Category: Doctrine

The Backslider – Part 5

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Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

Twenty-one examples of beings fallen from grace: [1] Lucifer. He was sinless and walked in the ways of God perfectly until he sinned (Ezek. 28:11-17). He fell from God’s favour and was cast out of heaven (Isa. 14:12-14; Luke 10:8). He became sinful and lustful (John 8:44) and destined to eternal hell (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10). [2] Holy angels. Over one-third of God’s holy angels rebelled with Lucifer (Rev. 12:3, 7-12) and became destined to hell with satan (Matt. 25:41; Isa. 24:21). Many of these committed the additional sin of fornication and are now in hell (2Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6-7). Angels are sons of God (Gen. 6:1-4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:4-7), and yet those who sin are to be punished forever in hell, so sonship is no unforfeitable guarantee of heaven. [3] Demons. They were also created sinless and in God’s grace and favour before the fall of man and lived on earth under Lucifer’s reign (Ezek. 28:11-17). That they sinned and are doomed to eternal hell is clear from their own admission of being worthy of punishment (Matt. 8:29; Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28-32; Jas. 2:19). Many of them are now in the abyss (Rev. 9:1-21). [4] Pre-adamites. According to Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 14:12-14; Jeremiah 4:23-26; Ezekiel 28:11-17; 2Peter 3:5-8 and other scriptures, Lucifer ruled the earth before Adam and caused all the people of his kingdom to lose God’s favour and be destroyed in the flood of Genesis 1:2 and 2Peter 3:5-8. Not one person, animal, city, or plant was left alive (Jer. 4:23-26).

To be continued…

The Backslider – Part 4

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Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

The ways of backsliders (continues): They fail to walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:1-13; Gal. 5:16-26) and to stand fast (1Thess. 3:8). They hate other Christians (1Jn. 3:15). They serve sin (John 8:32-36; Matt. 6:24) and yield to it (Rom. 6:14-23). They sow to the flesh (Gal. 6:7-8). They fail to hold fast to the end (Heb. 3:6, 12-14; 4:1-11; 6:19) and come short of the goal (Heb. 4:1). They fail to labour to enter life (Heb. 4:11; John 6:27) and to put to death the deeds of the body (Rom. 8:12-13; 1Cor. 6:9-11; Col. 3:5-10). They refuse to walk in Christ as they receive Him (Col. 2:6-7). They continue in sin, thinking grace will abound (Rom. 6:1-23). They turn their heart back (Ps. 44:18) and decline to walk with God. They turn way back (Isa. 50:5; Jer. 38:22). They are rebellious (Isa. 50:5) and cast the law behind their backs (Neh. 9:26). They turn their back on God (Jer. 2:27). They turn back from the Lord (Zeph. 1:6) and slide back from God (Jer. 8:5). They refuse to return to God. They backslide many times (Jer. 14:7). They backslide like a heifer (Hos. 4:16). They go backward, not forward (Jer. 7:24).

All this indicates a man who once walked in the way of God but has now turned against Him; a man who fought the world, the flesh, and the devil and has retreated from battle and joined the enemy; a man who once belonged with saints, but is now removed from them; and a man who has been overcome by sin and satan and is filled with his own ways.

To be continued…

The Backslider – Part 3

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Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

The ways of backsliders (continues): They become blind (2Pet. 1:9) and become barren and unfruitful (2Pet. 1:8). They forget purging from sin (2Pet. 1:9). They do not make their calling and election sure (2Pet. 1:10). They turn away from the holy commandment (2Pet. 2:20). They abide not in the doctrine of Christ and God (2Jn. 1:9). They abide not in Christ (John 15:1-8) and leave their first love (Rev. 2:4-5). They permit their hearts to depart from God (Jer. 17:9; Heb. 3:12). They give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1Tim. 4:1-8). They turn away from the truth (2Tim. 4:1-4). They fall from their steadfastness in Christ (2Pet. 3:17). They err from the truth (Jas. 5:19-20) and become cut off (Rom. 11:22). They become broken off (Rom. 11:17-24). They shipwreck faith (1Tim. 1:19) and neglect salvation (Heb. 2:1-4). They become castaways (1Cor. 9:27). They become corrupted from the simplicity in Christ (2Cor. 11:3). They fail to continue in faith (Col. 1:23). They fail to continue seeking life and immorality (Rom. 2:7-8). They go back and walk no more with Christ (John 6:66-68). They fail to take heed lest they fall (1Cor. 10:12-14). They sin against God (Ex. 32:32-33) and cast off their first faith (1Tim. 5:12). They defile the body (1Cor. 3:16-17) and draw back into perdition (Heb. 10:39). They do not endure (Matt. 10:22) and they move away from the hope (Col. 1:23).

To be continued…

The Backslider – Part 2

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Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

The ways of backsliders (continues): They lose savour (Matt. 5:13) and grow cold in love (Matt. 24:12). They become offended (Mark 4:17) and fall away by temptation (Luke 8:13). They permit cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and lusts of other things to choke the Word (Mark 4:18-19). They become ashamed of Christ (Mark 8:38) and look back to old life (Luke 9:62). They become defeated by satan (Luke 11:21) and are overcome by sin (2Pet. 2:20). They lust after evil things (1Cor. 10:6) and are idolatrous (1Cor. 10:7). They commit fornication (1Cor. 10:8). They tempt Christ (1Cor. 10:9) and murmur (1Cor. 10:10). They become filled with debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings and tumults (2Cor. 12:20-21). They remove from Christ (Gal. 1:6-8). They disobey the truth (Gal. 3:1) and fall from grace (Gal. 5:4). They turn again to the old bondage of sin (Gal. 4:9; 5:1; 6:1). They put away faith (1Tim. 1:9) and turn aside after satan (1Tim. 5:15). They love money (1Tim. 6:10-21). They err from the faith (1Tim. 6:10-21) and depart from the faith (1Tim. 4:1-8). They deny Christ (2Tim. 2:12) and love the present world (2Tim. 4:10). They depart from God (Heb. 3:12) and harden their hearts by sin (Heb. 3:12-13). They fall in unbelief (Heb. 4:11). They fall away (Heb. 6:4-9; 10:26-29) and fail God’s grace (Heb. 12:15). They permit roots of bitterness to defile them (Heb. 12:15).

To be continued…

The Backslider – Part 1

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Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 

‘The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.’ The backslider in heart will be satisfied with his ways, but a good man will be satisfied when he is free from his own ways (2Cor. 5:17-18).

‘Backslider’ [Hebrew: cuwg] to flinch; to go back; to apostatize. Backslider is used only once, but backsliding is found 16 times. We should always check our own state of heart and attitude against Scripture to make sure we are not backsliding.

The ways of backsliders: They will not listen to God (Lev. 26:14). They will not obey commands. They despise God’s statutes (Lev. 26:15). They abhor God’s judgments. They break God’s covenant. They forget God (Deut. 8:11). They forsake God (Deut. 32:15; 2Chr. 15:2). They provoke God (Deut. 32:16). They turn again to folly (Ps. 85:8). They turn aside to sin (Ps. 125:5). They turn from righteousness (Ezek. 3:20; 18:16-24; 33:12-18). They cast God behind them (Ezek. 23:35). They trust their own righteousness (Ezek. 33:13). They are bent on backsliding (Hos. 11:7).

To be continued…

Heaviness

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Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. 

‘Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.’ The sorrowful heart may hide behind forced smiles and laughter, but its heaviness will eventually be revealed.

In James 4:9 backsliders are commanded to be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness referring to laughter prompted by sin and joy founded on sin. There are ten commands given to backsliders: Submit yourselves to God (Jas. 4:7). Resist the devil. Draw nigh to God (Jas. 4:8). Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you doubters. Be afflicted, mourn, and weep (Jas. 4:9). Let your laughter be turned to mourning. Let your joy be turned to heaviness. Humble yourself before God (Jas. 4:10). Speak not evil of one another (Jas. 4:11).

The Ways of Death

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Proverbs 14:12  There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 

‘There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.’ A man may persuade himself that his besetting sin, false religion, and selfish way are right, but whatever is not God’s way will end in death and hell. Proverbs 16:25 repeats this warning.

Many will not be saved because: They seek the wrong way – not striving (Luke 13:24; Rom. 10:9-10). They seek at the wrong time – when the door is shut (Luke 13:25; Matt. 7:21). They seek in the wrong place – stand without (Luke 13:25; Rev. 3:20). They seek upon the wrong plea – we entertained you (Luke 13:26; Matt. 7:21). They seek with the mouth, but their heart is far from God (Luke 13:26; Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8).

‘Seems right unto a man.’ Four examples of following false ways: Jeroboam (1Kin. 12:27-33; 14:7-11); Josiah (2Chr. 35:20-24); Paul (Php. 3:4-7; 1Tim. 1:13) and the Jews (John 16:2; Acts 13:50).

‘The end thereof are the ways of death.’ Five examples of the end result of the wrong way: Nabal (1Sam. 25:36-37); Solomon (1Kin. 11:1-8; Eccl. 2:2); Belshazzar (Dan. 5:1-31); the Israelites (Amos 6:3-7) and Judas (Acts 1:25).

The Upright Shall Flourish

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Proverbs 14:11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 

‘The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.’ This is the 10th prophecy in Proverbs (14:11) and is being fulfilled. The godly will live on earth forever (Gen. 9:12).

Genesis 9:12-16 expresses an eternal pledge between eternal parties of an eternal covenant. “For perpetual generations” reveals the length of the covenant, plainly promising eternal generations of natural people. If one keeps in mind that there will be two classes of eternal people, eternal conditions on earth will be simple to comprehend. [1] Natural people will live from the future tribulation period through the Millennium and then on into the New Earth forever – if they do not sin or rebel with satan at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:7-10; Matt. 13:39-50; 25:46). [2] Resurrected people who have part in the first resurrection will be the eternal rulers of the eternal generations of natural people (Rev. 20:4). The resurrected people will not marry or give in marriage (Matt. 22:30). Still, the natural people who are alive at the second coming and who are permitted to be subjects of the eternal kingdom will marry, have children, and carry out the natural program as God intended when He created Adam. They will live forever by virtue of the tree of life (Rev. 22:1-2), not by virtue of a resurrection and a change from mortality to immortality as with glorified saints (1Cor. 15:51-58; Php. 3:21).

Bitterness vs Joy

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Proverbs 14:10  The heart knows his own bitterness; and a stranger does not intermeddle with his joy. 

‘The heart knows his own bitterness; and a stranger does not intermeddle with his joy.’ The heart knows its own bitterness, and let no man hinder its joy.

From Genesis 37:11we see bitterness in the form of envy where Joseph’s brothers reacted towards his dreams and this envy was added to their hatred. Envy is a selfish grudging of what another enjoys (Job 5:2; Pro. 14:30; Rom. 1:29; 1Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:3). It is associated with bitterness, strife, murder and other sins (Eccl. 9:6; Rom. 1:29; 13:13; 1Cor. 3:3; 2Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:19-21; 1Tim. 6:4; Tit. 3:3; Jas. 3:14-16; 4:5). Joseph’s dreams incited envy in his brothers but deep thought in Jacob who took them as divine indication of events that would affect his family. They also helped prepare Joseph for his coming sufferings in Egypt (Gen. 42:8-9; 45:4-8; 50:15-21). Ephesians 4:31 warns us to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, evil speaking, and malice, for these are the things that grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the LORD is our strength, we thus cannot allow bitterness to steal His joy from our hearts. 

Go from the Presence

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Proverbs 14:7-9 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceives not in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit. Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour. 

‘Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceives not in him the lips of knowledge.’ Never associate with vain, empty, ignorant men who can neither convey nor receive the truth (Matt. 7:6).

‘The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.’ The wisdom of the prudent is to direct his way rightly, but the folly of fools is to live deceitful lives.

‘Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.’ Fools make sport of sin and live in disfavour with all who are good, but the righteous find favour.