Monday, September 26, 2011

The fruit of his ways…….good or bad

“Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing
That you have forsaken the LORD your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,”
Says the Lord GOD of hosts.”   Jer. 2:19  NKJV

The Lord showed the prophet Jeremiah that backsliding was a terrible offense.  I imagine that God must find it reprehensible that one who knew His grace and loving forgiveness could walk away from it and return to a life of sin.

We see from the above Scripture that they will reap what they have sown.   Their bondage will be bitter, because they have shown bitterness toward God in forsaking Him.   God is very angry with them, because they did not fear Him and worship Him.

This is like rebellion from a spoiled child.   Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.   He leaves no doubt at all who speaks this.   It is the Lord God of host!

Backsliding is when a born-again believer in Christ turns back to sin or becomes stubborn in his heart and refuses to submit to the will of God in his life.   The outward actions are only symptoms of the real problem-----the attitude of the heart---which must be dealt with in order to change the actions.

Backsliding is like carnality, in that your own desires and devices are acted out as opposed to God’s will (I Cor. 3:3, Prov. 14:14). 

“Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord?  Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you…..”  Jer. 2:17,19.

The causes of backsliding are many and varied.  Some are hidden; others are obvious.   But the usual tendency is to emphasize the externals: pornography, additions: sex, drugs and alcohol, lying, fornication/adultery, hatred….etc.

The lack of positive, spiritual input (prayer and Bible study), however, has just as detrimental an effect upon the soul as the introduction of evil influences.  Starvation from God’s Word can be as deadly as the ingestion of any lethal substance.

God does not condemn us---our own wickedness and backsliding do that.   Nor did Jesus come to do so, but to give us life abundantly (John 10:10).   Therefore, if we will confess our sins, God will forgive us (I John 1:9).   

Accept His forgiveness and then forgive yourself!    Forgive those who have wronged or resented you.  

The Holy Spirit gives a Christian the ability to overcome sin.   He gives power to be a Christ-like person, He guides, comforts, teaches spiritual truth and equips each one with the gifts and qualities of God (Acts 1:8, Jn 14:16, I Cor. 12, Gal. 5:22-23). 

“The man who has gone back into sin will get the fruit of his ways, and a good man will get the fruit of what he does”.   Prov. 14:14 NLV

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