Author: Sis Mhay

Scripture : Proverbs 14:14

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways”

Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot are two disciples of the Lord Jesus. They were chosen by the Lord Himself and followed Him everywhere He went. They had a common experience of falling into a terrible sin. Peter denied the Lord three times (Mat 26:69-75) whereas Judas betrayed the Lord by selling Him to the chief priests, scribes and elders for thirty pieces of silver (Mat 26:14-16). Both of them acknowledged that they had sinned against Jesus and were remorseful (Mat 26:75, 27:3). Peter came back to the Lord and was restored, while Judas went away and committed suicide. The question is, why was Peter restored, but Judas was not?

Peter, when he fell into sin, was in a good spiritual state. He was in love with the Lord Jesus that he said that he was willing to die with Him (Mat 26:35). Judas, on the other hand, was already in the backslidden state when he betrayed him. He used to steal the money that was put in the money box before he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (John 12:6).

When we fall into sin, it doesn’t always means that we are backsliding in our heart or in a bad spiritual state because falling into sin and backsliding in heart are two different things. Falling into sin is an event whereas backsliding in heart is a state. It is true that when we are backsliden in heart, we will easily fall into sin. Nevertheless, we still could fall into sin even when we are in a good spiritual condition. The possibility is always there.

King David fell into sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband, Uriah. But, he was not backsliding in his heart from the Lord. His heart was still loyal to the Lord his God (1 Kings 11:4). King Solomon, on the other hand, was backsliding in his heart from the Lord in his later years and fell into the sin of idolatry. He worshiped foreign gods (1 Kings 11:4-6).

We could fall into sin at any state, whether when we are backsliding in our heart or when we are moving forward spiritually, though the chance of falling into sin when we are backsliding is greater than when we are moving forward. If we fall into sin when we are backsliding, it is more difficult for us to be restored. We may be remorseful, but we may not come back to the Lord because we have lost our love for Him and find our heart so hardened that it is difficult for us to repent. There is always a danger that we sink deeper and deeper into sin until we cross the line where we find no place for repentance anymore like Esau (Heb 12:17). On the other hand, if we fall into sin when we are moving forward, we can be restored immediately because we still have love for the Lord and our heart is still gentle and soft. Nevertheless, we will suffer some consequences in proportion to the gravity of our sin. King David was instantly restored when he was rebuked by Nathan of his sins of adultery and murder because he still loved the Lord. His heart is still gentle and soft that he readily acknowledged that he had sinned against the Lord his God (2 Sam 12:13). Nevertheless, he would have to suffer the consequences of his sins. There would be adversity against him from his own house, his wives will be taken from him and be given to his neighbors, and his child who was to be born to him would die (2 Sam 12:10-12,14).

There is always a possibility of falling into sin even though we are in a good spiritual state. The reason for this is human weakness and imperfection. If we stop when we are supposed to move forward, we make ourselves vulnerable to temptation and we can easily fall into sin. King David was supposed to go out to battle, but he lingered in Jerusalem and was idle in his house (2 Sam 11:1). One evening he walked on the roof of his house and he saw a woman bathing. He was tempted and fell into adultery (2 Sam 11:2-4). This sin should have never happened, but because King David stopped moving forward and did not guard his heart, he fell into it. There are occasions when we fall into sin which we could have avoided. We fall into it because we stop moving forward and do not guard our heart with all diligence. However, there are also times when it is impossible for us not to fall into sin even though we don’t stop from moving forward spiritually. This is because of the inherent nature of independence and stubbornness that we still have inside us. The Lord Jesus knew that Peter would fall into sin by denying Him three times when satan sifted him as wheat although he said that he was ready to go with Him, both to prison and to death (Luk 22:31-34).

The most dangerous state that we can be in is backsliding in heart (Prov 14:14). It is the state of our heart in which we draw back from God. We move away from Him and our soul no longer follows closely behind Him. There are three stages of backsliding in heart :

1) We harden our heart (human choice).

2) Demons harden our heart (demonic bondage).

3) The Lord hardens our heart (God’s judgement)

The first stage of our backsliding in heart takes place when we begin to lose our focus on God. Other things, such as the cares, riches and pleasures of this life (Luk 8:14), begin to distract us and we no longer look unto Jesus (Heb 12:2). Slowly but surely, we become occupied by them. Our heart is divided. This affects our relationship with God. There is no longer intimacy in our fellowship with Him and we become far from Him. God’s commandments become burdensome to us and we begin to do things our way. At this stage, we will still feel the Holy Spirit grieves in our heart (Eph 4:30) and convicts us in our conscience so that we may repent (Heb 3:15). However, if we choose to harden our heart, He will draw back from us. Our heart will grow hard like Pharaoh (Exo 7:13,22; 8:15,19,32).

If we continue to harden our heart when our heart is divided instead of repenting immediately, we are in danger of being pulled away farther from God by the evil force. Demons begin to bind us (2 Tim 2:26) and we will have no power to overcome temptations. We will fall into sins and not able to rise again. We will be enslaved by sins (Rom 6:20) and sink deeper and deeper in our sins. We will be filled with our own ways (Prv 14:14) and be entangled again in the pollutions of the world and overcome (2 Pet 2:20). At this stage, our heart will be so hardened like Pharaoh (Exo 9:7) because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13) and the demonic bondage. Now, if it is the first or the second time we fall into this stage, God will still have mercy on us. He will help us come to our senses (Luk 15:17) and deliver us from the snare of the devil (2 Tim 2:26). However, if we have been in and out of this stage several times, God may choose to have us delivered to satan for the destruction of our flesh, that our spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 5:5)

The third and final stage of backsliding in heart occurs when we become separated so far from God that we cross the line of death. Every sin committed before we cross this line is sin not leading to death and every sin committed after we cross this line is sin leading to death (1 Jhn 5:16). Once we cross this line of death, we will fall away completely and God Himself will harden our heart like He did with Pharaoh (Exo 9:12,35; 10:20,27; 11:10) so that He might execute His righteous judgement on us. Our conscience will be so seared with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:2) that we will sin willfully even though we have received the knowledge of truth (Heb 6:6; 10:26). At this stage, we will be counted as those who have trampled the Son of God underfoot, crucified Him again for ourselves and put Him into an open shame; counted the blood of the covenant by which we were sanctified a common thing; and insulted the Spirit of grace (Heb 6:6; 10:29). We will fall into the hands of the living God and will be counted as His adversaries. We will find no place for repentance anymore, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation from God which will devour us (Heb 10:27; 12:17). Our name which has been written in the Book of Life will be blotted out (Rev 3:5).

Backsliding in heart is a serious matter. God has no pleasure in us if we draw back from Him (Heb 10:38). The question now is “How can we keep our heart from backsliding?” The most important thing that we can do is to make sure that our heart is always completely surrendered to God. Then, we must also keep this surrendered heart with all diligence that it stays surrendered and does not become divided. If we find ourselves begin to be distracted by other things and we tend to do things our way, then it shows that our heart begins to stray away from its surrendered state. We must come to God as soon as possible, repent sincerely and surrender back our heart to Him. A daily communion with God and a consistent assembling of ourselves together where we can receive exhortation daily will create an atmosphere that helps us to keep our heart from backsliding.

What is prayer? Prayer can be a lot of things. It can be a means of making request to God. It can be a means of expressing what is in our heart to God, etc. However the most basic thing about prayer is it is a communion with God. Through prayer a relationship with God is built. Therefore, the more we pray the more we should know God.

There are three things that we need to experience in our communion with God :

1. Connection with God.

2. Communication with God.

3. Cooperation with God.

1. Connection with God.

Connecting with God is the first thing that must happen if we want our prayer to be a communion with God. How do we know if we have established a connection with God? We could sense or feel His presence. What kind of presence of God that we can feel when we are connected with Him? The presence of God as Man because God has become a Man in the person of the Lord Jesus. How can we feel this presence of the Lord Jesus? By believing He is right before us (Psa 16:8).

2. Communication with God.

After we feel the presence of God before us, then we should begin to communicate with Him. Communication is two ways, therefore, we should not only speak, but listen as well. We speak to God, and God listens. God speaks to us, and we listen (Job 13:22). The easiest way to listen to God is to read the Bible, which is the Word of God, audibly. As we do that, we shall hear the words that we read and God will use those words to speak to us. How do we know that God has spoken? We feel our heart is touched by the words we read.

3. Cooperation with God.

Our communication with God must lead to cooperation with God. Why? Because every word that God has spoken must be responded before it can bear fruit in our lives. How do we respond to the words which God has spoken? By agreeing and believing those words. However, to agree and to believe, we must surrender our thoughts and our wills to God and submit to His thoughts and His wills. How do we know that we have cooperated with God? We experience God working in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Phi 2:13).

Scriptures: Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour  in which the Son of Man is coming.

The parable of the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins describes how God will make separation among His people, His church, in these last days. A virgin is a picture of a believer and five is a picture of a group. We are approaching the most important day for the church when she will be the bride of Christ and be united forever with the Lord Jesus as her bridegroom.

The parable of the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins describes who, among His people, will go with the Lord Jesus to His wedding. Not every believer will take part in the wedding between the Lord Jesus and the church. Only the believers who are counted as the wise virgins will be there.

Both the foolish and the wise virgins in the parable take their lamps. However, the foolish virgins do not take oil in their vessels, whereas the wise virgins take oil in their vessels. There will be no difference nor separation between the foolish virgins and the wise virgins if the bridegroom is not delayed in his coming. Both the foolish and wise virgins will be able to find the way to meet the bridegroom because all their lamps will still be burning. But, the bridegroom is delayed. When the bridegroom finally comes, the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because there is no more oil in their vessels, but the lamps of the wise virgins are still burning because they still have oil in their vessels.

The lamp represents the light of God’s word. King David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

(Psa 119:105) The oil represents the Holy Spirit as the fuel that keeps the lamp burning. The apostle Paul wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 The 5:19) The foolish virgins are the believers who have the word of God in their lives, but the word of God that they have no longer gives light to their feet and path because they lack the fuel of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The wise virgins are the believers who have the word of God in their lives and the word of God that they have continues to give light to their feet and path because they are full of the fuel of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

To be counted as the wise virgins we must not only have the word of God in our lives, but we must always be full of the Holy Spirit as well. When we are full of the Holy Spirit, we shall not sit still but shall go as witnesses to the Lord Jesus (Act 1:8). Like a car, when there is fuel in its tank, its engine can be turned on. In the same manner, when the Holy Spirit is in our lives, our spirit can be turned on by prayer and worship because our spirit is like the car’s engine. After the engine is heated, then the car is ready to move and go. After our spirit is burning, then we are ready to move and go as the Lord’s witnesses.

What is a witness? A witness is someone who tells what he has seen and heard. He must have a first-hand experience. He cannot speak something he has heard from someone else. A witness of the Lord Jesus Christ is a believer who declares what he has seen and heard in his spirit, not what he has heard from someone else. We are supernaturally transformed into the witnesses of the Lord Jesus when we are filled with the Holy Spirit because as we are being filled, we shall see or hear in our spirit. Then, we speak what we have seen and heard with our spirit.

The last days are like the night. We will easily fall asleep. It is the time of darkness. We will not be able to see. To be spiritually awake and watchful in the last days we need the lamps of the word of God in our lives. To find the path to the wedding place of the Lord Jesus we also need the lamps of the word of God. Our lamps must not go out. Therefore, we must always be full of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the fuel that will keep the lamps of the word of God burning in our lives. The Lord Jesus warned us, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Mat 25:13)

Scripture: Luke 12:35

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning”

Those are the words of the Lord Jesus to His servants in the last days before His return. A servant whose waist is girded is a servant who is always ready to serve his master, while a servant whose lamp is burning lamp is a servant who always has light to keep him awake, to keep him from falling asleep (Luke 12:37).

How can we keep our waist girded as the Lord’s servants? How can we always be ready to serve the Lord? Our waist is girded by a belt. Belt is related to truth (Eph. 6:14). The truth of God’s word girds up our mind so that it will not easily fall into thoughts of men. The Lord Jesus said to His Father, “Your word is truth.”  (John 17:17) The apostle Peter wrote, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind.” (1 Pet. 1:13) So, to always be ready to serve God our mind must always be girded by the truth of God’s word. For this to happen, we must constantly listen to God’s word.

How can we keep our lamps burning?  How can we always be spiritually watchful and do not fall asleep? The lamp represents God’s word that enters our heart.  The psalmist wrote, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”  (Ps. 119: 130) God’s word that only enters our mind but does not enter our heart will not give light.  So, to always be spiritually watchful and do not fall asleep, our heart must always receive God’s word.  For this to happen, we must constantly meditate on God’s word.

Scriptures: Romans 8:29-30

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, He plans our lives from the beginning to the end even before we live on this earth. It is called predestination. What is God’s predestination for us? It is that we should be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s predestination for us is divided into three stages. Each stage ìs related to a specific work of each person of God the Trinity:

1. The calling from God the Father.

2. The justification through the Lord Jesus.

3. The glorification in the Holy Spirit.

Does God exist? This question must be answered first before we can enter God’s predestined plan for us. How do we know there is a God? The apostle Paul wrote that even though we could not see God, but His invisible attributes are clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Rom 1:20). It means by looking at the things around us in nature we will know there is God out there. This is God Father calling us.

If God does really exist, then the next question is “What kind of God is He?” He is the God who loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us that we may justified before Him. Our greatest problem is sin. Sin separates us from God. We become so far from God that God is no longer real to us. So, God became a man and dwelt among us, the invisible became visible. Then, as a man He died on the cross for us that we might be made righteous before God. This is God the Son justifying us.

What is the purpose of God justifying us through His Son? First, it is to reconcile us with God so that we can have relationship with Him. Second, it is to open the way for God to come into our lives and lives in us. God then sent the Holy Spirit to abide in us. The Holy Spirit who is in us will transform us into the image of the Son of God so that we may be able to express God through our lives. This the Holy Spirit glorifying us.

The picture of God’s predestination can be seen in the life of David. David was predestined to be king over Israel, but he had to go through the three stages of God’s predestination before he actually fulfilled God’s plan for his life. He was called when he was anointed with oil, he was justified when did not dare touch the Lord’s anointed and he was glorified when he became king of Judah.

David received God’s calling for his life when Prophet Samuel anointed him with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward (1 Sam 16:13). The sign of what God predestined him to be, a king over God’s people, began to be seen. Then he was justified of his calling to be a king by not killing or harming king Saul though he had opportunities to do so. He did not dare to touch the Lord’s anointed because he understood that it was God Himself who anointed Saul to be king over Israel.

David was glorified and promoted to be king after he overcame the greatest loss of his life in Ziklag. The Amalekites attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way, including David and his men’s wives, sons, and daughters (1 Sam 30:1-3) David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6). Eventually, David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all (1 Sam 30:18-19). Three days later he was anointed king of Judah (2 Sam 1:1-2; 2:4).