Your Backsliding By Charles Simeon
Your wickedness will punish you, your backsliding will rebuke
you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for
you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me. Declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 19 Since
all, more or less, have a sinful bent towards backsliding from
God, it is of great importance to ascertain whether our backslidings
are the sinful infirmities of a sincere godly man or the conscious
rebellion of a willful hypocrite. Because it is indeed difficult
to determine this with entire accuracy, I wish to give you
some advice to aid you in this inquiry. we must diligently examine
the cause, the duration, and the effects of our backslidings.
One, the cause of our backslidings. The backslidings of sincere Christians
arise from the weakness of their flesh, while their spirit is
yet as willing as ever. The backslidings of hypocrites
proceed from a radical dislike to the ways of God. 2. The duration of our backslidings.
The backslidings of sincere Christians continue but a short time and
are an occasion of greater diligence. The backslidings of hypocrites
are lengthy and become the habit of their life. 3. The effects of our backslidings. The backslidings of sincere Christians
humble them in the dust. The backslidings of hypocrites
produce a blindness of mind, a seared conscience, and a hardness
of heart. We encourage all backslidden
Christians to guard against the first risings of spiritual decay. Return, you backsliding children,
and I will heal your backslidings. Indeed, we do come to you, for
you are the Lord our God. Jeremiah chapter 3, verse 22. God mercifully warns the hypocrite
of his final doom. The hope of the hypocrite shall
perish. What he trusts in is fragile.
What he relies on is a spider's web. He leans on his web, but
it gives way. He clings to it, but it does
not hold. Job 8, verses 13-15 For what
is the hope of the hypocrite, though he is gained, when God
takes away his soul? Job 27, verse 8