Slip Slidin’ Away

I remember hearing this song as a child. I checked and discovered it was sung by Paul Simon about some girl who was “♪ Slip Slidin’ Away.”

So, this blog is dedicated to the term “backsliding”. The Hebrew root word means ‘to turn back.’ This blog also builds on previous blogs, Hit the bullseye. What bullseye? and To eat or not to eat the apple?.

2 Peter 2:21-22 says, “For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

Peter was the apostle to the Jews, Galatians 2:7.

According to the flesh, I am not Hebrew. Although I am more Jewish than a physical Jew, or Jew by birth.

Huh? Chapter and verse please? Okay. Romans 2:29.

Back to backsliding. Peter wrote his letters to Messianic Jews. They were Hebrews who accepted Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the Messiah in their hearts.

Warning: Gentile Christians need to be careful not to turn letters intended for Messianic Jews into law. Other examples of letters to Messianic Jews are Hebrews and James.

Wait a minute. Paul says there is no Jew or Gentile in Christ. Correct. He didn’t write 1 Peter, 2 Peter and James. Yeah, but he may have written Hebrews. Who was the letter of Hebrews sent to? Do I have to answer? It wasn’t the Gentiles. Can the Gentiles benefit from reading it. You better believe it. It is the Word of God.

So, am I saying, “Don’t read these letters?” NO, they are the inspired Word of God. All I am saying is to ‘rightly divide the Word’ like Paul told Timothy. Keep it in mind.

Okay, back to ♪ Slip Slidin’ Away. I keep hearing the song in my head now.

Question. Where do you find the word “backsliding” in the bible?

Answer. Old Covenant.

What were they backsliding or turning back from? The Mosaic Law.

Backsliding is not a New Covenant term. This sounds like semantics. It could. It could also sound like rightly dividing the Word of Truth according to sound doctrine which is a point of this blog. In my opinion, God is more concerned about people’s lives than semantics. Sound doctrine and other doctrine effects people’s lives. I can attest to that. I prefer sound doctrine. It works. It changes my life daily to be more like Him.

So, if a Christian is doing something like stealing or lying what is it? If the judgment or penalty for sin doesn’t exist anymore according to my conscience (Read Hit the bullseye. What bullseye?), and I steal (which I of course don’t condone) then what is it?

Galatians 5:19-21 talks about what it is. Here is an excerpt from verse 19, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest” This could also read “manifestations of the flesh.” So, if a Christian steals, gets drunk, lies, cheats on taxes, or whatever it is a manifestation of the flesh. The judgment of the law has been abolished at Calvary in the flesh of God’s only begotten Son.

So, now I can go and steal and it’s okay? Great! WRONG!

I had to make that big and bold font. Grace gives us mercy and forgiveness as previously stated. It also gives us power! Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me…”

A witness of Christ does not accept Him as Lord and Saviour and then go and steal or break the law. That is not a witness. A witness receives the power of Christ after the baptism of the Holy Spirit and then grows and walks in the Spirit of God according to the grace and knowledge of Christ in them. Grace teaches us to say, “NO, to ungodliness.”  In Christ, by the revelation of Him, a witness does not have the desire to want to please the flesh anymore according to the faith of Christ in them. This is a total antithesis to works. Works are based on merited-performance and presumption.

At times, I can be hardheaded. It has taken me years to understand this (didn’t have to though.) I would try to be godly and stumble. Try to be this. Try to be that. Then I’d get tired and get back ‘in the flesh.’ What a witness. Then I’d reconcile to God and noticed He didn’t change. He was still the same. He was waiting for me and ready for me to continue in grace unto godliness and not lasciviousness (Jude 1:4). He did not keep records of any wrongs. He did not give up on me. He did not condemn me.

Here is the caveat to greasy grace or living according to the flesh. I was miserable. Galatians says, “Use not your liberty as occasion to the flesh” for a reason. It also says, “God is not mocked.” You will reap what you sow.

Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Walk in the Spirit by revelation.

I brought unnecessary trials on myself because I did not have a sure, established spiritual foundation in my walk with Christ. My foundation was a mix based on religion and grace. Jesus said in Matthew 9:16,

“No man puts a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.”

When I tried to put the fig leaf (a reference to Adam’s self-strength) upon myself to cover my shame the rent/tear in what I thought was my garment of righteous was made worse.

My hope and purpose in sharing this is encouragement for the believer whom the enemy has lied to or deceived and said there is no hope. Love always hopes. It never stops.

So, if a believer says so-in-so was backsliding, watch out. They are attempting to sew the old garment of works onto ‘the robe of righteousness by faith.’ This is Impossible. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

I am under grace and not law. Romans 8:1,

“[There is] therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

To me, when someone says a brother or sister is backsliding, Christ’s heart in me goes out to the accused. I strongly desire to bring them back into the sheep fold where they belong. My heart goes out to them because what I hear is an attempt to put a curse on the brother or sister or ‘bewitch’ them like Galatians says. Instead of putting Love on them.

I do not condone or endorse greasy grace. That is not salvation. That is self-deception, misery, and wretchedness. No life there. I desire His life in me. His life in me is creates desire to ‘not want to’ steal, lie, etc. Sounds like John10:10, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.”

What does Christ say concerning greasy grace? Revelation 3:16, ” So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue (vomit) thee out of my mouth.”

Going to be graphic now. I recall times of vomiting due to food poisoning or dehydration. It is not a good feeling. You want to hold down the food, but can’t.