The Backslider

Devotional

Day 1: The Slow, Subtle Drift Away from God

Backsliding is not always a sudden fall, but often a slow, subtle drift away from an engaged relationship with the Lord. One day, the fire for God burns brightly, with hunger for scripture and excitement for service. Yet, little by little, the fire cools, the hunger fades, and excitement turns to routine. This gradual cooling can lead to boredom, marking the reality of a heart slowly turning away. [01:32]

Jeremiah 14:7 (NIV)
Although our iniquities testify against us,
do it for your name’s sake, Lord.
For we have backslidden many times;
we have sinned against you.

Reflection: How have you noticed your spiritual "fire" or "hunger" subtly shifting over time, and what might be contributing to that change?

Day 2: The Stubborn Heart's Immature Refusal

The biblical understanding of backsliding describes a stubborn refusal to go where God has called. It's like a "stubborn heifer," immature and unwilling to be led to green pastures. This reflects an immature, stubborn refusal to live according to God's word, to repent of sin, or to make time for serving and worship. It signifies a heart that has dug in its heels, refusing to budge from its own desires. [05:17]

Hosea 4:16 (NIV)
The Israelites are stubborn,
like a stubborn heifer.
How then can the Lord pasture them
like lambs in a meadow?

Reflection: In what area of your life do you sense a stubborn resistance to God's gentle leading, and what might be the root of that reluctance?

Day 3: Recognizing the Perils of a Drifting Heart

A heart that drifts from God often reveals itself through specific dangers. Joy in serving may evaporate, making worship a chore and ministry a burden. There can be a growing unembarrassed attitude toward sin, minimizing or justifying actions. A sour spirit may develop toward other believers, leading to criticism and fault-finding. Ultimately, this drift can lead to indifference about the eternal destination of others, as personal worries take precedence. [21:04]

Hosea 11:7 (NIV)
My people are determined to turn from me.
Even though they call me Most High,
I will by no means exalt them.

Reflection: When you reflect on your spiritual journey, what specific "alarm bells" (like loss of joy or indifference to others' spiritual well-being) might indicate a drifting heart?

Day 4: God's Unfailing Love Invites Us Home

Despite our wandering, God's heart is to heal and restore us, not to leave us in a backslidden condition. Jesus' parables of the prodigal son, the lost coin, and the lost sheep beautifully illustrate God's active pursuit of those who have strayed. He offers unfailing love, full redemption, and a free pardon for our waywardness. His desire is to cure our backsliding and purify us from all unrighteousness. [24:58]

Jeremiah 3:22 (NIV)
“Return, faithless people;
I will cure you of your backsliding.”

Reflection: Considering God's persistent love, where do you feel Him specifically inviting you to return or draw closer to Him in this season of your life?

Day 5: Confession, Restoration, and Mutual Accountability

The path back to God begins with confession and repentance, a moment of "coming to our senses" and turning our hearts toward Him. This act of turning brings refreshing and purification, restoring our relationship with God. Furthermore, the church community plays a vital role in this journey, as we are called to gently restore those who wander from the truth. We have a responsibility to encourage one another, fostering accountability and building each other up in faith. [30:08]

1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Reflection: What is one concrete step you can take this week to either confess an area of drift to God, or to gently encourage a brother or sister who may be wandering?

Sermon Summary

Backsliding is portrayed as a slow, deliberate drifting away from an engaged life with God — a cooling of spiritual hunger that moves from fervent devotion to routine indifference. Backsliding rarely arrives as a dramatic fall; it accumulates through small concessions, misplaced priorities, and an inward turn toward self, pleasure, or approval. 

Consider Lot.  He did not wake up in Sodom.  He "pitched his tent toward Sodom".  It was a deliberate act on his part to have the opening of his tent "face" Sodom.  Until, eventually, he would be pitching his tent "in" Sodom.

The pastoral argument frames backsliding as intentional in practice — a sequence of choices that distance a person from God, not an accidental mishap — and underscores the spiritual emptiness that results when worldly satisfactions replace the One who alone satisfies. 

Yet, even though we may intentionally step away from God, He pursues us, promising pardon, restoration, and refreshing for those who confess and turn back. The response required is honest repentance: like the Prodigal's coming to his senses and returning home - or - instead of pitching one's tent toward the "world", we reorient ourselves so our tent opens toward the Lord again.

Communal responsibility is also central to restoring the backslidden. The  church is called not only to "reach the lost" but to rescue those who have wandered, restoring them to the fellowship they have wandered from.

Key Takeaways
  • 1. Backsliding is gradual and deliberate Spiritual decline usually advances through steady, conscious choices rather than sudden catastrophe. A pattern of small concessions, repositioned priorities, and growing indifference accumulates until worship, service, and Scripture lose their central place. Recognizing this pattern early disrupts the false comfort that “it won’t happen to me.” Awareness of deliberate turning helps motivate decisive return and ongoing vigilance. [07:53]
  • 2. Flesh craves; heart must be disciplined The body’s appetites oppose spiritual allegiance and require regular, sometimes painful, discipline to keep Christ central. Paul’s insistence on disciplining the body signals that spiritual stability is won in daily mortification of impulses, not once-off resolve. Discipline reorders desire so that love for God outranks fleeting satisfactions. Without it, spiritual fervor cools into practical unbelief. [09:16]
  • 3. Little compromises become spiritual captivity Small, seemingly harmless choices—“one bite at a time”—reorient vision and eventually relocate the heart into worldly spaces. Pitching a tent toward Sodom is emblematic: proximity begets influence, and influence begets assimilation. The discipline is preventative: guard openings, inspect daily choices, and uproot compromises before they calcify. Repentance intervenes sooner when the pattern is noticed. [13:02]
  • 4. Restoration requires confession and return Divine healing is promised, but it hinges on honest turning: coming to one’s senses, confessing, and reorienting life toward God. Scriptural promises of cleansing and refreshing follow the posture of repentance, not merely remorse. Confession reestablishes spiritual transparency and opens the way for renewal. It is the bridge from wandering back to fellowship. [26:07]
  • 5. Church must gently restore each other Christian community bears responsibility to notice wandering, intervene with humility, and restore in gentleness. James and Galatians frame restoration as redemptive labor that saves souls while guarding the helper from temptation. Restoration practices combine truth-telling with loving patience, practical accountability, and repeated invitation. The church’s tenderness can be the channel of God’s healing. [29:30]
Youtube Chapters
  • [00:00] - Welcome
  • [00:24] - Defining black backsliding
  • [02:25] - The Hebrew word: sorer
  • [05:17] - Stubborn immaturity explained
  • [09:16] - Discipline the flesh daily
  • [10:02] - Biblical examples of falling
  • [13:02] - How backsliding begins
  • [16:51] - Signs and dangers of drift
  • [22:14] - God’s heart to restore
  • [28:53] - Church’s role in restoration
  • [36:21] - Invitation: surrender all

Bible Study Guide

### Bible Reading

Jeremiah 14:7 "Although our sins testify against us, Lord, do something for the sake of your name. For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you."

Hosea 4:16 "The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?"

Hosea 14:4  "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely."

Jeremiah 3:22 (NIV 1984): "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding." 

Acts 3:19: Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…

1 John 1:9 (NIV 1984): "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

James 5:19-20 "My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

Galatians 6:1 (ESV): "Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted".


### Observation questions

  1. According to Jeremiah 14:7, what is the relationship between "iniquities" and "backslidings"? [01:53]
  2. In Hosea 4:16, what animal is used to describe the people of Israel, and what does this imagery suggest about their behavior? [03:16]
  3. According to James 5:19-20, what is the responsibility of a believer when they see someone "wandering from the truth"? [28:53]
  4. In Jeremiah 14:7, what is the reason given for asking the Lord to "do something" despite the people's sins? [01:53]

### Interpretation questions

  1. The Hebrew word *sorer* means to shrink back or flinch. How does this definition change the way we view sin as a "stubborn refusal" rather than just a mistake? [02:54]
  2. Solomon had God appear to him twice, yet his heart still turned away. What does this suggest about the relationship between spiritual experiences and the daily discipline of the heart? [06:02]
  3. Demas is described as deserting the mission because he "loved this world." How can a love for the world coexist with a love for God, or are they naturally at odds? [12:19]
  4. Galatians 6:1 mentions restoring someone in a "spirit of gentleness" while watching yourself. Why is humility and self-examination necessary when trying to help someone else who has wandered? [29:53]

### Application questions

  1. Backsliding is often a slow, subtle drift where excitement for worship and scripture turns into a routine. [01:02] Have you noticed any areas in your life where spiritual hunger has cooled into "routine indifference"?
  2. The flesh has a natural bent for turning away from God and requires daily discipline to remain a servant of Christ. [09:16] What are some practical ways you "discipline your body" or your schedule to keep God at the center?
  3. Lot didn't move into Sodom overnight; he started by simply "pitching his tent toward" it. [10:34] Are there any "little compromises" or directions you are looking in right now that might be leading you toward a place you don't want to be?
  4. A sign of a backslidden heart is when the things of God that used to bring joy—like singing or serving—now feel like a chore or a burden. [18:03] If you’ve lost that joy, what specific "weeds" might be choking out your devotion? [15:52]
  5. Repentance is described as "coming to one's senses" and reorienting life so the "tent opens toward the Lord." [26:33] What would "pitching your tent" toward God look like for you this week in your home or workplace? [27:16]
  6. We have a responsibility to rescue those who have wandered, not just to reach the lost. [28:53] Is there someone in your life who has drifted away from fellowship? How can you reach out to them with "gentleness" and "patient accountability" this week? [29:30]

Sermon Clips

One day, you're on fire for the Lord. You love going to worship. You're hungry to read scripture. You're hungry to be in Bible study. You're excited about serving, and then little by little, things begin to change. The fire cools. The hunger fades. The excitement turns to routine. And before long, you begin to when whenever there's a routine in your life, you you begin to start becoming bored with that routine. That's what backsliding that's when backsliding becomes a reality. [00:01:02] (33 seconds)  #ComeToYourSenses

That is that is why Hosea is using this phrase. And by stubborn, it means that you can't lead that person who is immature to green pasture. They planted their feet. They locked up their legs. They've dug in their heels. They're refusing to budge, to let you lead them anywhere. And Hosea is calling Israel, a stubborn heifer, to to to give that visualization. Their immaturity has led them to rebellion. And that's the picture of backsliding. [00:04:37] (37 seconds)  #OneBiteAtATime

We stop talking to God. We stop reading his word. We stop serving. Pray our prayer life gets shorter or it becomes routine. What you prayed today is no different from what you prayed yesterday. Your Bible gathers dust. Serving in a ministry at the church becomes a chore instead of a joy. Backsliding starts when we make less room for God. And we make less room for God because we filled it with something else. And what we have filled it with is exactly what our flesh wants. Me, me, and more me. [00:16:48] (43 seconds)  #DontJudgeTheOutcast

These are the dangers of backsliding and what it eventually leads us to. But the best part is that God doesn't wanna leave us in that condition. The best part is that God doesn't wanna leave us leave us there. In fact, time and time again in scripture, in the gospels, what we find Jesus doing is going to the house of the sinner and sitting and eating. [00:22:06] (32 seconds)  #ConfessAndBeCleansed

Sitting there while there's others on the other side of the picket fence looking at him and scoffing and saying, look at him and where he's dining with. Or someone's broken an alabaster jar to pour the perfume out to wash his feet, And they're standing at the other side of the table going, doesn't he even know who that person is? Because if he did, surely he wouldn't want her touching his feet. [00:22:39] (31 seconds)  #StubbornHeartsResist

``Or we see the stories that he shares about the father that's standing at the ending of the driveway waiting for his son to come to his senses and come home. Or the woman who is feverishly cleaning up her house looking for that 1 coin that she has lost, or the shepherd who has left 99 aside to go and find the one that has wandered away to bring him home. [00:23:10] (29 seconds)  #SeekTheLostHome

In the story of the prodigal son that I mentioned earlier, there came a part, and I love the phrase, you hear me mention it every time I bring up the prodigal son story, I'm sure, for those of you that are our regulars. There comes a point where Jesus says that the young man came to his senses. There comes a point when you and I need to recognize the separation that we have caused between us and God. Now I'm talking about for those of us that have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and have by our own will and volition backslidden or walked away from God. Where we come to our senses and realize, I've walked away from God. I'm outside the will of God. I have forsaken the love of God. [00:26:14] (54 seconds)  #MakeRoomForGod

Here, Peter is saying pitch your tent. Turn to God so that it is opening is toward him. He says that there will be a refreshing, a refreshing that can only happen when our relationship with God has been restored, when we realize that first John promise that we are purified from our sins. That can only happen when we confess. That can only happen when we come to our senses. That can only happen when we stop making excuses. That can only happen when we say to our flesh, flesh, you're not in charge here anymore. We see what God has promised to do. He will purify. He will cleanse. He will cure. He will heal. He will restore. But you have to confess it. [00:27:42] (53 seconds)  #FromFireToRoutine

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