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The evidence of a backslidden heart is a lack of interest in God's Word...nothing more conclusively proves that one has a backslidden heart, than his/her losing interest in the Bible. While the heart is full of love, no book in the world is so precious as the Bible. But when the love is gone, the Bible becomes not only uninteresting but often repulsive. There is no faith to accept its promises, but conviction enough left to dread its threatening. But in general the backslider in heart is apathetic as to the Bible. They do not read it much, and when they do read it, they do not have interest enough to understand it...as its pages become dark and uninteresting it is neglected.
The loss of interest in the question of sanctification is an evidence of a backslidden heart.
I say it again, the loss of interest, for, if you ever truly knew the love of God, you must have had a great interest in the question of entire consecration to God, or of entire sanctification. If you are a Christian, you have felt that sin was an abomination to your soul. You have had inexpressible longings to be rid of it forever, and everything that could throw light upon that question of agonizing importance was most intensely interesting to you. If this question has been dismissed, and you no longer take an interest in it, it is because you are backslidden in heart.
Spiritual blindness is another evidence of a backslidden heart. While the eye is single the whole body will be full of spiritual light, but if the eye be evil (which means a backslidden heart) the whole body will be full of darkness.
Spiritual blindness reveals itself in a lack of interest in God's Word, and in religious truth generally. It will also manifest a lack of spiritual discrimination, and will be easily imposed upon by the insinuations of Satan. A backslidden heart will lead to the adoption of lax principles of morality. It does not discern the spirituality of God's law, and of His requirements generally. When this spiritual blindness is manifest it is a sure indication that the heart is backslidden.
2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. (NLV)
Psalm 38:18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
...a backslidden heart, in the Bible, is represented as a state of spiritual death.
Last edited by Verna Perry; 12-04-2010 at 12:23 AM..
When your focus is on the LAW, then LOVE becomes OUT of focus.
The law pointed out that we are in NEED of something.
We need to LEARN something.
What is that "something"?
It was never about a list of mindless dos and donts. The law was put into place as a FRAMEWORK. Where there is LOVE, the law is FULFILLED. The Law isn't "IT!!" LOVE is "IT!!!" The law was just a precursor, a necessary "preschool" teacher put in place in order for the REAL LESSON to come.
Again, When you focus on the law... LOVE becomes OUT of focus.
Jesus came to correct our focus...
Love fulfills the law.
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
LOVE is the FULFILLING of the LAW.
The most important thing in this world is love.
LOVE is the most important lesson, possibly the only REAL lesson we are all here to LEARN.
When your focus is on the law... you are never going to progress to learning the REAL lesson.
A “Christian” is not a person who has said a prayer, walked down an aisle, or been raised in a Christian family.
While each of these things can be a "PART" of the Christian experience, they are not what “makes” a Christian.
A Christian is a person who has, by faith, received and fully trusted in Jesus Christ as the only TRUE Savior (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9).
The most frequent objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation are:
(1) what about those who are Christians and continually live an immoral lifestyle?
(2) what about those who are Christians but later reject the faith and deny Christ?
The problem with these two objections is the assumption “are Christians.”
The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a continually immoral lifestyle (1 John 3:6).
As a born-again child of God, that is to say one that has accepted the LORD Jesus Christ as their savior, there is a standard for of conduct, both in private and in public. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
The Bible declares that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he/she never truly was a Christian (1 John 2:19).
If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never "eternal" at all.
When your focus is on the LAW, then LOVE becomes OUT of focus.
The law pointed out that we are in NEED of something.
We need to LEARN something.
What is that "something"?
It was never about a list of mindless dos and donts. The law was put into place as a FRAMEWORK. Where there is LOVE, the law is FULFILLED. The Law isn't "IT!!" LOVE is "IT!!!" The law was just a precursor, a necessary "preschool" teacher put in place in order for the REAL LESSON to come.
Again, When you focus on the law... LOVE becomes OUT of focus.
Jesus came to correct our focus...
Love fulfills the law.
Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
LOVE is the FULFILLING of the LAW.
The most important thing in this world is love.
LOVE is the most important lesson, possibly the only REAL lesson we are all here to LEARN.
When your focus is on the law... you are never going to progress to learning the REAL lesson.
Just some thoughts, that's all.
peace,
sparrow
Beautiful post, sparrow . . . as usual. It seems like such simple Good News . . . It boggles the mind at how we humans have so perverted and twisted it to fit the various agendas of those in charge of the religions.
Beautiful post, sparrow . . . as usual. It seems like such simple Good News . . . It boggles the mind at how we humans have so perverted and twisted it to fit the various agendas of those in charge of the religions.
They hated the w-h-o-r-e yet ate her flesh (doctrine) Rev. 17:16
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