SORROW OF BACKSLIDING

April 17, 2024

1 Samuel 15:35 (NKJV)
“And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.”

There is a difference between the unsaved and the backslidden. The unsaved are those who have never had the experience of knowing God or walking with God. They are in need of the gospel but cannot be blamed for rejecting Christ because they never knew Him. This is, however, totally different from the backslidden believer who has known and walked with Christ.

We mourn for the unsaved, but we mourn so much more for the backslidden. While I don’t want to dive into any theological discourse on this subject matter, it’s clear that there are people who, at one point, seemed passionate for God, and then chose to turn away from Him. But why?

People may give different reasons for turning away from their first love, but the underlying reason is Satan. We should never minimize the subtle role this cunning being has in leading many believers astray. That’s why we must labor to restore our backslidden brethren.

Samuel mourned for Saul. Samuel mourned because Saul was like his spiritual son, someone he had specifically chosen and anointed under God’s guidance. Saul was not just a follower; he was anointed by God and called into the highest leadership position in the land. And yet he fell from God’s grace. Samuel’s heart was broken but God’s heart much more. God regretted His decision.

Today’s devotion is calling us to do two things. The first is to mourn for those who once walked with the Lord but, for some reason, have backslidden and walked away from the Lord. Let’s cry to God for mercy and for restoration for these precious souls. There might still be hope.

The second purpose of today’s devotion is that we personally decide never to backslide. It is a choice not to break God’s heart like Saul did. There is grace to stand firm and finish well. There is grace to overcome all seductions and delusions. There is grace in Christ to overcome.

Too many are turning away from their first love. Too many are turning into the world system. Too many are choosing to serve mammon instead of God. Too many are forgetting where they once stood with God. In these last days, we must fight the battle to save the “once saved” while being extra vigilant that we ourselves do not become casualties in the battle.

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