What Causes a Christian to Backslide?
A Christian's backsliding is caused by sin, which separates us from God and others, and can be prevented by abiding in Jesus.
This sermon delves into the reasons why Christians may regress spiritually and return to their old sinful ways, emphasizing the impact of sin as the ultimate separator. It highlights the importance of fellowship with the Lord and with one another, drawing parallels to the unity within the Trinity. The message stresses the necessity of abiding in Jesus to bear fruit and avoid spiritual withering, ultimately pointing out that salvation hinges on remaining connected to Him.
Full Transcript
Now the big question is, what causes a Christian to go back to his old sin, to his old ways? Yes, that he regresses spiritually. How is it possible that the Christian can have an experience that overflowing life, where his heart is full of joy and overflows with the Christian life and then it stops?
I remember at the wedding of Baba Jablan Dube, one Christian got up If I remember correctly it was in 1968, this person got up And he said to the bridegroom, he said, God has created us that we should be one There's just one thing that can separate us And that one thing is sin, nothing else can separate us other than sin Our text here refers to fellowship with one another That we should have fellowship with the Lord Jesus as the Lord has fellowship with God and at the same time enjoying fellowship with one another And he said there's just one thing that will separate us and that is sin And it says if we have fellowship, if we walk in the light as he is in the light then we will have fellowship with one another If we have fellowship So we can have fellowship and should have fellowship with one another As the Father and the Son are one and united and the Trinity is one so we should enjoy such fellowship So how is it possible that you can have that fellowship with the Lord and then you later forsake him?
And so if we have fellowship with the Lord we are one with him so we will have fellowship and unity with one another as well In the Gospel of John where the Lord speaks about the vine He said abide in me as the branch abides in the vine If we don't abide in him we will wither We will not bear fruit and eventually end up being thrown into the fire That's tragic If you don't abide in Jesus Abiding in the Lord as that branch abides in the vine That branch will just wither and die and end up being thrown into the fire Salvation is only possible if we abide in him as that branch abides in the vine If we do not abide in Jesus we will wither You will notice You will notice You will notice such a person that doesn't abide in the Lord and enjoy that fellowship anymore He will wither, you will notice it, you will no longer have that joy he had in the beginning And if we wither in our spiritual life we are on our way to hell Spiritually we can only survive if we stay and abide in the vine as that branch But the branch that doesn't abide in the vine will wither, will not bear fruit and eventually end up in the fire
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Backsliding
- What causes a Christian to go back to his old sin?
- The importance of fellowship with God and others
- The consequences of not abiding in Jesus
Key Quotes
“God has created us that we should be one There's just one thing that can separate us And that one thing is sin, nothing else can separate us other than sin” — Erlo Stegen
“If we don't abide in him we will wither We will not bear fruit and eventually end up being thrown into the fire” — Erlo Stegen
“Salvation is only possible if we abide in him as that branch abides in the vine” — Erlo Stegen
Application Points
- To maintain a strong spiritual life, a Christian must abide in Jesus and enjoy fellowship with God and others.
- Sin can lead to backsliding and spiritual death, but salvation is possible through abiding in Jesus.
- A Christian should recognize the signs of backsliding, such as a lack of joy and fellowship, and take steps to return to a right relationship with God.