Backsliding

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Condition that results from spiritual apathy or disregard for the things of God, whether on the part of an individual or a group bound by a prior covenantal pledge of commitment to uphold the doctrine and commandments of the Lord. Backsliding includes departure from a good confession of faith and from the ethical standards prescribed for God's people in the Scriptures. To varying degrees, depending on the extent of neglect of God and his commandments, the spiritually wayward experience a season of estrangement and abandonment from God and his people. In instances of apostasy when one spurns the grace of God by renouncing the blessings of the covenant, there is no possibility of repentance for sin, only a divine sealing unto the day of judgment ( Hebrews 6:4-6;  10:26-31 ).

The sin of backsliding raises the important theological question concerning the relation between faith and perseverance. In cases of temporary backsliding, how do we understand the spiritual condition of the true son or daughter of God? Can one who is united to Christ (i.e., one who is regenerated by God and justified by grace through faith) fall again under the dominion of sin? Reformed theologians have maintained that the sinner redeemed by grace has been delivered once-for-all from bondage to sin. For such (elect) individuals, consequently, backsliding does not entail a fall from grace, whereby one is placed once more under sin's dominion. When a former disciple renounces Christian faith and conduct, however, that person is not a true son or daughter of God, and thus is not numbered among God's elect. Genuine development in the life history of everyone born into the world reveals the unfolding of God's decretive purpose in the salvation of the elect and the condemnation of the reprobate who remain under the wrath of God ( John 3:18-21,36;  5:24-29 ). History is the process of differentiation between the two seeds: the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent ( Genesis 3:15 ).

The frequent occurrence and gravity of backsliding among the people of God is vividly portrayed in the corporate life of Israel during the Mosaic epoch of redemptive history. The house of Israel was guilty of committing the sin of backsliding on numerous occasions. In the speech of Hezekiah, the Chronicler highlights Israel's history as a lengthy period of disobedience. "Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord's dwelling place and turned their backs on him" ( 2 Chronicles 29:6;  36:14 ). The cause of Israel's backslidings was her stubbornness of heart. Repeatedly the prophets addressed Israel's waywardness and unfaithfulness. As agents of God's covenant lawsuit against the obstinate and stiff-necked people, the prophets pleaded with Israel to repent of her sins and return to God in true faith and holiness. Failing to heed the warning, Israel suffered the full displeasure and abandonment of God in the Babylonian deportation and exile. Hosea describes Israel in particularly graphic terms as an adulterous people (2:5; 4:12; 5:7; 9:1). Her sins of prostitution and sexual immorality, indicative of her spiritual condition, drove her away from God, causing her to apostasize from the faith. Rather than consecrating their life and temporal blessings to the glory of God, the Israelites profaned the name and works of God. "Like Adam, they have broken the covenant—they were unfaithful to me there" ( Hosea 6:7 ).

Israel's backsliding was both a divine chastisement and a rebuke for sin ( Jeremiah 2:19 ). Only the mercy and compassion of Yahweh could restore Israel to favor ( Jeremiah 3:22;  14:7 ). The restoration of Israel from exile, however, required the making of a new and better covenant, one that could not be broken ( Jeremiah 31:22-34 ). Through divine cleansing Israel would once again become the people of God ( Hosea 2:23 ). "They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God" ( Ezekiel 37:23 ).

Israel serves as an example to us. In the teachings of Christ and his apostles the people of God are exhorted to persevere in righteousness and holiness, so as not to fall under divine condemnation. The sin of apostasy is real for covenant confessors. Accordingly, the angel of the church in Ephesus warns those who have forsaken their first love: "Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first" ( Revelation 2:5 ). The saints are to persevere in doing the will of God, remembering the covenant he has made with us in his Son, Jesus Christ. The grace of perseverance is one of the benefits of Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins. Thus our Lord instructs: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love" ( John 15:5,10 ). The cure for backsliding is found in the abiding love and mercy of God who remains faithful to his promise of grace in Christ Jesus, whose righteousness and salvation is apprehended through true faith and repentance.

Mark W. Karlberg

See also Apostasy; Denial; Sanctification

Bibliography . A. A. Hoekema, Saved by Grace  ; J. Murray, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied  ; B. B. Warfield, The Plan of Salvation .

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

According to the word’s common usage, backsliders are Christians who have, through obvious sin or some other lapse, failed to persist in their Christian commitment. If such people are genuine believers, their failure will not be permanent, for God deals with his children by bringing them to repentance. Absence of such divine discipline is an indication that they were never really God’s children ( Hebrews 12:6-8;  2 Peter 2:9).

People may have failures, but if their faith is genuine any lapse will be only temporary. True believers demonstrate the genuineness of their faith by continuing in it to the end ( John 8:31;  Colossians 1:21-23;  James 5:19-20;  1 Peter 1:5). Perseverance is not a condition for salvation; but it is an evidence of salvation ( Matthew 24:13; see Perseverance).

In certain cases, what people call backsliding may be something far more serious. It may not be a temporary failure, but a settled attitude of rejection of what a person formerly believed. This is the sort of backsliding that Old Testament Israel was often guilty of, and is more correctly called apostacy ( Jeremiah 2:19;  Jeremiah 5:6;  Jeremiah 8:5;  Jeremiah 15:6;  Hosea 11:7; cf.  Hebrews 10:26-31;  1 John 2:19). The difference between backsliding as a temporary failure and backsliding as apostacy is seen in the actions of the two disciples, Peter and Judas. Peter was restored, but Judas was lost ( Luke 22:31-32;  Luke 22:47-62;  John 17:12;  Acts 1:15-16; cf.  2 Corinthians 7:9-10; see Apostacy).

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

The act of turning from the path of duty. It may be considered as partial when applied to true believers, who do not backslide with the whole bent of their will; as voluntary, when applied to those who, after professing to know the truth, wilfully turn from it, and live in the practice of sin; as final, when the mind is given up to judicial hardness, as in the case of Judas. Partial backsliding must be distinguished from hypocrisy, as the former may exist where there are gracious intentions on the whole; but the latter is a studied profession of appearing to be what we are not.

The causes of backsliding are the cares of the world; improper connections; inattention to secret or closet duties; self-conceit, and dependence; indulgence; listening to and parleying with temptations. A backsliding state is manifested by indifference to prayer and self-examination; trifling or unprofitable conversation; neglect of public ordinances; shunning the people of God; associating with the world; thinking lightly of sin; neglect of the Bible; and often by gross immorality.

The consequences of this awful state are loss of character; loss of comfort; loss of usefulness; and, as long as any remain in this state, a loss of a well-grounded hope of future happiness. To avoid this state or recover from it, we should beware of the first appearance of sin; be much in prayer; attend the ordinances; and unite with the people of God. We should consider the awful instances of apostacy, as Saul, Judas, Demas, &c; the many warnings we have of it,  Matthew 24:13 .  Hebrews 10:38 .  Luke 9:62 .; how it grieves the Holy Spirit; and how wretched it makes us; above all things, our dependence should be on God, that we may always be directed by his Spirit, and kept by his power.

See Apostasy.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

I humbly conceive that this word, and which we often meet with in Scripture, is not so well understood, by the generality of readers, as it were to be wished. The common received opinion concerning backsliding is, that it is turning back, or going away, from the Lord. Whereas the very word itself implies sliding backward, and not turning round, and going away. The Lord himself, by his servant the prophet Hosea, makes use of a simile, which seems to explain the meaning, "Israel (saith the Lord) slideth back as a backsliding heifer." ( Hosea 4:16) Now, how doth an heifer slide back? I apprehend not by turning back, and going another path; but like one on slippery ground, whose steps, so far from gaining ground, rather lose ground. But all the while the heifer is still with her face and feet the same way, only sliding back, and not getting forward. And what follows, in the same verse, seems to confirm this sense of backsliding. "Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place." So that the Lord undertakes to preserve Israel from sliding back, by putting his people in a roomy place, where the ground shall not be slippery.

I do not presume to suppose, that I am right in this my conjecture concerning backsliding. I only venture to give my opinion upon it, as it strikes me. The Lord pardon me if I err. One thing, however, is certain, the recovery of all backsliding is of the Lord; and his promise to his people, on this subject, is most blessed. "I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely." ( Hosea 14:4;  Jeremiah 3:22)

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

a falling off, or defection in matters of religion; an apostasy,  Acts 21:21;  2 Thessalonians 2:3;  1 Timothy 4:1 . This may be either partial or complete: partial, when it is in the heart, as  Proverbs 14:14; complete, as that described in  Hebrews 6:4 , &c;  Hebrews 10:6 , &c. On the latter passage Chrysostom observes, "When a house has a strong foundation, suppose an arch fall, some of the beams break, or a wall decline, while the foundation is good, these breaches may be repaired; so in religion, whilst a person maintains the true doctrines, and remains on the firm rock, though he fall, true repentance may restore him to the favour and image of God: but as in a house, when the foundation is bad, nothing can save the building from ruin; so when heretical doctrines are admitted for a foundation, nothing can save the professor from destruction." It is important in interpreting these passages to keep it steadfastly in mind, that the apostasy they speak of is not only moral but doctrinal.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Isaiah 57:17  Jeremiah 3:14 3:22 Jeremiah 8:5 Jeremiah 31:22 Jeremiah 49:4 Hosea 11:7 Hosea 14:4Apostasy

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (n.) The act of one who backslides; abandonment of faith or duty.

(2): (a.) Slipping back; falling back into sin or error; sinning.

(3): (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Backslide

King James Dictionary

Backsli'Ding, n. The act of apostatizing from faith or practice a falling insensibly from religion into sin or idolatry.  Jeremiah 5:6