Absolutely Useless

 

"Whenever you make up your mind to refuse to go where God wants you to go and to do what God wants you to do, you must make up your mind at the same time to renounce the friendship of God. You cannot walk with Him and at the same time be in rebellion against Him.

 

God has no possible way of entering into fellowship with the soul that is disobedient to His will. Believe me, it is absolutely useless. It is mere mockery, to say ‘Lord, Lord’ and then refuse to do the things that He commands you to do."  (Clovis G. Chappell)

 

Retail Sales Associate, Greg Bell, from the LifeWay Christian Store in Mount Juliet, TN, had an experience with a customer whose life was not what it needed to be in her relationship with God. Greg was where the Almighty needed him to be. Here is his story told in his own words as it is recorded in the article, “My LifeWay Story: Returning to God” (February 2017)

 “I could tell that the woman who quickly moved to the devotional book display was deeply bothered by something. When I asked her (if she'd found) what she was looking for, she smiled but didn't say a word.

 A few moments later, she asked if I could help her. When I asked what I could do for her, she began to cry. She told me she had been through many bad experiences, and her health had become a serious problem. I asked her what she felt she really needed. ‘I need to return to God,’ she said.

 She said she was a believer, but the distractions of life had moved her far away from God. As I helped her find personal Bible studies (that would help her draw closer to Jesus) she began to cry. She told me I was the first person she had spoken to about her burden. I asked her if I could pray for her. After I prayed for her, she said her heart was full of joy (and her face was brighter).”

 A trademark of my posts are the carefully chosen insights provided by scripture and the quotes of various people on a topic like backsliding, which means to relapse back to doing what is considered a wrong.  

 

1.  “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, BRG) Maybe it’s the male vulnerability thing, but total honesty honestly frightens me.

 

2.  “Remember that if you are a child of God, you will never be happy in sin. You are spoiled for the world, the flesh, and the devil. When you were regenerated there was put into you a vital principle, which can never be content to dwell in the dead world. You will have to come back, if indeed you belong to the family.” (Charles Spurgeon)

 

3. “Our wrongdoings pile up before you, God. Our sins stand up and accuse us. Our wrongdoings stare us down. We know in detail what we’ve done. Mocking and denying God (not following our God), spreading false rumors, inciting sedition (pregnant with lies), muttering malice.

 

Justice is beaten back. Righteousness is banished to the sidelines. Truth staggers down the street. Honesty is nowhere to be found. Good is missing in action. Anyone renouncing evil is beaten and robbed.” (Isaiah 59:12-15, MSG) This list of my wrong doings makes me realize there is still a lot of room for improvement in my life that needs to happen.

 

4.  "The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice axe. Only with incessant labor in cutting and chipping can you make any progress. If you want to know how to backslide, leave off going forward. Cease going upward and you will go downward of necessity. You can never stand still." (Charles Spurgeon)

 

5.  “Keep persisting in prayer, staying alert in it and being thankful.” (Colossians 4:2, CJB) If I could just pray for those that hurt me instead of telling them off.

 

6.  “Backsliding (generally first) begins with neglect of private prayer.” (J. C. Ryle)

 

7.  “I will heal their waywardness, and love them freely…My anger will turn away from them.” (Hosea 14:4, NET Bible) I love God’s always-forgive policy no matter how much I mess things up.

 

8.  “When you are not sure of your salvation, it is very easy to get discouraged and to backslide.” (Zac Poonen)

 

In closing, consider the role of high-quality biblical preaching in helping a Christian remain powerful in their faith. Preacher Billy Sunday had this to say, “The backslider likes the preaching that wouldn’t hit the side of a house, while the real disciple is delighted when the truth brings him to his knees.”