10 Hopeful Bible Verses About Backsliding | Backsliding in The Bible

 

Have you made several bad choices in your life but have an urgency to find your way back to God?

Maybe you have asked God for forgiveness, but still feel a heavy condemnation because of your past.

Regardless of how sinful your life might be my friend God is waiting for you with arms open wide.

In this article, we will dive into bible verses about backsliding, examples of backsliding in the bible as well as explore my personal testimony of how I found my way back to God.

 

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Backsliding in The Bible

Before we dive into what does the Bible say about backsliding, I think it’s important that we first explore the concepts of backsliding as well as blasphemy, two commonly misunderstood terms. Backsliding is where a christian has fallen back into prior sinful practices that do not align with the word of God while Blasphemy on the other hand according to the Oxford Dictionary is “the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.” From these definitions, we can see that these two terms are referring to different scenarios.

 

We are often guilty of not believing that God has indeed wiped our slate clean and instead walk around still burdened with the sins of our past. In Matthew 18, Jesus recounts the story of the lost sheep. A man has 100 sheep, if one is lost, he willingly leaves the 99 in search of the sheep that has wondered. It’s the same with our Heavenly Father, he came to save those which are lost not the righteous to repentance (Luke 5:32).

 

God loves you unconditionally, in John 3:16 we are reminiscing that, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

 

Regardless of your stained past, God wants to wipe your slate clean and have a relationship with you. In Isaiah he says, though your sin be as Scarlett they shall be as white as snow.

 

 

Can A Backslider Be Restored? My Personal Backsliding Testimony

My name is Jessica Alvarado and I am 35 years old. I am from San Antonio, Texas. From the age of 13-24, I served with my parents as missionaries in Mexico, then I came back to Texas to finish my education.

I met my husband here and we are now parents to two beautiful daughters. I started my blog FAB (Faith and Books) in January, where I focus on books and bible verses that inspire me, as well as do book reviews for Christian authors & Christian publishers.

 

When I was 24 I hit a very dark place when unexpected life events happened. There are a variety of causes of backsliding but this was mine. I know people at church meant well, but I was the center of attention and didn’t appreciate the pity looks I received. So, I started missing church and looking for friendships outside of church.

 

This wasn’t a bad thing, but I started joining my newfound friends in ungodly activities. For the first 24 years of my life, I was sheltered. I was home schooled and dedicated all my free time to assist newcomers, persons in need in hospitals, and on the streets.

 

I had never so much as stepped foot in a movie theater and all of sudden everything that I had never done started looking very appealing. My dad then was very strict and had a serious conversation with me about coming back to church.

He was hoping I would snap out of it and told me that I had to pick God or my new friends. To which I stared him in the face and said `my friends’. To which he replied, ‘give me the key to the house’. Which I gave to him and was gone by morning.

My choices went from bad to worse, and my dad came looking for me many times after that, but my heart was hardened. I was severely depressed and became an alcoholic.

As soon as I would get out of work I would drink my life away.  This was daily and weekends were worse because I didn’t have to work. After a year of this nonsense I decided to come back to the States to finish my education.

 

In the States, not only did I feel depressed I felt the worse anxiety ever. I was tired of the life I was living yet I could not leave my addictions. I felt out of place at church, and even in this country. I was from U.S. but spent so much time in Mexico, the fast pace life was a little too much for me.

 

Where I lived we would only have water supply 2 or 3 times a week so we had to store water in barrels and be frugal with it. Also, washers and dryers were a luxury. Can you believe I didn’t know how to use the gas pump at age 25? It was a very stressful time for me and alcohol and cigarettes weren’t enough for me anymore.

I started sinking deeper into a hole I myself was digging. There were times I started to doubt God existed then I would remember miracles I saw in Mexico. I saw someone being raised from the dead, demons being cast out, and remember God speaking to me.

Yet I was prideful and needed help getting out. Then I met my now husband, not a believer but “Mr Health guy” with a bachelors degree in Kinesiology.

 

He gave me plenty of sermons about my drinking and smoking. I think God started working with me then. Any doubts I had about him disappeared when I got pregnant with my first daughter. How could he not exist when here I was carrying a  precious miracle growing inside of me?

 

He literally took my addictions away through my pregnancy, my taste buds had changed and I couldn’t even stand the smell of cigarettes!!! I had people praying for my return and I don’t think I would have made it without their prayers.

 

I  finally gave myself completely to Christ again in January 2017. A random lady at the library I had been talking with gave me her number before we parted and she invited me to church for about a month. Then one Sunday I was feeling low and tears were coming down for no reason, I felt led to go to her church. The preaching that day was the story of when Mary and Joseph lost Jesus and had to go looking for him. The story can be found in Luke 2:41-52. I have not looked back since.

Whenever I need some encouragement, I often go to Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It reminds to go to God for strength, because on my own I can’t do anything, but with him everything is possible.

 

If I could give some advice to my younger self, I would tell my younger self to hold on to God  it will blow over,  learn from your mistakes. While I wish I would have avoided all the heartache I caused myself and my parents, my failures have made me who I am today.

I cannot change the past, only learn from it and use it to help others. If I had not gone through what I did, I would never have had the ability to truly understand backsliders, people with addictions, or even know how visitors at church feel. I was only fortunate God saved me before I ended up 6 foot under.

 

The word of God is our bread of life. If you struggle to read it, find creative ways to incorporate it in your life. The same with prayer. When I feel the need for more or know I need to be more sensitive to his voice, I fast. Surround yourself with positive people who want to do God’s will. Go to church even on days that you are tired or don’t feel like it.

 

Prayer, reading the Bible as well as inspirational living books, fasting, joining Bible study groups and helping the church in what I can are all great ways to grow your faith.

 

Bible Verses About Backsliding

Looking to learn more about what does the bible say about backsliding? Be sure to checkout backsliding scriptures listed below. The following backsliding bible verses have all been taken from the King James Version.

 

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 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.” 2 Peter 2:20-21

” Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:18-20

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-6

 

Scriptures on Backsliding

 

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” John 3:36

“They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.” Luke 8:13

” For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5

“Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.” Jeremiah 3:22

 

Bible Verses About Backsliding

I do believe we all,  as followers of Christ, are tempted continuously by the devil. It is like 1 Peter 6:8 says: ” the adversary, the devil, is as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” We, as followers of christ, will be tried, tempted and/or tested by the devil at every opportunity he gets.

The bible tells us that “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 and that the “wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23 but there is hope. If we read the rest of the text we learn that “THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, that is the key.

You see if we sin and “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9 because Jesus Christ “is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” Hebrews 7:25.

 

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