TV he would have been watching it. When you retire from you work the relationship with God does not stop.
• The sin of carelessness (vs2). He is walking along the roof of his palace and sees a woman bathing. David stayed there to gaze upon here. Because he has been casual he is getting careless. He is entertaining things that he would never have entertained before. You must guard what does into your mind. Would you put garbage into your mouth? Why put it in your mind? There are things you need to have nothing to do with.
• The sin of compulsiveness (vs3). He sent someone to enquire about the woman. It was a spur of the moment but it followed from the sins of casualness and carelessness. The devil will take you down at the right moment and you will fall hard. We all have a capacity for terrible evil.
• The sin of callousness (vs. 4). In order to cover his sin he eventually has Bathsheba’s husband Uriah killed. David sought to cover his sin but when this failed he “arranged” for Uriah to be “accidentally” killed. It was at the best manslaughter and at worse murder. The adultery was a warm-blooded sin. This was now a cold-blooded sin. Uriah, who would have died for David’s honour, was murdered by David.

2 – The cost of David’s backsliding

See Psalm 32. David went for about a year before confessing his sin. David was suffering inner turmoil.

• Sin causes premature aging. Physical strength suffers.
• Groaning all day long. The heart is down.
• God’s hand was upon him night and day. God chastens those he loves.

All the joy has gone out of his life. His faith is so dry. He is backslidden. David wanted the joy of his salvation restored unto him.

3 – The crisis of David’s backsliding

God will not let things remain the way they are forever. He will bring a crisis.

• Conviction – “Thy hand is heavy upon me”. That is the time to get right with God.
• Chastisement – God will lay the rod on you. He does it because he loves you.
• Challenge – God will bring a challenge to you. 2 Samuel 12:7 “You are the man”. If David had not got right there and then God would have struck him down dead. (Vs 12,13) Moses died this way. There is a sin unto death. You can die prematurely. God will call some of you home. He will not let his children become an embarrassment to his family. He will take them home. (E.g. like one of your kids misbehaving at a party).
• Consummation – See story of Balaam. The angel was about to slay Balaam. The backslider has not lost salvation but lost their human life here on Earth.

Categories: Proverbs