Backsliding
BACKSLIDING
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, Mat 24:13. Heb 10:38. Luk 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.
Fuente: Theological Dictionary
BACKSLIDING
According to the words 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 Gods children (Heb 12:6-8; 2Pe 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 (Joh 8:31; Col 1:21-23; Jam 5:19-20; 1Pe 1:5). Perseverance is not a condition for salvation; but it is an evidence of salvation (Mat 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 (Jer 2:19; Jer 5:6; Jer 8:5; Jer 15:6; Hos 11:7; cf. Heb 10:26-31; 1Jn 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 (Luk 22:31-32; Luk 22:47-62; Joh 17:12; Act 1:15-16; cf. 2Co 7:9-10; see APOSTACY).
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Backsliding
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.” (Hos 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.” (Hos 14:4; Jer 3:22)
Fuente: The Poor Mans Concordance and Dictionary to the Sacred Scriptures
Backsliding
a falling off, or defection in matters of religion; an apostasy, Act 21:21; 2Th 2:3; 1Ti 4:1. This may be either partial or complete: partial, when it is in the heart, as Pro 14:14; complete, as that described in Heb 6:4, &c; Heb 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.