Let All Backsliders Know…

Zephaniah 1:6
those who turn back from following the LORD
and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.”

Prophet Zephania delivers God’s message of judgment and destruction. The opening remarks of this book after introducing the writer is that God will sweep away everything, Zephaniah 1:2. What follows is God’s promise to severely punish various categories of sinners. Sinners who live in Jerusalem, Zephaniah 1:4. Sinners who worship Baal. Those who worship stars, Zephaniah 1:5. Those who swear by the LORD (yes, swearing even by God is sin. We should be saying either yes or no without swearing, Matthew 5:37). The other category of sinners to be punished are those who swear by the god Molek.

As God lists the people He is going to punish, we least expect the next category. Our usual list of sinners is obvious until God releases His list and we are shocked that even that category exists. The next category on the list is backsliders. Those who turn back from following the LORD, Zephaniah 1:6. They used to follow the LORD, but they have stopped, they have turned back. God has listed them as a group that He will target with severe punishment!

God does not excuse backsliders depending on what caused them to backslide. Regardless of what caused the backsliding, God tells us that they are liable to serious punishment. A backslider is a backslider. Some backslide in order to provide for the family. Some backslide because the church has bad members and leaders. Some backslide because they were so offended by someone. Some backslide because they do not want to be hypocrites like other members. Some backslide because of just laziness. Some backslide because they are angry with God.

Some backslide because they are addicted to online worship excuse, yet they never show up online for worship. Some backslide in order to find a life partner and settle down. Some backslide because of loss or grief or significant failure. Some backslide because they think they have found new light brighter than light in the true church. Some backslide because they are so intelligent and asses religion and spiritual things correctly and conclude that these are all fraud. There are so many reasons why someone would backslide. For God, it doesn’t matter, at the end of the day you chose to elevate the other reason over your faith in God. Therefore backsliding is rejecting God.

Some backslide by walking away from church and worship. Others backslide by spiritual laziness within the church. They neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him. That means they do not pray or study God’s word. All backsliders according to God are the same. A backslider had a situation and they chose to deal with it by turning their back on God. Instead of inquiring from God or patiently waiting for a solution from God. Because someone offended them, they abandon God and His church.

Hebrews 6:4-6
(4) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, (5) who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age (6) and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

The writer of Hebrew tells us that, it is impossible for a true Christian who has experienced God’s goodness to backslide and then return to God. The Hebrews writer further tells us that backsliding is as good as demanding the second death of Jesus. Backsliding disgraces God. This is why in the prophecy of Zephania, among the people who have seriously offended God are backsliders. Those who turn back from following the LORD. God promises to severely punish them.

It is possible to be physically present in church but to have backslidden. It is possible to rationalize backsliding. It is possible to see backsliding as elitist, something that will bring you glory and shine the limelight on you. Backsliding may seem to be a forte of the reasonable and proud. But we must understand it as the Bible teaches. Backsliding offends God. Any backsliding for whatever justifiable or other means is wrong, it offends God and attracts punishment from Him.

God expects us like the prodigal son to return home. God has forgiven our waywardness. God can save us from backsliding if we pray about it.

Dear God, save my backsliding, save us from backsliding, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

1. Rei Kesis YouTube Channel (subscribe, click on notification and share) –http://youtube.com/reikesis
2. Rei Kesis books on Amazon (Amazon will sell and deliver anywhere in the world. For those in Kenya you can buy from any ABC close to you. ABC is Adventist Book Center) –https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rei+kesis&ref=nb_sb_noss
3. Rei Kesis daily blog –https://reikesis.com/