By Ciaran Fitzsimons
"A true covenanter says, 'sooner death than to be false of faith.' We will do everything for Jesus. We will for His sake bear reproach (Hebrews 13:13), and for His sake we will labour to win souls unto God. We vow that He will be glorified in our mortal bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20). We further state that, by some means, His great name will be made known to the ends of the earth (Psalm 48:10)." Charles H. Spurgeon.
This is a topic that I think should be addressed within the main line churches. Some may agree with what I say some will not, but I will leave that to the individual who reads this. The question is can a believer backslide from the faith. My answer is, no. Why? You may ask. If someone has truly repented of their sins and truly know what they have been forgiven of, how could one backslide? No true convert could ever backslide from his Lord if he has truly given his heart to Him. A false convert is one as Jesus said in Matthew 13:20-22 "But he who received the seed on stoney places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who received seed among thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful."
I believe verse 22 is showing the modern church, the modern church today is getting worldly and luke warm. The churches today are acting like the world, talking like the world and bringing in worldly entertainment with Christianity in the mix. It always majors on minors such as prosperity when the most important thing is to win souls into the kingdom, that is the great commission.
The church does not confront people with the sin issue. A lot of gospel tracts don't really mention what sin is and that is transgression against Gods Holy Law, that is why there are so many false converts in the church today, they never understood the sin problem and what God has done to deliver us from that transgression. A lot of churches teach about the love of God but you cannot show them the Love of God without showing them that Gods wrath abides on the unrepentant sinner.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. What is sin? We have all stolen, lied in some part of our lives and some still do, we have all lusted after someone. Jesus said if you look with lust upon a woman you have committed adultery in your heart? We have all murdered, John says that if we are angry with your brother (1 John 3:14-15) God says we are murderers at heart. Can you see why Gods wrath abides on us? Matt 15:19-20b "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man..."
We are all sinners and none of us are good, "there is none that does good no not one". Our good works will never give us eternal life, what will? Repenting and turning away from our sins and placing our trust in the Saviour. Eternal life is a free gift from God we cannot earn it. We have seen that Gods wrath abides on the unrepentant sinner now we shall look at his love, towards us. "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." God sent His Son Jesus to die on the Cross, He was whipped until His flesh was taken from His body, beaten to such an extent that He could not be recognised, had His hands and feet pierced for you and for me. Why? Because all of the sin of mankind was placed upon Him. The ultimate sacrifice, God sacrificed Himself to deliver us from sins grasp. All we as sinners have to do is confess our sins to Him, accept Jesus' atoning death for us and turn from our sinful nature. If we sin again, repent and put your trust in Him.
Those who understand the wrath and the love of God and His grace to save us are true converts, they are not confessing Christians who come to church one week and miss several. The true convert will want to have fellowship with his Lord and Saviour and have fellowship with other believers continually. They will eat and drink Gods word daily and will not leave Gods word on a book shelf to gather dust. Those who do not read Gods word daily, but occasionally need to check and see if they are in the faith. There are many false converts in the church today who think they are saved and really are not because all they have ever heard was Gods love, they received the antidote before they are told the sympton...sin seperates us from God. They will hear Jesus say "depart from me I don't know you." that word know in greek means I do not intimately know you. If God is speaking to you that you may not be a true convert truely repent and place your trust in Him and read the word of God daily to show yourself approved.
May Gods rich blessings be upon you.