684. What is a Backslider? (#1) - November 14, 2024

[00:00:06] Welcome to Wisdom Today. My name is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. In this podcast we will be exploring the book of Proverbs.

[00:00:21] Open in prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this podcast today. Lord, I pray that you would open everyone's ears to hear and heart to receive everything you have in store for them today. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

[00:00:38] This is Proverb 14, beginning in verse 1.

[00:01:08] The trough is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of an ox. A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies. A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it, but knowledge is easy to him who understands.

[00:01:29] Go from the presence of a foolish man when you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

[00:01:45] Fools mock at sin, but among the upright there is favor. The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not share its joy. The house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.

[00:02:05] There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above.

[00:02:28] The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps. A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of wicked intentions is hated.

[00:02:51] The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. The evil will bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

[00:03:04] The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich has many friends. He who despises his neighbor's sins, but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.

[00:03:18] Do they not go astray who devise evil? But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

[00:03:28] In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly.

[00:03:42] A true witness delivers souls, but a deceitful witness speaks lies.

[00:03:49] In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and his children will have a place of refuge.

[00:03:57] The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to turn one away from the snares of death.

[00:04:05] In a multitude of people is a king's honor, but in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.

[00:04:14] He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.

[00:04:23] A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.

[00:04:29] He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who honors him has mercy on the needy.

[00:04:38] The wicked is banished in his wickedness, but the righteous has a refuge in his death.

[00:04:46] Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding, but what is in the heart of fools is made known.

[00:04:56] Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

[00:05:03] The king's favor is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against him who causes shame.

[00:05:12] Friends, today what I am going to do is actually highlight three verses from Proverb 14.

[00:05:21] And the three verses that I will be going over are verses 14, 15, and 26.

[00:05:29] And I will take a look at those in just a moment.

[00:05:34] But before we begin today's lesson, what I'd like to do is to remind people

[00:05:40] that I am going to give a brief update of my testimony in today's podcast.

[00:05:47] Now, there may be someone listening today who has never tuned in to this podcast today.

[00:05:55] So, in a way, I'm going to reintroduce myself.

[00:05:59] My name is Bill Kelly, and I am the host of this podcast, Wisdom Today with Bill Kelly.

[00:06:08] Now, I have been doing this a long time.

[00:06:11] Now, I have this podcast on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday each week.

[00:06:20] And on Tuesdays, I have personal testimonies.

[00:06:24] So, this is episode 684.

[00:06:28] So, I have been doing this a little bit over two and a half years.

[00:06:33] And I also have a YouTube channel.

[00:06:38] So, if you enjoy today's podcast, you may want to check that out.

[00:06:43] And that is under the same title as this podcast.

[00:06:49] So, if you go onto YouTube, and if you enter in Wisdom Today with Bill Kelly, K-E-L-L-E-Y,

[00:06:59] you can subscribe to my channel.

[00:07:03] Right now, I have almost 1,400 things that you can listen to.

[00:07:08] So, I have really been pretty busy these last two and a half years.

[00:07:12] My wife and I recently graduated from Karis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado, last May.

[00:07:20] So, we've been back in Florida for about a year and a half.

[00:07:23] So, when I say that I want to give a brief updated testimony, I am going to just tell you a little bit about what I feel my primary ministry is.

[00:07:37] Having graduated from Karis Bible College, I feel that I am a teacher.

[00:07:44] I have been a teacher in the public school setting for a little bit less than 20 years in both Florida and the state of Oklahoma.

[00:07:54] I have small pensions from each of those states from teaching.

[00:07:59] And now, I feel that my classroom is my computer.

[00:08:05] And I do my teaching via the internet, either on YouTube or on this particular podcast.

[00:08:14] So, I am busying myself about 15 to 20 hours a week by staying busy with my YouTube channel.

[00:08:23] Now, my wife, on the other hand, feels that she has been led to serve, basically, her daughter.

[00:08:32] And her daughter is a full-time employee.

[00:08:37] So, she works for the government.

[00:08:39] And she has four kids.

[00:08:40] And she has four young kids.

[00:08:43] Twelve, eight, soon to be six, and three and a half.

[00:08:47] And so, she offers assistance as often as her daughter needs it.

[00:08:53] So, our grandkids are over here at least every week.

[00:08:58] Sometimes one night.

[00:09:00] Sometimes two nights.

[00:09:01] Sometimes, you know.

[00:09:02] So, you know, from time to time, whenever she needs help, she just calls and we go, yep, we're going to pick them up.

[00:09:08] So, a lot of times, I help out as well.

[00:09:12] But my wife is the primary caregiver to her grandkids.

[00:09:18] And I stay busy.

[00:09:20] Another thing I do is stay busy with the yard.

[00:09:23] And I often talk about this.

[00:09:27] But when I work in the yard and I have a half-acre property, and some of you are saying, well, that's nothing.

[00:09:33] I have 20 acres.

[00:09:35] Well, you may.

[00:09:36] But I'm not used to a half-acre property.

[00:09:38] And it takes a lot of time to do a half-acre piece of property.

[00:09:43] I want it to look nice.

[00:09:45] And so, as a result, I work about 15, 18, 20 hours a week in the yard.

[00:09:52] And it keeps me busy.

[00:09:53] But that is the time when I spend a lot of time with God.

[00:09:59] So, when I talk about my testimony, I really want to get everyone the idea that you can have a close relationship with God.

[00:10:11] I want people to know that.

[00:10:13] So, anyway, what I'd like to do is go over my first point of the day.

[00:10:18] And that's verse 14 of Proverb 14.

[00:10:22] And it talks about the backslider.

[00:10:24] And it says,

[00:10:25] The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways.

[00:10:30] But a good man will be satisfied from above.

[00:10:34] So, when I hear the term backslider, if you are a Christian, you have heard that term before.

[00:10:41] So, I went to BibleStudyTools.com.

[00:10:46] And I saw an interesting article by a man named Clarence Haynes, Jr.

[00:10:53] And it's entitled,

[00:10:55] What Does It Mean to Backslide According to the Bible?

[00:11:00] So, friends, if you've never heard exactly what this means, please listen over the next five or six minutes.

[00:11:08] It says,

[00:11:09] The word backslide can have many connotations.

[00:11:12] We may even know people we consider backsliders.

[00:11:17] However, what does backslide even mean?

[00:11:21] If we write about this topic, we need to make sure we are talking about the same thing.

[00:11:27] Though people have different ideas of what backslide means,

[00:11:31] the definition that I believe fits best is one sliding back from their closeness to Christ.

[00:11:41] For some reason, this person is growing cold in their relationship with Jesus,

[00:11:48] and sometimes engaging in behavior that signifies their life before Christ.

[00:11:54] Now, friends, that's important.

[00:11:57] Many people, we go backwards,

[00:12:00] because when you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior,

[00:12:04] the Bible is very clear.

[00:12:06] Old things have passed away.

[00:12:08] Behold, all things have become new.

[00:12:12] Let's go on.

[00:12:14] What is the definition of a backslider?

[00:12:17] One of the confusing things when talking about backsliding is we confuse those who backslide

[00:12:25] with those who were never saved.

[00:12:28] I find this fascinating.

[00:12:30] To be a backslider, you must first have a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

[00:12:37] This means you have had a true salvation experience.

[00:12:43] And if you're a true Christian, you know what that means.

[00:12:46] You know when that event happened in your life.

[00:12:50] Many people show outward signs of salvation.

[00:12:54] Maybe they start going to church or even serving in ministry,

[00:12:59] but they have never experienced salvation or entered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

[00:13:07] Now, friends, I need to stop there,

[00:13:09] because a lot of people have a mistaken notion that if you go to church,

[00:13:15] everything's going to be fine.

[00:13:17] But friends, it's more than that.

[00:13:19] It's about a relationship with the living God.

[00:13:22] We should not think this is strange because Jesus talked about it.

[00:13:27] Let's go to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 7.

[00:13:30] Listen to verses 22 and 23.

[00:13:33] Many will say to me on that day,

[00:13:36] Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,

[00:13:41] and in your name drive out demons,

[00:13:44] and in your name perform many miracles?

[00:13:47] Then I will tell them plainly,

[00:13:51] I never knew you.

[00:13:53] Away from me, you evildoers.

[00:13:56] That is such a powerful, powerful two verses.

[00:14:01] Jesus is saying,

[00:14:03] you need to have an intimate relationship with me.

[00:14:08] It's not important to go through the steps of serving at your local church

[00:14:15] if you don't have a personal relationship.

[00:14:20] Some would attempt to categorize these people as backsliders,

[00:14:25] but there is greater evidence they were never saved.

[00:14:29] Because we can't judge a person's heart,

[00:14:32] we sometimes judge a person's salvation by these outward activities.

[00:14:38] While these things are good to engage in,

[00:14:41] they are not what defines a person's salvation.

[00:14:45] Though we tend to categorize these people as Christians,

[00:14:49] they may not be.

[00:14:50] If they are not Christians,

[00:14:52] then they can not backslide.

[00:14:56] Listen to that carefully.

[00:14:58] Where does the Bible talk about backsliding?

[00:15:01] Let's go to a couple Old Testament versions.

[00:15:04] Although our sins testify against us,

[00:15:09] do something, Lord, for the sake of your name.

[00:15:12] For we have often rebelled.

[00:15:14] We have sinned against you.

[00:15:17] That is in the book of the prophet Jeremiah,

[00:15:21] chapter 14, verse 7.

[00:15:23] And one that I just finished talking about,

[00:15:27] I just recently finished a study of the minor prophet Hosea.

[00:15:33] And in chapter 11, verse 7,

[00:15:35] it says,

[00:15:35] And my people are bent to backsliding from me.

[00:15:42] Though they called them to the Most High,

[00:15:45] none at all would exalt him.

[00:15:48] So this is very interesting.

[00:15:50] Listen carefully to this.

[00:15:52] Can Christians backslide?

[00:15:55] It is reasonable to ask if Christians can backslide.

[00:16:00] The answer is simple.

[00:16:01] Not only can Christians backslide,

[00:16:05] they are the only ones who can backslide.

[00:16:09] Remember, a critical aspect of being a backslider

[00:16:13] is you must be a true Christian first.

[00:16:17] If a person was never in a relationship with Jesus Christ,

[00:16:21] they can't backslide.

[00:16:23] Aside from knowing that Christians can backslide,

[00:16:27] another question is,

[00:16:29] how can this happen?

[00:16:30] While many reasons may lead a person to backslide,

[00:16:34] I believe they all point to one major cause.

[00:16:38] Jesus defines this in his message

[00:16:41] to the church in Ephesus in the book of Revelation.

[00:16:46] But I have this complaint against you.

[00:16:50] You don't love me or each other as you did at first.

[00:16:56] Look how far you have fallen.

[00:17:00] And friends, that is from chapter 2 of Revelation,

[00:17:04] verses 4 and 5.

[00:17:07] The main reason people backslide

[00:17:09] is that somewhere along the way,

[00:17:12] they forsake their first love.

[00:17:15] Something happens that causes their love for Jesus to go cool,

[00:17:19] turning away or falling back.

[00:17:21] This can come from distractions, disappointments,

[00:17:25] or even discouragements that we are all prone to.

[00:17:29] These things can come from internal or external influences,

[00:17:35] and they can cause a Christian to backsliding.

[00:17:38] So, good news.

[00:17:42] Do backsliding Christians lose their salvation?

[00:17:46] If there is any good news about a backsliding Christian,

[00:17:50] it is the fact they don't lose their salvation.

[00:17:55] In Luke 15, Jesus tells us the parable we often refer to as the prodigal son.

[00:18:02] This is possibly the perfect example of what happens when a Christian backslides.

[00:18:08] When you look at the factors that contributed to the son's departure,

[00:18:13] a key reason is he valued his inheritance over his father.

[00:18:18] Sounds a lot like forsaking your first love.

[00:18:23] This caused the son to leave his father's house

[00:18:26] and live his life in the way he wanted.

[00:18:30] Again, this resembles a person in a backslidden state.

[00:18:35] However, when you look closely,

[00:18:38] there are two truths in this story

[00:18:41] that I believe are true of Christians who backslide.

[00:18:47] And friends, what I believe I will do

[00:18:49] is I will pick up on Monday's podcast

[00:18:53] and go over these two takeaways.

[00:18:57] So, what I'd like to do now

[00:18:58] is go to my second verse of the day,

[00:19:01] verse 15 of Proverbs 14.

[00:19:04] The simple believes every word,

[00:19:07] but the prudent considers well his steps.

[00:19:11] So, friends, the simple,

[00:19:13] if you believe everything that you hear,

[00:19:16] first of all, I believe you're somewhat gullible.

[00:19:19] You have to take everything with a grain of salt.

[00:19:22] You don't know if these people talking are Christians.

[00:19:26] You don't know if they're in their right mind.

[00:19:29] You don't know where they're at emotionally.

[00:19:31] And you can fall into all kinds of trouble

[00:19:36] if you believe every word you hear.

[00:19:40] The second part,

[00:19:41] but the prudent considers well his steps.

[00:19:44] Now, when I think of people who are prudent,

[00:19:47] I usually tend to think of Christians.

[00:19:50] They just seem to have it together.

[00:19:53] They understand things a lot better.

[00:19:56] Many times they demonstrate this

[00:19:58] by having wisdom,

[00:20:01] having integrity,

[00:20:03] and they're usually thoughtful

[00:20:06] about what it is that they put in their ears

[00:20:10] and what they come up with and believe.

[00:20:12] The third one is,

[00:20:14] in the fear of the Lord,

[00:20:16] there is strong confidence,

[00:20:18] and his children will have a place of refuge.

[00:20:21] Friends, that is my third point of the day.

[00:20:24] In the fear of the Lord,

[00:20:26] there is strong confidence,

[00:20:28] and his children will have a place of refuge.

[00:20:32] Friends, in the book of Job,

[00:20:35] it defines wisdom as having a fear of the Lord.

[00:20:39] This verse says,

[00:20:41] if you have the fear of the Lord,

[00:20:44] then you have strong confidence.

[00:20:47] Ordinarily, if you have the fear of the Lord,

[00:20:51] you're automatically going to be a reader of the Scriptures.

[00:20:55] And if you read the Scriptures on a regular basis,

[00:20:58] you're going to gain wisdom.

[00:21:01] You're just going to.

[00:21:03] It's as simple as that,

[00:21:04] because the Bible tells us in Isaiah

[00:21:07] that his word never returns void,

[00:21:11] that it is meant for a purpose,

[00:21:14] and what he sends it to do,

[00:21:16] it will do.

[00:21:17] So it's going to work in your life

[00:21:20] if you read the Scriptures.

[00:21:22] And the second part is,

[00:21:24] and as children,

[00:21:25] we'll have a place of refuge.

[00:21:28] Friends, I want you to think about that.

[00:21:30] If you read the Word of God,

[00:21:35] and your children see you reading,

[00:21:38] it is going to provide them with refuge.

[00:21:42] It's going to provide them with safety.

[00:21:45] They're going to know that you are real.

[00:21:49] Friends, we need to show our kids

[00:21:52] that we are in this fight,

[00:21:58] the Christian fight.

[00:22:00] We need to know,

[00:22:02] we need to show our kids

[00:22:03] that we are all in for Jesus.

[00:22:07] So my call to action today is,

[00:22:10] are you all in for Jesus?

[00:22:14] Do your kids know

[00:22:15] how much being a Christian means to you?

[00:22:19] Do you read the Bible?

[00:22:21] Do they see you reading the Bible?

[00:22:23] Do you talk about the Bible?

[00:22:25] Do you read the Bible to them?

[00:22:27] Something to think about.

[00:22:29] Friends, I will never end a podcast

[00:22:32] without giving anyone an opportunity

[00:22:34] to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

[00:22:37] If there is anyone listening today

[00:22:39] and you've never taken that step,

[00:22:41] I invite you to repeat a simple prayer

[00:22:43] after me today.

[00:22:45] Jesus, I realize that I am a sinner,

[00:22:48] and I have need of a Savior.

[00:22:51] I look to you.

[00:22:53] I ask you to come into my heart.

[00:22:56] I make you my Lord and Savior.

[00:23:00] Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you.

[00:23:04] The Lord make his face shine upon you

[00:23:07] and be gracious to you.

[00:23:09] The Lord lift up his countenance upon you

[00:23:12] and give you peace.

[00:23:14] Friends, please join me again tomorrow

[00:23:17] as we close out the week

[00:23:19] with commandment number eight.

[00:23:22] Please join me as we further explore

[00:23:25] wisdom today.