Do Back Sliding Christians Go to Heaven?

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you may know what the term "back slider" is. It is one of those "Christianese" terms we refer to when we know we aren't doing what we are supposed to be doing as a Christian.

There have been instances when God's people have become back sliders. Many of the prophets of God have addressed God's people when they have turned away from God and have taken on the properties and personalities of those living among them. Idol worship, sexual sin, and have forgotten about God while living in the world. They were simply living for their own selfish desires and not following God. It didn't mean they weren't still God's people.

It means simply not moving forward in our spiritual states. We are not growing spiritually. We are still Christians, but there is a lack of growth in our lives. We can easily look back and see those times, when we are on fire for God, couldn't wait to go to church and now want more time for ourselves and less time living for Him. That is what it means to be back sliders.

As parents, you know those times, when you leave your child at school or babysitter to go to work, and the moment they see us, they are overjoyed to see us. They have missed us. They don't want to be anywhere but with us. We, are their favorite people to hang out with. Does that describe how you feel about God?

Philippians 3:20b (NIV) ~ "And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

We should want to be near God.

The backslider knows that God is returning but they are afraid. They live their lives in a state of fear when they think about Him coming back. They are living apart from God and they are generally the most miserable people to be around.

If you recall the story of Peter when he denied Jesus three times just as Jesus predicted Peter would despite his insistence he wouldn't. When we see what happened to Peter, was he miserable living apart from God at that moment?

For a back sliding Christian, we, Christians, can tell when you are back sliding? It's because your bulb has gone out. You still have a bulb, but you're missing your joy. Your light has simply gone out and needs to be turned back on.

Non-believers don't even have a bulb.

Realize this God doesn't grade on a curve. Sin is sin in His eyes. There is no greater sin. Lying versus sexual immorality in God's eyes are the same! So what happens if you are walking away from God, righting a few wrongs in your life, living according to your desires, and you die. Do you still get to go to heaven?

Yes, even while living in your back slidden state. It's not an excuse as a Christian to living according to your own selfish desires, but you are NOT off the hook. You'll still stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and have to explain to Him why you wasted your time, living for yourself instead of Him.

1 John 3:2-3 (NIV) ~ "Dear Friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not be made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 

Luke 12: 35-37, 40 (NIV) ~ "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open to door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

That means we are to be living for Jesus to come at any time, spending time growing in our knowledge of the Bible, enabling the Holy Spirit to be active and working in our lives. We want to be ready!

If you don't, one of two things will happen, through the willful choices you are making in your own life, (1) the world will send difficulties, not God, He will simply use them to destroy the life you are living and bring you back to Him. He's trying to get your attention; or (2) God will shorten your life because you won't give up your sinful behaviors.

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (NIV) ~ "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." 

Church judgment must happen so his sinful nature will be destroyed. Check out Romans 8/1 Corinthians 15/ John 3/ Revelation 2-3 for more information on scripture that secures the Christian at any moment of time. You are never too far for God to reach.

So what happens if a Christian were to die in a backslidden or carnal condition, tt results in spiritual discipline and loss of rewards in heaven, but you still go to heaven.

The Bible says we shouldn't condemn people, but we can judge their actions, think of it as spiritual fruit inspection.

Hopefully that will put some of you at ease regarding your salvation and you can begin to repent of your sins and get right with God again. Find that spiritual joy that one day you will see your Father in Heaven, His Son Jesus Christ and that should give us unspeakable joy that should be evident in our life and cause us to enjoy life and to want to share it with others who don't know Christ.

We need to be serious, vigilant and protective our faith and to also to be an example of what a true Christian looks like. We all need encouragement and Christ-centered fellowship with godly friends that encourage your spiritual growth. More importantly you need to be encouraging others in their faith as well!

Life Sucks!

Sometimes I think that being a Christian can be a whole lot more difficult than it is to simply be part of the world. When tragic things happen, people expect us to act and behave a certain way. They often look to us to see how we will weather the storms of life that truly seek not only to drown us but to overtake and kill us.

Just this week, while browsing my growing Facebook feed, trust me it takes awhile, I notice two very significant prayer requests. One was from a blogging friend I met a few years ago who is still struggling with the loss of her husband just a few months ago, and the other from a woman facing a cancer scare.

Both are Christians.

Both are dealing with something most of us pray never crosses our path.

Both are struggling and finding it beyond difficult some days to even catch a breath.

It feels like someone has let all the air out of their balloon or worse has popped it. 

And life sucks for them. It sucks because no other words seems to justify how they can feel during this time.

They don't always feel that way. It's just the way it is today!

But why as Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, who know that one day, none of these things will matter. Death will no longer be an issue. We will never have to attend a funeral or cry over anything in life again. Cancer will be defeated once and for all and we will be forever healthy.

Perfectly!

Forever!

Because we are still living in a sin-filled world, dealing with the effects of sin, grief, emotions, loneliness, pain, fear, insecurity, depression, while still believing in God.

Being a Christian doesn't mean we won't have to deal with these or even walk through them multiple times.

The things that bother me, is people often times want to band aid things. They tell us stuff like it will be okay, in time, things will get easier; that what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger; that God must have a purpose in all of this; God wanted to take this person home; or my favorite, they are another angel in heaven now.

Scripturally that last one doesn't even wash. Angels are beings created by God and when we die, we don't get wings and join the flock.

We, as believers in Jesus, will join all the other believers who have died and will step into God's presence in Heaven. No wings for us.

Yet, as believers, we know all the other statements, but at those low points, we don't want to hear them. We want people to understand we have need to grieve, to fear, to worry, and at times when no words will do, cry til there is literally nothing left inside of us. We may have those days quite a bit, and there might be days where everything is fine and then we relapse again.

We need to be able to vent what we are feeling and to be able to say, this sucks! It's not fair! Why me?!!!

We aren't looking for explanations, it's just a part of dealing with these things. We will get better at handling them at some point in the future, however long that may be. It will never be the same for everyone.

What I believe we need to understand is that we can pray for them. We can pray for comfort, for people to give up their time, and if they can let them know they are not alone. To run errands, send cards, help out around the house, bring things like their favorite dessert or coffee, just to let them know they are NOT alone in this life, even if they feel like the walls are closing in. Like they are out of strength to try to hold on any longer.

Prayer is the thing that we need to employ more than ever in this life. It is definitely more powerful than you think and the last thing the enemy wants us to do. So will you do me a favor today and add these two very admirable and strong women who are dealing with the worst life has to offer? Pray for encouragement, courage to get through this day, to find joy in the small things and for God to reveal to them in mighty ways, that they are NOT alone in this struggle. We all need friends and neighbors who can come alongside us and help us get through these dark days.

Let us help them find ways to put air back into their balloon or better yet buy them a bunch!

Proverbs 11:25, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

The Darkest Day in History!

I sometimes wonder just what that Saturday felt like following the crucifixion felt like to those that witnessed it first hand.

I can only imagine the grief that Jesus' mother endured not only having to bring this wonderful child into the world but to stand at the foot of the cross and watch all this happening to a son she knew perfectly well was not guilty. I would have to say she spent the night with close family members and friends.

The disciples must have gathered together after having been spread about the city because the Bible states in all the gospel accounts that none were there but then how did gospels capture the story. Did they flee the city hoping to avoid capture after the garden? I feel that they did. They reunited some how and endured this day remembering those times that they walked with Him and the lessons they learned, miracles they saw Him perform. I even expect an occasional laugh came through too about some funny thing that remembered Jesus doing.

I wonder how Peter felt the day after his denial of Jesus. I wonder just how many "what if's" he played out in his mind. I personally feel that Peter felt the worst. He was now living the life of regrets. A life he probably felt he could take back and wished he could. I see Peter sitting among the rest of the disciplines in the Upper Room but isolated from the others in tears.

So they all united together with one another grieving over the loss of what they must have questioned was the true Messiah. I guess He wasn't really the one we had hoped for? It can't have ended this way? Surely we have missed something? What will happen now?

These are all questions I am sure ran through the mind of the believers and followers of Jesus Christ.

Yet this particular day was still a day of lost hope. I can't imagine anyone somewhere thinking, Hey wait remember what Jesus said, He always spoke in parables, didn't He say something about rebuilding the temple in 3 days, do you think it means Him? If so, won't He be coming back again?

I seriously doubt it because the Bible does not record this day. I can only imagine it was the longest day any of them had ever experienced in their life. Life without hope can do that to you. Rob you of time, of joy, of life even if you let it.

Heaven must have fallen silent at that very moment Christ died as well. I can only imagine the grief that God experienced after having to punish his son, who did no wrong with all the sins of man, past, present and future as those He personally had committed them all. God grief must have been greater than we would ever know. I am sure the angels were weeping. Heaven for a brief moment must have fallen silent.

In the world I am sure that Satan and his enemies were having a great old laugh at God's expense too! Fists being thrown in the air at God, mocking him that even his only perfect son, could not bear the power of death. That they had won!

Yet as we know not even the power of death could hold back our Savior. For at that moment he was in the pit of hell taking back the keys of death from Satan and his minions because in a few short hours, the world would know for certain that Christ will rise from the dead. We all know that Jesus was still on the throne, still in power and still working in the details. Wait til tomorrow!

Little however did the disciples now the majesty of what would await them in the morning. But for now, I am choosing to reflect and remember just what Jesus has done in my life today and how if it weren't for Him, I would be hopeless and lost.